BODIES IN THE SEA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 320, 21 February 1910, Page 5

BODIES IN THE SEA

A GRUESOME SPECTACLE. WHAT THE TOTTENHAM'S CREW SAW. THE WARATATI MYSTERY. CULPABLE RETICENCE. By Telegraph.—Press' Association. Westport, Saturday. A statement has been made to tj>,. dress Association agent bv a mcniDer of the crew of the s. s ; Tottenham, which recently called at Westport for bunker coal. H c says the Tottenham left Durban about ten days after the Waratah and steamed over the same course bound to Antwerp. While off East London an apprentice at the wheel reported to the third officer that lie saw float past the ship the body of a little girl clothed in a lvd dressing-gown. The vessel put back, but did not see the body, but noticed several pieces of flesh and something resembling the trunk of a body mutilated bv sharks. The man now in Westport states that the chief and second officers rf the Tottenham stated to him and others on board that they saw the bodv of 'l.e little girl reported by the apprentice, and could stake their lives it was that of a girl 10 or 12 years of age, and not a fish as previously reported "in the cables. The second engineer stated lie saw • the body of a woman in a nightdress .with an albatross perched on top. also the trunk of another body. The sea was running mountains high when the Tottenham was proceeding on her voyage. The conclusion aboard was that the Waratah took a head into the sea, and before she had time to recover took I another, staving in the fore-hatch, and ,foundered.

Westport, Last Night. Mr. Day, ex-second officer of the steamer Tottenham, which left Westport last week for Ocean Island., sup .plies further details of the story ae gave a Westport News reporter on Saturday morning concerning the bodies seen floating about off East London shortly ater the Waratah was reported missing.

Mr. Day is an Englishman, of an old North of England family, and left the Tottenham at Westport, receiving from Captain Cox a clean discharge and credentials stating he always founa i>:i;v a reliable officer and strict!v sober.

Mr. Day says, speaking from memory as to the exact dates, as he unfortunately left his noteobok on the Tottenham when she left Westport, that the Tottenham arrived at Durban abo.it midnight on Saturday, 7th August, 1009, and anchored in the roadstead, signalling her arrivalto the lighthouse. The steamer ineizwa also anchored in the roadstead, and about 1 a.m. Mr. Day, who was then on watch, received a signal from the Ineizwa asking if he knew anything about the missing liner Waratah, Mr. Day replying in th? negative and stating that the Tottenham had just come from Port Pirie, 29 days' steam. The Ineizwa then supplied some details. At 8 a.m. %n Sunday the Tottenham proceeded into nort, and took up the berth just vacated by the Dir"ctoire, the officeiVi of the Tottenham then getting fuller news of the missing liner from other ships and people ashore.

After taking in bunker coal, the Tottenham was to have proceeded to sea on the Monday morning, but owing to the rough state of the weather she icmained in port until next morning, and at S a.m. on Tuesday left Durban bound for Antwerp, receiving instructions on ■leaving port to keep a diligent look-out for the missing liner. The sea at Vlie time was verv hign.

When off East London the incidents previously describee! took place, at noon .the apprentice fiiot reporting that lie had seen the hodv of a little girl clothed in a red dress, with her hair floating' in the water, float past the vessel, and the chief and second engineer saying they had seen pieces of bodies and the body of a woman in a nightdress floating about the water.

When the captain and Mr. Day, who were summoned from the chart room, arrived 011 deck, Mr. Day suites r.o : pointed out an albatross sitting oil something, and the steamer vas brought round to make an examination, with the result that Mr. Day states that he was fully convinced that the object on which the albatross was perched was the trunk of a body, with the arms and legs missing. They did not see any of the bodies previously reported as observed by the «r»prentiec and the engineers, but Mr. Day states that pieces of body We're floating three, or four feet deep in the water over a big area of sea, with a floek of birds hovering around.

For some reason or other, which Mr. Day can merely surmise, this was nnt reported to the lieutenant of IT.M.S. ■Forte, when the latter put off in a boat in Simon's Bay, into which the Tottenham had run for shelter, to make enquiries whether the Tottenham had seen any sign of the Waratah. Mr. Day states that strict instructions were giver, on the Tottenham to say nothing of the affair, and that he overheard the apprentice, by request, give an account of what he had seen to a oentlemau whom he believed to be the agent for the Tottenham, or who had something to do with the ship's cargo, at Melbourne, and that the .\pprentice was then advised to say nothing of the affair, as it might cause friction.

"Let mo here remark." added "Mi". Day. "lost people think this is a honk, or tliat 1 hour a prejudice against anyone, that such sfljrsestions. if thev .tre made, are absolutely incorrect. T denv any prejudice, and any statement T have made here I am willing to make on oath. My reason for making (his Statement now is that while T was oti the vessel orders were given to keep the thine; quiet, hut now T am oil' the vessel I am tree to speak mv mind in rega-d to what T saw, and what others on tlie .ship tohl .me they saw. I have clean discharges and credentials from all t h .o ships on which T have served." Three gentlemen in West port st'.ue they hoard the story of what \va* se.'ii. from the second engineer, who is reported as stating he was positive he saw the bodv of a child float nast the ship, and that the effect of what they saw that day put them off their food for several days. The Tottenham carried Chinese firemen. one of whom is reported as havinc remarked at the time: "Plenty people in the sea:' The Tottenham left West port lasi

Wednesday for Ocean Island, about t vi days' steam. She stays there a monili to six weeks, and then leaves for La,buan, Borneo, on route for Europe. THE SEARCH STEAMKH. By Cable.— Picks A->ociation.—Copyright Melbourne, February 10. The Premier of Natal has cabled that the Wakefield leaves Durban on 'lie morning of the 22nd in search of the Waratah. Tie adds that Lieut. Sey- I mom- and the captain of the Wakefield, I after consultation, consider that owing ] to Marion and Prince Edward Island* > having lately been frequently visited, ' and seeing that Kerguclen Islands arc permanently inhabited, the time occupied in searching them would be better •occupied in visiting MeDnna'd md Heard islands. From there the se.v-h could be continued according to inetrutions. c