ENQUIRY INTO THE LATE COLLISION.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 177, 3 August 1870, Page 2

ENQUIRY INTO THE LATE COLLISION.

Che ofEc'al enquiry into the wreck of the s.s. Taurangn, caused by collisiou with the ketch Enterprise, off the Sail Rock, on the night of the 23rd July, was commenced today, in the Police Court, before W. C. Daldy and T. Ritchie, Esq., Justices; and Captain Clayton, Nautical Assesso' 1. Mr. McKellar, Collector of Customs, conducted the prosecution. Mr. Bennett appeared to watch the case for the master and owner of the ketch Enterprise. Richard Millis depose. 1. : I was master of the ketch Enterprise : I hold no certificate. Certificate of register of the Enterprise produced dated Dunedin, ofltjial number 43,330 and 3of 1867. Her tonnage was 26 tons 3 hundreds. She was 12 years old and built, at Sale in Victoria, in November, 1858. Henry Hadfieldof Grahams!own was her owner. I was appointed master by J. 8. Mncfarlane five mouths ago ; have known Mr. Hadfield as owner about three weeks, and he has given me orders. She was -valued about £300. Mr. Hadfield told me she was insured. I did not know for how much but hare heard since for £160 in the New Zealand insurance Company. I left Russell, Bay of Islands on Saturday, 23rd July at 7.30 a.m., tide being half ebb, weather moderate, wind N.W., moderate breeze. I was bound for the Thames. I had a crew of three and myself, Hatfield, Clifton, and McDermott; no passengers, but Clifton was working his passage up. I had 39 tons of coal. The coal is valued 255. per ton at the Thames. lam not aware if the coal was insured. I passed the Sail Rock at a quarter to eleven at night. Mr. Hatfield had looked at the time. We passed close to the Rock. After passing the Sail Rock I was at the wheel, and steering about S.E., until about 12 o'clock, the wind N.W., a little north, and squally ;it was blowing a fresh bi'eeze. I was carrying mainsail and jib. The mainsail was not reefed. I was on the port tack. The boom was, on the starboard side, and going free at about six knots. We were getting into a lump of a sea. We had no lights excepting the cabin-light, which lights the binnacle. I gave Clifton the wheel after 12, and told him to steer S.E. by S.; he was steering that course. I went below and measured my distance, and filled my pipe, and then went on deck ; remained about five minutes, when Clifton reported a bright light. 'Jhis was about twenty minutes past twelve. Hatfield and McDermott were below at the time. I ran no see what light it was. It was a white light. I saw no other. When I saw the light I ran along and I said to Hatfield " There is a light ahead of us," and with that I ran below to make a torch or flare-up. Clifton then reported a red and green light. I ran on deck and orJered Clifton to keep her away, and said " Hard up, hard a-port !■" I had not time to see whether he had obeyed the order. I ran forward, and before I had got as far as the forecastle she had struck the steamer. I went forward to see what damage had been done, and putting my hand over the bow I found the bowsprit broken short off, and all her timber ends started. I then sang out, " Sej if there is any water below." There was no answer. I immediately unlashed ond turned the boat over and sung out to the other men to come on. I fung out for the oars, but I had put them in the boat myself. I sung out for Clifton to leave the wheel and-come on; he left the wheel at once, and running along the top of the house he jumped up to his waist in water ; I mean passing over the cabin top. We all got into the boat. Mr. Hatfield then hove the mainsheet off the boat; it was lyinj across the boat. We thoved clear of the mizzen rigging. We then got the oars over the bow to steer clear of the sea, to keep her head on to the sea. The Enterprise went down head first. It was about 20 minutes past 12 when I first saw the white light. It was about 2\ minutes from the time I had first seen the white light when Clifton sang out " Red and green lights." I never saw the green light, I only saw the red light. Jt was immediately after his singing out that I went on deck, and at once saw the red light. The steamer must have ported her helm. We were keeping our course. From the time I had given the order to Clifton till we struck the steamerl had only run along the deck about 35 feet; I saw that we had struck the steamer on her port quarter, about midships of the cabin skylight. Our bowsprit, which is a standing one, struck the steamer between the rail and the covering board, so far as I can judge. I could not tell what steamer it was. It was a very dark ; night it was not raining at that time. We did not strike the quarter boat to the best of my belief. I could not see anyone on board the steamer. I heard a single cry as if a man was hurt, sounding from below ; I cid not hear any other sound except the engines moving. The Enterprise was drawing five feet alt and # four feet forward ; her bowsprit was about three feet six or four feet above water at the other end. I could not see the ateamer after we were in the boats; I saw her white light disappearing just as we had got clear of the Enterprise. i could not swear that it was the light that I saw, it was so dark. It might have been teu minutes from the time of striking the steamer till the light disappeared. I think it was seven or eighb minutes. The Enterprise was sinking, fast at the time we left her. The cabin was just out of water ; when in the boat we did not pull towards the steamer to see if she wanted any assistance. It was impossible to do so, because we had no rowlocks, and the sea was too heavy. Our boat is about 17 feet by about four 1". et beam. In the absence of rowlocks we steered the boat till daylight, when we cut up the hawser and made grummets. I heard something like cries after leaving the vessel; could not bo sure if it was not imaginati >n. The other men in the boat said they heard cries. Clifton urged me to go back to tee if we could render any assistance. I refused, because I found it impossible. We were driving to leeward. The light then seemed about 200 yards from us. 1 could do nothing with the boat but keep her end on to sea, or she would have filled. At the time of the colliaion Point Rodney was bearing W

