ECTION FOR HONGKON
WARATAH DISASTER
"CAPTAIN," said the young man earnestly. "I
am convinced this ship is going to sink.'
"
The captain nearly choked. Captain Ilbery was com- modore of the Blue Anchor Line and master of its newest and finest liner, the 16,800-ton Waratah, in 1909.
Less than a year old, the Clydebank-built ship was steaming on her way from Australia to Britain. And a passenger had the cheek to tell him that his ship was going to sink!
Nevertheless passengers had
to be humoured and he asked. pleasantly enough: "Whatever makes you think this, Mr Sawyer?"
to
Claude Sawyer, an English company director, answered: 'She
steady doesn't seem me. I think she's top-heavy."
"Is that all?" asked the cap- tain.
HUGE WAVES
very
by
HENRY LEWIS
I unpleasant. But assure you there's nothing worry about.
He dreamed that the ship
and it did would sink
-
Theories have been many.
believe that Many seamen her engines failed and that she drifted to the Antarctie. That her captain did not lawach the .boats because he expected, all White, a the time, that the engines would But Adelaide
Sir William former chief constructor to the be righted or they would sight But that she Royal Navy,
another ship. proved figures that the Waratah was eventually crashed into an ice- not top-heavy. And Robert berg. But no trace whatsoever was Steele, a distinguished naval found of the single-funnel liner architect, proved that she could that was the pride of Clyde- not have been capsized by bad bank.
weather.
port of call between can
to and England, one of the big
gest sea searches of all time was mounted.
!
'I admit this ship is not, perhaps, as steady as some I've sailed in. But she is a fine ship, modern and perfectly sea- worthy."
more
Claude Sawyer was not con- vinced. He worried more and and when the Waratah called at Durban he left the ship and went ashore. That night in his hotel he had other dream. He saw the Waratah battling through huge waves. Finally an enormous
an-
Then he Sawyer hesitated.
dream" plunged on. "I bad a he said. "There was a man in very peculiar dress with a long sword in his right hand. In his other he had a rag soaked in blood. He came right up to my bed. I seemed to feel the blood from the rag dripping on my face. It was terrible, I am sure
wave broke over the liner and it was a warning. It happened the Waratah disappeared three times over."
about to a
re-
Next morning Sawyer went "Really, Mr Sawyer," said
travel
agency and the captain. "I'm sorry your dream. It must have been booked to continue his journey
on another ship.
Meanwhile, 'out at sea, the Waratah
overhauling smaller steamer that had left Durban a few hours before her.
The 17-21
Club's five rules
• Membership in the 17-21
Club is open to all within that age group.
tas
GREAT SEARCH
a
She was the Clan MacIntyre. As the Waratah came up a sig-
from nal lamp blinked
the smaller ship and this exchange took place:
Clan Macintyre: "What ship are you?"
Waratah:
London."
Waratah
for
from
Clan Macintyre: "Clan Mac- Intyre for London. What
you have
• Contributions and all ac-weather did tivities of the Club will Australia?" be limited to members only.
Waratah: "Strong south- westerly to southerly winds,
across.
Clan MacIntyre: "Thanks Waratah. Pleasant passage."
Waratah:
Contributions may consist thot is of anything publishable articles, jetters, stories, photo- graphs, drawings, verses, MacIntrye. But only the best will Goodbye." be printed.
"Thanks, Clan Same to you,
Then the Waratah
increased
• All contributions MUST speed and in a few hours had
be original.
© Written
contributions should not consist of more than 350 words,
passed from sight.
In a few hours the Chan MacIntyre was battling through a strong gale and high seas.
The Waratah was never
to
photographs and drow-be seen again. Not her, nor any ings will only be accept part of her. Nor any of her 92 ed in black-and-white.
MEMBERSHIP
Fill this in and send it to the China Mail, 1-3 Wyndham Street, Hongkong.
Name
Age Occupation Address
passengers.
crew.
Nor any of
her
There was just possibly one further contact with her. At 9.51. that night the Union Castle steamer Guelph, 80 miles from Durban, saw a light signalling.
She made out only the letters distress TAH. There were no signals.
It could have been the Wara- TAH.
have But she should been much further on. Yet the Clan Macintyre had pot rc- passed her.
