THE LOSS OF THE WARATAH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 221, 12 January 1911, Page 5

THE LOSS OF THE WARATAH

COAL ON THE SPAR DECK. By Cable—Press Association —Copyright. London, January 2'J. The captain and chief officer of the Clan Maclntyre stated that the Waratah had no list, but Lamont, an apprentice, said sh? was pitching and leaning like a yacht listing to starboard. Mr. Shanks, Lund's superintendent engineer, stated that the coal consumption was 15 tons a day more on the second voyage, which was due to the distillation of drinking water and weather conditions. He had not heard of the difficulty of coaling at Sydney, owing to the ship being too tender, but admitted receiving Captain Ilbery's letter to that effect.

Counsel elicited the fact that when built at Glasgow it was considered unsafe to coal there beyond sufficient for the voyage to London. The affidavit of Walter Merry, of Adelaide, stated that he was warned by the sailors «f the first voyage not to sail, as she nearly turned turtle at the wharf at Sydney.

London, January 11

The chief officer of the steamer Clan Mclntyre declared that if the Waratah's steering gear failed on the course she was steering she would become unmanageable and be in great danger in a rough

Lamont admitted that he was on terms with the officers.

Mr. S-hanks said the arrangement was to build the Waratah as stable as the Geelong. It was not true that the vessel listed so heavily on the voyage from Glasgow as to frighten the officers. Counsel quoted the letter of the chief engineer to the owners stating that Captain llbery had asked him to take sufficient coal to drive the vessel. Shanks declared that neither the owners nor the builders nor himself suggested utilising the space on the spar deck for coal.

Counsel produced a plan showing the space marked as "coal bunkers." Witness replied that he had never regarded it as a permanent bunker. It might have been of some assistance in coaling to place a small quantity on the spar deck. He had not heard anything about the vessel's instability. Asked why the coal was not placed on the spar deck at Glasgow, he said it was not considered. He was quite certain the decks did not leak badly.

Captain Moore, of the steamer Insizwa, said he saw four objects like bodies off the African coast on August 11, but bad weather prevented him making an examination.