THE MISSING WARATAH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2605, 13 September 1909, Page 5

THE MISSING WARATAH.

AN INQUIRY TO BE INSTITUTED.

United Prkbs Association—copyright

LONDON, Sept. 10.

Mr T. Summerbell, Labor member for Sunderland, in the House of Commons, asked several questions respecting the manning of the Waratah, suggestive of a weak and incompetent crew.

Mr Winston Churcliill, President of the Board of Trade, refused to make a statement pending an inquiry which would necessarily be instituted. CAPETOWN, Sept. 10. The steamer Sabine sails to-morrow on her search for the Waratah. SAILING OF THE SEARCH VESSEL (Received September 12, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 12. The Sabine has sailed from Capetown to search for the Waratah. The case of the Menarandna, 1065 tons, which recently put back to Madagascar after being 30 days out from Madagascar to East London, has an interesting bearing-on that of the Waratah, 9300 tons/ The Menarandra, from Madagascar for East London (300 miles south of Durban), was (says an exchange) expected to reach her destination about July 28, about or just prior to the date on which the Waratah was expected to reach Cape Town. Neither turned up, yet neither has been picked up in the course of the extensive search made in South African and southern waters. The smaller steamer with tho single screw now struggles back to port. Can the larger steamer with the twin screws be trusted to do the same When the Menarandra as well as the Waratah became overdue, it was suggested that the Menarandra had possibly encountered the Waratah while she' was drifting helplessly, and was assisting her to regain port. The Menarandra, it was then pointed out, would cross the currents in which the Waratah is supposed to be drifting. The arrival of the Menarandra. eliminates the supposition that she might he assisting the Waratah. On the other liand, if the smaller steamer survived the Btorm of which various captains speak so eloquently, why not the larger? A day ago the Waratah’s ehanbe wouldl hjave -been pronounced much the better one. On August 23 the London “Daily Telegraph” expressed confident opinion that the Menarandra was lost. About the same time an Australian paper commented:—“While it is improbable that the WaTataih, owing to her size, would founder, there would be considerable probability of the Menarandra doing so. But here again the fact that no wreckage has been washed ashore discounts the theory—that she and the Waratah had collided and both sunk. Tile port to which the French steamer has put back is apparently a place in Madagascar. . , „ The Manarandra is a steel screw steamer of 1065 tons, is owned in Dunkirk, France, and is supplied with tnpple expansion engines. # The Menarandra was built in Germ,any in 1890, nineteen years ago. The Waratah was completed in Glasgow last year. . , • \