When the Waratah failed to arrive at Capetown, her next
with
with The inquiry agreed false There were, of course,
them that her rolling and clues by the score. Masters of
had pitching could not have ships
at reported fires
sea,
dis bodies in the water, mysterious anything to do with her lights. But after investigation appearance. none could be linked positively with the Waratah.
have
sea
come
And they heard that many smaller, older ships had ridden out the storm without difficulty.
was
The inquiry found that she had properly built and Every one passed five separate inspections. cruel and She was definitely seaworthy.
No fewer than five messages were found in bottles at all purporting to from the Waratah. was found to be a stupid hoax.
Claude Sawyer was,
of course, the main witness at the
15-day official inquiry in London the following year. But his dreams could not help the inquiry much.
A steward who sailed on the
ICEBERGS?
It also found that the cargo had been properly stowed and could not have moved to cause the Waratah to capsize.
If she foundered in the Ant- arctic it would explain why no wreckage was found in the African waters where the search was made.
Others believe that hatches or coaling doors may haye been left open and water poured in during a freak savage storm. But would a captain of 40 years experience have allowed this to happen?
Every few
a new years "clue" is discovered in the rid- dle of the Waratah. A piecs of wreckage that might have come from her. An "old legend of ́ a ship that went ashore and But brake up in a hurricane. the mystery of how the liner, its passengers and crew vanish- ed has still to be solved.
If you can explain the loss of the Waratah another mystery remains.
For how do you explain Claude Sawyer's dreams--the dreams that saved his life?
So what happened?' How Waratah's maiden voyage back- could a 17,000-ton Hner just ed up Sawyer's view that she vanish? listed excessively. He said the promenade deck moved about The inquiry decided that she And why did the vision come on its beams when the ship HAD capsized but why, rolled:
could not answer.
it only to Sawyer out of all the
passengers?
The Hit Parade: By Ted Thomas
what extent do the
Tradio request pro-
grammes reflect the tastes of the general public?
answer
This question is one of im- mense
those importance to whose business it is to sell records, yet as far as I know, no satisfactory
has yet been arrived at.
Here in Hongkong, the re- quest
sup- programmes are ported mainly by a solid block of youngsters, many of whom are known to write as many as a dozen separate requests
each week.
Without a doubt a number
:
1. Are You Lonesome
2. I Love You Baby
3. The Clickity-Clack Song
Tonight
4. Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight
5. I'll Save The Last Dance For You
6. Tell Laura I Love Her
7. Many Tears Ago
8. You Are The Only One
9. C'est Magnifique
10. It's Now or Never
11. I Will Follow You
12. Come Back To Me My Love 13. Come Back Billy Girl
14. The World Is Getting Smaller 15. What A Night For Love 16. Scmebody
17. Lop-Sided Over-Loaded 18. Let's Go Off-Beat
19. The Green Leaves Of Summer 20. Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On
of record request programmes ~g – are being used as a personal mail service, with each party being almost certain of hear- ing their requests played if they write often enough.
The average person writing in just one letter and fondly hoping that it will get an even break is bucking odds of something like twenty to one. The so-called "teenage clubs" help to lengthen the odds against the Individual getting a fair crack of the whip.
Many of these clubs, sport- ing grand sunding names, and the often purporting to be official fan clubs of any one of a dezen well known recording artists, have little or no con- nection with the parent or. ganisation.
Very seldom, H ever. do record sales coincide with the conclusions of the request programme popularity polls. Proving I think that the pes- ple who are prepared to go to
almost any lengths to their request played over the air, are not usually prepared to go to the expense of buying the record for hard cash.
hear
In short the record request being do- programmes are minated and dictated to by a small but highly active group of selfish people who using such programmes to suit their own ends.
are
The
which this way in art of promotion can affect
*
*
Elvis Presley Kong Ling Brian Hyland Dedie Stevens Damita Jo
Ray Peterson Connie Francis Ricky Nelson Kong Ling Elvis Presley Eydie Gorma Mark Dinnlag . Steve Lawrence Mark Dinning Addrisi Bros. Johnny Hash Brian Hyland Kong Ling Easy Riders Conway Twitty
sach programmes as depend on the returns on the request programmes for their listing of records in order of popal- arity, is too obvious to need labouring.
HITS HERE AND THERE DEPARTMENT
America: 1. Wonderland By Night, by Bert Kamfert; 2. Are You Lonesome Tonight, by Elvis Presley; 3. Exodus (From the film) by Ferrame and Telcher.
Britain: 1. Poetry In Motion," 21 by Johnny Tillotson; Love You, by Cliff Richards; 3. Save The Last Dance For He, by The Drifters.
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