On the morning of the 27th of July 1909 at 6.00 am local time 108 years ago on the east coast of South Africa, two ships signalled a total of 32 words between them. The Clan Macintyre called up the passenger ship the ss Waratah by signal lamp and exchanged pleasantries, after the exchange the Waratah pulled ahead of the Clan Macintyre and was last seen on the horizon at about 9.30 am and simply disappeared creating one of the greatest sea mysteries of the century. The Waratah was the new flagship of the Blue Anchor Line of London and was on her second voyage from England to Australia and home again with 211 souls that perished with her.
SS WARATAH.
SS CLAN MACINTYRE 2 at Capetown on a different voyage.
The officer that initiated the the first signal between the two ships was the fourth mate of the Clan Macintyre Mr.W. E. Carson aged 19 years who flashed, what ship? to the Waratah. According to the chief officer Mr. George Phillips who had the watch from 4.00 am to 8.00 am said the signalling lasted about half an hour. The crew of the Clan Macintyre amounted to a total of 69 persons, mostly Lascars with white officers in control.
THE WHITE CREW.
Master Captain A. Weir,
Chief Officer G. P. Phillips
2nd Officer W. Crichton,
3rd Officer W. Cothmander,
4th Officer W.E. Carson,
Midshipman S.P. Lamont,
Midshipman D. Shaw,
Chief Engineer P.Jackson,
2nd Engineer J. Sweeny,
3rd Engineer E. Potts,
4th Engineer D.Shaw,
Steward J. MacKenzie.
Please note Mr. Rider who was the 2nd officer of the Clan Macintyre on the voyage before but had paid off, gave an interview to the press at Hobart in March 1910 when he was then a passenger aboard the ss Ionic on his way to New Zealand describing the the events of the present voyage mentioned above. He was obviously describing events that must have been related to him by a fellow officer when the Clan Macintyre docked on arrival back in the U.K. The above crew list was taken from actual records of the time in question and is correct.
Let us not forget those lost aboard the Waratah 108 years ago.
The Ocean
The ocean has its silent caves,
Deep, quiet and alone;
Though there be fury on the waves,
Beneath them there is none
The awful spirits of the deep
Hold their communion there;
And there are those for whom we weep,
The young,the bright and fair.
Calmly the wearied seamen rest
Beneath their own blue sea.
The ocean solitudes are blest,
For there is purity.
The Earth has guilt, the Earth has care,
Unquiet are its graves;
But peaceful sleep is ever there,
Beneath the dark blue waves. Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The officer that initiated the the first signal between the two ships was the fourth mate of the Clan Macintyre Mr.W. E. Carson aged 19 years who flashed, what ship? to the Waratah. According to the chief officer Mr. George Phillips who had the watch from 4.00 am to 8.00 am said the signalling lasted about half an hour. The crew of the Clan Macintyre amounted to a total of 69 persons, mostly Lascars with white officers in control.
THE WHITE CREW.
Master Captain A. Weir,
Chief Officer G. P. Phillips
2nd Officer W. Crichton,
3rd Officer W. Cothmander,
4th Officer W.E. Carson,
Midshipman S.P. Lamont,
Midshipman D. Shaw,
Chief Engineer P.Jackson,
2nd Engineer J. Sweeny,
3rd Engineer E. Potts,
4th Engineer D.Shaw,
Steward J. MacKenzie.
Please note Mr. Rider who was the 2nd officer of the Clan Macintyre on the voyage before but had paid off, gave an interview to the press at Hobart in March 1910 when he was then a passenger aboard the ss Ionic on his way to New Zealand describing the the events of the present voyage mentioned above. He was obviously describing events that must have been related to him by a fellow officer when the Clan Macintyre docked on arrival back in the U.K. The above crew list was taken from actual records of the time in question and is correct.
Let us not forget those lost aboard the Waratah 108 years ago.
The Ocean
The ocean has its silent caves,
Deep, quiet and alone;
Though there be fury on the waves,
Beneath them there is none
The awful spirits of the deep
Hold their communion there;
And there are those for whom we weep,
The young,the bright and fair.
Calmly the wearied seamen rest
Beneath their own blue sea.
The ocean solitudes are blest,
For there is purity.
The Earth has guilt, the Earth has care,
Unquiet are its graves;
But peaceful sleep is ever there,
Beneath the dark blue waves. Nathaniel Hawthorne.
