THE LOST CANASTOTA.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1921, Page 5

THE LOST CANASTOTA.

WIRELESS IN GOOD ORDER. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received July 8. 9.30 p.m. ■Sydney, July 8. The agents for tho missing steamer Canastota deny rumors that the vessel’s wireless was out of order when she left Sydney, where the intallation was overhauled and found in perfect order. TWENTY-FOUR DAYS OUT AND NO SIGN. “PROBABLY BLOWN UP.” Ordinarily the steamer Canastota (Captain Lockie) would have compassed the journey from Sydney to Wellington, in five days, so that having left that port, in continuation of her voyage from New York, on June 14, she should have arrived here before June 20. As nothing has been heard of her since her departure from Port Jackson, the conclusion arrived at by most people on the waterfront is that she has been blown up at sea, and has sunk without, leaving a trace. Since mid-June several steamers, with special instructions to search for boats or wreckage of any kind, have sailed over the course between Sydney and Wellington without seeing a vestige of the missing vessel. The only apparent reason for the disappearance of such a big cargo carrier (of nearly 5000 tons gross register, and fitted with wireless telegraphy), is to be found in the nature of her cargo, which consisted in the main of 80,000 cases of American benzine, shipped at New York. Wireless telegraphy is only of service as long as the plant itself is intact and there is power available to flash out an “5.0.5.” signal, but if by any mischance an open flame were to come in contact with the fumes from split benzine and the flash were communicated to the benzine cargo in the hold, an explosion would occur that would probably blow the deck off or the side of ff.e s.hip out. In that case the force of the explosion would probably disrupt the machinery or plant on *.vhich the wireless depends, thus depriving all on board of the means of making their dire plight known.

; On the Sydney-Wellington trip a vessel is never more than two days away from assistance, and the probability is that a steamer in distress would be always within measurable distance of relief if the case was not too desperate. In the case of the missing Canastota, therefore, it can only be concluded that there was some sudden and complete catastrophe. After twenty-two days it is considered to be scarcely likely that the Canastota is afloat, or that any of her officers or crew are alive. There have been some fearful experiences of the vagaries of benzine cargoes in small quantities on little coastal craft to guide the imagination as to what could happen, under certain circumstances, on a vessel carrying 60,000 cases. The Canastota was a British-built ship, but tk unit of the American U.S. and A. Lin* and was manned by Americans. She is a steel screw steamer, with one deck, of 4904 gross and 3139 tons net. She was built in 1907 by Messrs. Napiei’ and Miller, Ltd., of Glasgow, >and was originally known as the Falls ’of Grchy. She was classed 100 Al at Lloyd’s. Her principal dimensions were: Length 405 feet, breadth 52.3 feet, and depth 18.5 feet.