THE WRECK OF THE COMMODORE.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 17

THE WRECK OF THE COMMODORE.

SOME OF THE PARTICULARS.

A consular inquiry into the wreck of the American ship Commodore on Maiden Inland on the 3rd September was held yesterday by the. Consul for the United States (Mr W. G. Neill), who will forward to America the notes of the evidence given before him.

The ship's log shows that the Commodore, which w»s a vessel of 1828 tons register, sailed from Honolulu for New York, under the command of Captain James Davidson, on Friday, the 20th August. She was then thoroughly tight, stauncb, and strong ; her cargo wa» well and sufficiently stowed, and her hatches were well covered ; the was sufficiently manned and victualled; and every thiug h*d been furnished that was needful "for a vessel, in the merchant service and more particularly for the voyage she was- about to undertake. The Commodore steerad the ueual course • with ,the- trade winds, and nothiDg unusual happened until the struck Maiden Island on the 3rd September. Observations were taken at noon on that day showing the •hip to be in latitude i 2.0 .19 S. and in lorigivtuaVls*.47vtuaVls*.47 W. Ther<; was then a moderajw breeze with clear weather. > At 11.20 p.m. t]j« captaiu went to' his cabin, leaving orders, to have ever} thing, ready to about ship at midnight. At 11.50 p.m. the look-out • reported land, and when the mate went on the forecaptle ho .saw something - unusual' ahead, arid ordered th» helm hard-up. " Iv returning aft to get the ship" off he saw' something like " a hill or clump of trees ou the lee beam and close at hand, and he gave orders to p».fc the belm dowu wifch a view to try and get the boat back. Two or thr'ea minutes later the ship struck very gently, and everything was braced aback and " Down headsails and staysails " was ordered, but then* was no move astern and the Commodore gradually v swung broadside on to the reef and commenced thumping. The carpenter sounded the well aud found little water at the pump. As the ship was gradually heeling off , shore the boat* were, about 1 a.m.. lowered into the water, dropped astern, and provisioned. At dayligbfe the ship was full of water and heeled almosfi post-rail under' water. Immediately pn" trie vessel striking, the mate had Bounded round the ship, and found righb under the stern 25 - fathoms, at the main channel 13 fathome, and at the cathead four fathoms. At daybreak tba captain and crew found themselves on the northeast point of Maiden Island, and were surprised at the discovery, seeing that they had had tucb. good observations at noon on the preceding day. when, according to the chart, they had 108 miles to run to the. island, *nd by the patent Jog they had only run 76 miles up to the tim* of the vessel striking. The only way that tha officers can account for the extra 30 odd miles which the ship had covered is to attribute them to what they describe as the excessive current that was running with her.

The American Consul has seen to the - temporary wants of the unfortunate seamen, who- will be provided. for hero until "passage* are procured tor bhem to, America or until they ' find berths cm other vessels. ' ' '

SHOOTtKCt. COMPETITION. ] . The'Kaitanga'ta Rifles fired off -tW first' competition of this season on Saturday, when the mayor's prize, a valuable field-glass, was competed for. The mayor (Mr W. M. Shore), in donating this prize, left it to the company ' to arrange conditions, which are that the prize ia to -be won twice in succession or three times at -intervals. The following are the names and scores of the first six on the list : — 200 500 yd*, yds. Hep. Tl. ... 37 23 15 — 75 ... 39 32 — 72 „. 35 35 70 ... 23 32 15 —7H 30 36 3 -• fi«

Private T. Jbawrence Captain Rutherford. .. Private Aitchison „. Lieutenant M'Laren Sergeant Siruson ...