by S. I cannot say exactly, having lost my chart. The Point was ahout eight miles away. It was the nearest land. I was nearer that than Bream Tail. Wo reached the land at Little Omaha at 7 o'clock in the morning of the 24th. We had been pulling since about half-past two. I recogn^e tho statement produced mo as having been made and signed by me in the Custom House, dated July 25th. (This statement bus be>n already published. Witness desired to correct the statement, ina-mudi as he was on deck at the time Clifton first reported the bright light.) The vessels hung together for a minute. I could not say how it was, but I think our bowsprit caught. The vessels had separated before we had got into the boat. The steamer hauled us round head to wind, and steamed on. The engines wore still going. I think I heard them for a couple of minutes after. From Omaha we came up to Auckland in the Ruby cutter, Captain Catchpole, master. The cutter was, at the time, bound to the Bay of Islands. I induced him, by the promise of £3, and a boat, to take us to Auckland. Did not ask him to go on and look for traces of the steamer. I acqu inted him of the collision, and the sinking of the Enterprise. I told him that if it was the Tauranga 1 would not give much for her safety. He did not oiler to go. He said lie could not go because it was a head wind and a nasty sea, and had every appearance of blowing harder, and he could not make anything against a head wind, or go on his voyage. I was at Omaha till about two. When we left Omaha, the wind was about W.N.W.—a nice " whole-sail" breeze. There was nothing to prevent a small vessel beating against that wind and going to the Bay. To the Bench : We had no lantern on board at all. I brought the flare-up, but had not time to light it. I saw no damage to the steamer, but heard the crash of the skylight. Did not hear the steamer blow off steam, or know if she stopped her engines. At the time I heard the first cry I could see the hull of the steamer, but not when I subsequently thought I heard the other cries. To Mr. Bennett: Have been twelve years at sea and eight or nine years in command of coasting vessels ; was never brought before a Court on a charge before. Vessels of the size of tho Enterprise have never carried lights on this coast within my experience as a master. Supposing we had had lights, my vessel was so low in the water they would scarely have been seen at any distance. Before leaving the 'Jhames, I called Mr. Hatfield's attention to the vessel not having lights, and said it was dangerous to be without them. I went with Mr. Hatfield to Porter's the ironmonger, to get lights, and they ha i none. This was the very day I left the Thames. I had the means ready to make a flare-up. If we had not ported the helm, we should have struck the steamer in the engine-room. I followed the rule of the road to keep clear. To Mr. MeKellar : Have never heard of the regulations for preventing collisions at sea. 1 know that some vessels of thirty tons carry lights. lam aware that there are regulations about lights. It was because I knew of such regulations that I advised the owner to have lights. I went to Porter's for a lamp or lantern — n ot r<;d and green lights. The shopman told me they had no lantern. We did not try any other place; thought it was useless. Could not say how many points the vessel went off her course when Clifton was ordered to "port." To the Bench : I know of no vessel out of this port, of the tonnage of the Enterprise, that carries side-lights.

Adjourned from 1 till 1.30,