Readers Questions Answered.

Question 1, Mr. Tom Powell of Gold Coast Queensland Australia asks, can you throw some light on the ship Geulph that  read at night a signal T.A.H. which supposedly came from the ss Waratah?

Answer Q 1, Yes there have been many press versions some of them varied and some to create mystery for readers, the following may give you a realistic version about the Guelph on that particular night.

                                                                          ss GUELPH.

                     

                                DEPOSITION OF JAMES NORTHCOTT CULVERWELL,

                                                     MASTER OF THE ss GUELPH.

On the 27th of July 1909, I was in command of the steamship Guelph of Southampton,owned by the Union Castle Steamship Company Limited, and at 9.51 pm that day, (Cape Mean Time). The Guelph was abeam of Cape Hood Light House (Latitude 33 degrees 2 minutes south, Longitude 27 degrees 54 minutes east) at a distance of 8 miles and her course was N 52 Degrees East. At this time my third officer, Mr. Blanchard reported that he had sighted a steamer distant about 5 miles outside the Guelph and bearing S 52 degrees East true of her (Guelph). Mr. Blanchard who was unable to make out the vessels name but reported to me she was a passenger vessel, and the Morse Code he had made out T.A.H  he thought it was the Waratah. She was carrying ordinary navigation lights, but Mr. Blanchard did not report to me how she was heading, or what her speed appeared to be. At that time in question the weather was not clear enough to enable the ship to be seen , and her lights and Morse Code signal  only were seen. The wind was westerly, fresh, moderate and increasing but no sea. The vessel we thought was the Waratah was not in sight fore more than 10 to 15 minutes, and so far as could be judged she was in a position, and on a proper course for Cape Town. The foregoing particulars are entirely from memory but I think they are fairly accurate.

Signed Captain James Northcott  Culverwell,

Sworn 2/2/1910 at St. Michaels Rectory, Cornhill in the City of London, before me H.Martin Holmes,

Commissioner to administer Oath's in the Supreme Court London.

Copy: Deposition 

                                                             

                                                    Mr.Thomas Roskiloy Blanchard

The third officer of the Guelph made a very short affidavit, He claims he was not sure as to the exact
date but said "if the master said it was the 27th in his statement then it must be correct." He further claims he cannot remember which ship signalled first, whether it was him or the Waratah but stated that he was very proficient in the Morse Code. When I endeavoured to signal to the large steamship, the weather was westerly and fresh, but there was no sea on, the next day, when nearer Natal (Durban) the weather became very rough with heavy seas.
All the particulars are from my memory and I believe them to be correct.
Signed Blanchard 3rd mate.

Sworn 24/3/1910 before Ivan Alton Sampson Surveyor of Customs and justice of the peace for The Cape in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope.


One thing is for sure both men have confirmed there was no storm or heavy sea at the time of passing an unknown ship, I crossed checked this with the entry in the Clan  Macintyre's log book for that  time and a similar weather report was entered, so, no big storm as reported in various articles.Going by the description of the wind force I estimate it was either force 4 or 5 using the Beaufort Scale.

                                         THIS IS THE MOST PROBABLE DESCRIPTION GIVEN.

The above figure shows the Guelph's course in red heading north easterly, the blue course line is heading south westerly which Blanchard thought  was the Waratah. The green lines show the Guelph 8 miles off the light and the other shows a ship 5 miles outside of the Guelph and bearing from her. I do not for one minute believe Blanchard  thought it was the Waratah unless he knew it was on its way to Cape Town, you don't exactly sail a coastline with a list of ships you can expect to meet along the way, unless the information was given to them by the Lloyd's agent in Cape Town. If the ships had been in sight of each other for 15 minutes at most, 5 miles apart and in the sea conditions described, they could have exchanged up to ninety words between them. Every officer wishing to become proficient in lamp signalling had to flash 6 words per minute to satisfy the Board of Trade examinations. After 10 or 15 minutes all Blanchard got was T.A.H from the other ship? I actually think he was whiling away his time talking to another ship and signing off when Capt Culverwell entered the bridge to check on their position from the light house. The other ship ended his message by not saying good by but used the lazy slang (tat ta) or (tat ah)  which was quite common in certain parts of England especially the sea port of Liverpool. 

