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.
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.
