THE MISSING WARATAH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2579, 13 August 1909, Page 5

THE MISSING WARATAH.

CABLE NEWS.

STATEMENT BY THE WARATAH’S AGENTS. HOPEFUL OF HER RE-APPEAR-ANCE. United Press Association—Copyright. (Received August 13, 1 a.m.) MELBOURNE, August 12. The agents of the Waratah state that they have become reconciled to the steamer’s having drifted out of the beaten track, and have little doubt of her ultimate reappearance .

A FRUITLESS SEARCH.

RETURN OF H.M.S. FORTE. (Received August 12, 9.55 p.m.) LONDON, August 12. The cruiser Forte has returned to Simons Town. She covered 1320 miles in a fruitless search for the Waratah.

The Waratah sailed from Sydney on June 26th, from Melbourne on July Ist and from Adelaide on July 7th, for London, via South African ports. She made a quick passage across the Indian Ocean, and reached Durban on Sunday, July 25th —a day in advance of schedule time. The voyage was resumed on the following day for Capetown, 809 miles distant, and as she steams at an average speed of between 13 and 14 knots she should have covered the distance in days.

THE PASSENGERS. The Sydney 'passengers are as follow : Mrs. J. E. Mullon, Mr. S. G. Sawyer, Mr. J C. Ritchie, Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Oslear, Mrs Govett, and Miss Lascelles, Lieutenant-Colonel Browne, Miss Lees and maid, Mrs. Crawiord, Mrs. and Miss Moore, Mrs - , and Miss Hay, Mr. Saunders, Ms. Ebbs worth, Mr. Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor and two children, Mr. S. Pearce, Mrs. Allen and two children, Mr. and Airs. Wm. Consent and infant, Air. D. R. Boyce, Air. J. M. S. Hunter Mr. E. A. Alurphy, Air. Henderson, Mr. A. Wright, Airs. A. Wright, Mr. Wm. Hocking, Air. Wm. Cumming, Mr. and Airs C. Swain, Air. and Airs. H. Flood, Airs. Hdrwood, Air. F. Norris., Air. G. Norris, Airs. Harvey, Aliss Miller, Air. Harvey, Mr. and Aliss Bowden, Mr. L. Schauinan, Aliss D. Schauman, Air. R. Keys, Air. C. Alurphy, Air. Barklemore. The following booked from Melbourne: —Saloon: Air. J. E. Mullon, Mr. S. G. Sawyer, Mr. B. Osiear, Airs. Oslear, Air. Wilkinson, Airs. Starke, Aliss Starke, Airs. J. W. Wilson, Aliss L. Wilson, Mr. F. C. Saunders, Air G. A. Richardson, Airs. Wilson, Aliss Wilson Air. J. Ebsworth, Airs. Govett, Aliss (Lascelles, Mr. Neil Black, Aliss AI. Campbell, Air. W. K. Jamieson, Lieu-tenant-Colonal Browne, Aliss Lees and maid, Airs. A. B. Woods and child, Aliss Hay, Air. Alorgan, Airs. Cawood, Air. E. B. Page, Airs. E. B. Page, ,Dr. Fulford. , . The vessel is supposed to have about 350 passengers altogether.

THE WARATAH’S COAIAIANDER. Commander Ilbery, of the Waratah, is the commodore of the Blue Anchor fleet, and is one of the most popular and trusted master mariners engaged in the Australian trade. His personal friends number hundreds in all ports of the Commonwealth, and he enjoys the complete confidence of his_ owners. Captain H. C. Kent, writing in reference to Commander Ilbery, says: “The Waratah is commanded by one who has (with one exception) made more trips to Australia from the Old Country than any commander. He certainly possesses the record of having been half a centurv in one eipploy, and commanded 13 of their steamers, one after the other, in addition to one sailing ship in the China trade. Ine first was the Dalcomyn, of 2600 tons, and the last is the Waratah. He is a splendid specimen of the ’ancient mariner’ class, and thoroughly enjoys a yarn about the old sailing 6hip days, but can tell no tales of shipwreck or disaster, as his has been a career (with one slight exception) of smooth, sailing throughout. He points with pride to the long list of steamships he has commanded, and claims to be the oldest sea captain afloat. After he had been years in the ship Mikado, the Lund line built a ship called the Serapis, and Captain Ilbery sailed her until the steamer Dalcomyn was launched. Then he took charge of her in the Sydney trade. Tbs was the beginning of the Blue Anchor line, and Captain Ilbery took each following steamer as she came off the stocks: The Yeoman, Hubbock, Riverina, Cuigoa, Woolloomooloo, Warrigal, Warrnambool, Naming, Commonwealth, Geelong, and Waratah. When one considers that this popular skipper has commanded eocli one or these vessels between the years 1880 and 1909, and that he has been at sea since the year 1857, and never had an accident worthy of the name, we must allow that his career as a seaman is unique. Fifty-two years at sea and 36 years in command -without disaster is a record to be proud of, and one cannot speak or write of Captain Ilbery without feeling that he has every right to be looked upon as a manner who has done well in upholding the dignity of the British: flag, and left his mark on the annals of notable British manners. The position in which the Waratah was last known to be is one fraught with many dangers, particularly one of collision with a sunken wreck, in which case all a mariner’s skill would not save the good ship from disaster. One could point to long lists of ships that have disappeared, no one knows where. Then, on the other hand, we must remember that a very small fracture in the engine-room will throw even a.Leviathan helpless upon the waves. Many ships (have been found again after being lost, and all hope most sincerely that the Waratah will be.one of them.”