   
                                                                          ss WARATAH.

Readers Questions Answered.

Question 1. Mr. William Harris of Toronto Canada asks, were there any deaths on the Waratah on her voyages such  as can happen on  modern cruise ships of today?.

Answer Q 1, Yes there were people that died on the maiden voyage but so far as the second voyage it is not known because the  log book went down with the ship.

On the 3rd of December on the maiden voyage outwards from London, a passenger died aboard the ship, a Mr. Wilson from Adelaide. It is understood that he was confined to his bed before leaving England but got up out of his sick bed to join the Waratah thinking the sea voyage would do him good. He was up and about the ship until after leaving Las Palmas when he fell ill again and was confined to the ships hospital. His wife was advised by the ships doctor to take him ashore at Capetown where he thought the man might have a better chance than aboard the ship. Mr. Wilson was a very stubborn man and insisted he stay aboard until he reached Adelaide his home town. The burial was to take place at 8.00 am on the morning of the 4th, after a post mortem had been carried out. The official log book of the Waratah showed the following entry.

                                                                          

                                                       EXTRACT OF LOG BOOK ENTRY.

3/12/08 at 1.30 pm in Latitude 43 degrees 20 minutes South Longitude 57 degrees 30 minutes East,

ALFRED WILSON GULLY aged 36 traveller of Adelaide South Australia died on board. His last place of residence was given as 16 Panton Place Kings Cross London. He had been suffering acute rheumatism but died of heart failure. At 8.00 am on the 4/12/08 in Latitude 43 degrees 26 minutes South Longitude 63 degrees 12 minutes East his body was committed to the deep. The service was conducted by the Bishop of Riverina.

Note; He was shown as Alfred Wilson on the passenger list and Gully was offered up as his full name by his widow. Mr. Gully was the son of Win and J. Gully of Adelaide and left behind two sisters named Edie and Mabel.

The next death entry given in the log book occurs when the Waratah was in the South Indian Ocean homeward bound via Durban and Capetown.
               
                                                         EXTRACT OF LOG BOOK ENTRY.
7.15 am 25th January 1909 at sea, Latitude 35 degrees 05 minutes South, Longitude 115 degrees 15 minutes East, ELIZA BRADLY, a third class passenger passed away. Her occupation was given as house keeper from Reading England. Her last place of residence was given as 60 Bridge Street Sydney N.S.W. She was discovered by her room mate and friend Miss Elizabeth Woollet to be dead in her berth. On the doctor being summoned, he pronounced her to have died some hours previously and the cause of death, Primary (Morbus Cordis), secondary, heart failure. At 4.00 pm at sea in Latitude 35 degrees 02 minutes South Longitude 114 degrees 20 minutes East on the same day, the body was committed to the deep. The Church of England burial service was read by Captain Ilbery.

It interesting to note that perhaps Eliza Bradly must have had some idea of her impending death as she penned a letter bequeathing her possessions to her dear friend Miss Elizabeth Woollet who produced the note to the doctor. After consultation between Captain Ilbery and the doctor the possessions of Eliza Bradly were released to Elizabeth Woollet her close freind.  

                                                         EXTRACT OF LOG BOOK ENTRY.

A male and one female were stillborn at separate intervals to MARTHA STONE of Maritzburg, South Africa. The father is named as HERBERT WILLIAM  STONE, a soldier in South Africa. Burial at sea was two days out of Durban.
The log book entry was short and no further details were recorded, apart from the fact Waratah sailed from Durban on the evening of the 9th of February and ran head on into heavy seas on the way to Capetown. The ship struggled at times against the head seas which must have added to the uncomfortable time Mrs Stone was having with her unfortunate births.

    
A sea burial aboard the Blue Anchor Line ship Wakool in 1908, the man with the bald spot on the right with the bible in his hand is Captain S.W. Warren who read the service. The photo is believed to be taken by G.W. Hodder who was a keen amateur photographer and was the ships chief engineer at the time. He was later to lose his life aboard the ss Waratah as chief engineer when she disappeared in 1909 with all hands. 

                                                     G.W. HODDER CHIEF ENGINEER.