MARINE CASUALTIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 19, 23 January 1896, Page 8

MARINE CASUALTIES.

A magisterial inquiry concerning the stranding of tho Fifeshire on Bee. Bth was held ab Lyttelton on Jan. 6fch, before Mr Beetham, S.M., and Captains Bone and Yon Schoen, Nautical Assessors. Tho opinion expressed by the witnesses was that the mishap was caused by a strong current setting inshore, which carried the vessel, which waa standing off and on, towards the land rapidly. The Court, in giving judgment, expressed the opinion than Captain Wilson committed a grave error of judgment in standing in towards tho land withoub casting the lead, but depended entirely/or his position upon the assumed distanco the vessel had run. The action of the captain and officers after the ship struck was all that could be desired, andL was in every way to be commended. The certificates of the first, second, and third officers were returned, as the Court considered tke captain was solely responsible for the accident, and his certificate would be suspended for three months, and he would ba called upon to pay the coats, £19 17s 6d. The Court also wished to express tho opinion thab the soundings were altogether incorrectly or insufficiently marked on the charts of tho New Zealand coast.

On January 9th news was received that the barque Halcione, from London, bound for Wellington, was ashore at tho Heads. The Halcione came through Cook Straits with a fresh northerly wind, and was standing off 2 or 3 miles from a little to the eastward of entrance to the harbour, whon suddenly the wind swepb round to the south, boginning to blow hard, and at tho same time ib came on thick weather. The captain " wore ship," for the purpose of standing for the harbour, but she gob into Fitzroy Bay, lying to eastward of Pencarrovv Head, and struck one of tho three rocky points at the head ot tho bay ab 10.30 p.m , and soon became a total wreck. Tho captain and crew epcaped in boats, but saved only whab thoy stood up in. At tho magisterial inquiry into the wreck of the Halcione Captain Boorman said he was standing off tho Heads, to pick up the Soames Island lighb when one of the moat sudden changes of wind he ever experienced sprung up, and waa attended with ligntening and rain. He was aboub six miles and a-half off Pencarrow then. Tho vessel's course waß changod, aud as bhe light was shortly after obscured he bad the lead cast, when twelve fathoms with no bottom was recorded. Immediately after he saw tho ship in close proximity to the land. Ho attempted to wear ship, and, while doing this sho crunched on bhe rocks at a speed of 1_ knots. He considered he was caught in a trap by tho sudden change in the wind and thick weather. The finding of the Court was that) the wreck of the Halcione waa caused by accident through stress of weather, without any neglect or default on the part of the capbain or crew. The Crown will bear tho costs of tho inquiry. The insurances on the cargo, so far as can be ascertained, are : —Victoria, £1,600; South British, £1,200; National, £1,000; China Traders, £500 ; Commercial Union, £500.

A magisterial enquiry into the wreck of the barque Graamere, off Capo Terawhiti, on Christmas Day, was hold at Wellington before Mr Martin, Stipendiary Mayistrate, and Captains Wheeler and Perrain. In giving judgment, Mr Martin said his opinion was thab when the master (Captain Morrison) came on deck he found the ship off her courso and close in shore, near Cape Terawhiti, with the wind increasing, and it was his duty then to have so altered the ship's course as to take her clear of all clanger, and bhere was nothing bo prevent his doing thia. Instead of doing so, he shaped a courso, whicb, supposing ib bo bo steered, waa baroly sufficient to clear him of danger. Although the wind- was increasing, and he waa anxious to get tho sail off the ship, ho did not call the watch below, but ran about doing odd things on deck, leaving no one to watch the steering, and actually left the deck with no ono in charge for a short period, the resulb being thab the ship was nob kept clear of danger. Tho Master was guilty of errors of judgment in nob in tho first place laying tho courso sufficiently to the South, and in tho noxt place in not calling all hands, and devoting atbontion to the 6teering ; and these errors were the cause of tho casualty. The catiducb of tho mate, Mr Killingback, wnu not free from blame. He was ignorant of the ship's actual position, of tho sailing directions, and of the force and stabo of tho tide, and had nob the use of a chart, bub nevertheless took upon himsolf to alter the ship's course without orders from, or reference to, tho maßter, and without their being any necessity for his doing so. Inasmuch as the master was on dock before tho vessel was in actual dancer, ho could not hold that the mato's conduct was tho cause of the casualty. Tho two assessors concurred in tho decision. Mr Martin added thab bobh the master's and the mate's certificates would bo returned. The master had lost everything, and it would be excessive punishment if his certificate wero endorsed, thus preventing him earning his living in the only way in whicb he was fitbed to do so. The masber, however, would bave to pay the costs of the inquiry, amounting to £17 ss. The mate would have to pay his own costs.

On January Ist a barque put into Nelson flying a signal for medical assistance. The pilot went off with the health officer (Dr. Legatb) and found the vessel to bo a barque of 800 or 900 tons burthen, the Lothair, an English vessel sailing under the Italian flag, bound from Hong Kong to Callao. Four of the crew and one passenger, a Chinese woman died, and were buried ab sea. Two passengers and one of the crew were etill ill. Dr.- Leggatt pronounced the complaint to be Hong Kong fever, a species of dengue or dandy fever prevalent before tho influenza epidemic in Europe. The vessel waa placed under quarantine restrictions, and tbe Marine Department communicated with. Sho left Hong Kong with a clean bill of health on the 15th October. A Chinese woman, who was ailing when Bhe came aboard, died on tbe 21st November, and one of tho crew shortly after. On the 21st December three sailors, who wero taken ill in the Straits of Sundi, died on the one day, causing greab alarm. Tho captain then mado for assistance. All on board are foreigners, and considerable difficulty waa experienced in gaining information. Dr. Leggatt is the only person who has been on board. The reason of tho vessel boing so far out of her course was not ascertained. Mr Heaps, Collector of Customs, accompanied by Mr Pattie, of tho Eastern Extension Company, who speaks Spanish, went oub to the Lothair on January Bth and conversed with Captain Cafranza, who said the barque was owned in Genoa, and carried a crew of 16, of whom four died. They had four Peruvian and 10 Chinese passengers. A Peruvian lady, named Maria Gonzoles, died of anaemia, but the four others died of fevor—Jose Brauias, on November 13th ; D. Roncio Gaban, Binito Pagazan, and Lieus Herrb, all on December 20th. The papers showed that tho vessel lefb Hongkong well provisioned, and wibh a clean bill of health. As to tho course, the captain said ib was his custom to sail through the Straits of Sunda and south of Australia and New Zealand for Calloa, and thab he made Nelson as the easiest port, with the small crew, having only two men available to work tho ship. If those sick recover sufficiently he thinks he will be able to manage with four additional hands. He expressed his gratitude for the presents of fruib tbat are being sent to the ship. Regarding the etrange fatal disease on the barque, the conversation with Captain Cafranza leads to the conclusion that ib is not dengue fever ab all causing the mortality. Five people died, one from

anasmia, and the others from a disease, the symptoms of which were uselessness or paralysis. It firsb seized the feet and legs, and crept upward to the stomach till ib reached a vital parb, when death ensued. There was no pain or swelling, no loss of appetite or spirits, no vomiting ; in fact, all ate heartily throughout, and seven men, including the captain, who are now still suffering, have excellent appetites. Their legs are simply useless, and they stagger in attempting to mounb the gangway. Tho captain has plenty of medicine on board, but as the disease is an unknown one, he cannoi use ib. He is acquainted with the symptoms of dengue, and is certain that no fever symptoms were shown by the victims. The medical authorities here abate that from tbe description ib cannob be dengue, and are diagnosing the symptoms as far as possible by referring to standard works ; bub hold thab in any case the disease is dangerous, infectious, or contagious.