KIA ORA INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 162, 9 July 1907, Page 3

KIA ORA INQUIRY.

3JBHEEBS OF THE CREW! EXAMINED. .-- HEARING THE END.

'The nautical inquiry into the circum- , nces "surrounding the wreck of the Kia Ora on the Piritoki Reef, West on June 13, was continued yesterday afternoon, hefore Mr. O. C Settle, S.M., assisted by Captains John fiianfc'and Schofield, nautical assessors. Vγ S Mays appeared for the Marine Department, Mr. C. Z. Clayton for the Tforthern &S- Company, Mr. M. Mejjegor for the Shipmasters' Federation, fTbehalf of Captain Blacklock, and Mr. j Earl, for the chief officer, Mr. T. B. 4e yfciie. Continuing his evidence, William Dunijng fireman, said that as soon as liv, bout was trimmed. Cavanagh got in, bujjg treated exactly the same as the ethers. He saw no want of capacity on the part of Mr. de Wolfe while on the boat. He stood up in the boat holding ( flare above his head. jlr. Kettle: Did you make any point o{ -want of capacity against de Wolfe JB the landing. jlr. Mays: Only his helpless condition generally. They've made the darges. jfr. Earl: They've made the charges? J think you've made the charges. jfr. Kettle: Is there any ground for ajisg that he was guilty of any neglect of duty., or was he unfit to perform Mr. Mays: No doubt he did the best ie arald, in a muddled way. Mr. Earl: The allegation has been made, and we must refute it. It has gone from one end of the colony—l mean Dominion —to the other. Why did the rait go in first?— Because there were no women and children in it. Wβ got ashore and helped to bring the boat and her passengers ashore. He carried 'Mrs. Cavanagh ashore, and Cavanagh 6aid that he did not know how to thank 'Trim for what he had done. When they got ashore a fire was lighted. The only one who did not assist in carrying wood jres Mr. Cavanagh. Mr. Earl: It has been said that the crew took the best of the shelter, ana left the women and children out in the open.—That is false; there is "no truth in it. Where was Mr. Cav/vnagh?—Near the - £ie, alongside her husbanu. Later you took charge of her?— Yes, Bhe came over at about 8 o'clock. It started to rain a little heavier, and the wind changed, so I suppose she got a little more of the wind. Who brought her across? —Mr. Cavi *nagh. I was sitting on a log, and he 'seemed to be looking round for a place to put her. She sat beside mc, and 1 supported her till 3 o'clock. Mr. Kettle: Difi her husband ask to take your place?—No, he asked how ehe was. , Mr. Kettle: Why did you not swop places with Cavanagh when he came over?—He did not seem to want to. He was fully dressed, and I only had a shirt, singlet and pants, and I stayed pfcere the shelter was. Mr. Earl: Were you comfortable!— lean assure you that I was not. » In the walk through the bush the j ; brought three horses. Cavan-1 Wivißife had one, and her husband 1 Vooked'after her also; Mrs. Cox had an- \ 'ether horse, and Mr. Partridge, ■whose ■leg was broken, the third. He saw no .neglect of any cf the ladies or children going through the bush. It was a rongh trip, "pretty solid going." He Itard nothing of a blanket being pulled off Mrs.' Cavanagh on the beach. Mr.'BafT: You know this is an allegation against yourself, you being one of the crew. Mr.-Mays: No; this mai*was specific- ] Wly excepted; he is one of the men we tall "a white man." He acted like a Iran all through. He and Lister and j the second officer were all right, i Witness: That does not sound as if 'the crew did nothing. Mr. Mays: We don't impugn your confinct in the least. The passengers all Igree that if one man did his duty, you dii , Mr. Kettle: Did you see anything to Which yon could take exception on the part of anybody; anything rude or selfish ?—No/ nothing. Did you hear any discussion as to the Erase of the wreck?— No. Regarding the bar, were you in the fcibit of getting liquor there? —No, I ought if I felt bad, have gone down, and tad a drink or two. But you are not well acquainted with Bfhat goes on in the bar? —No. Can the men in the forecastle buy tshisky?—Not that I am aware of. Walter Hodgson, another fireman on file Ki-a Ora said that he was on watch on the night before the wreck from 8 . jun. till midnight, and that he had orders to call the chief officer at 9 p.m. He went a little -after nine, but Mr. fle Wolfe had already been called, and | ws dressing. He was sober, and there Jvas nothing peculiar about his voice. Mr. Clayton: Did you see him laler?— iTes, at about 11 o'clock, when I went On deck to turn the ventilators abart the bridge. What was he doing?—He was pacing the bridge. I heard him 6peak to the toaan at the wheel, but could not hear >hat he said. Was there anything unusual in bis *alk!—Nothing o"ut of the ordinary. He te the old seaman's style of walk, and - Bffays a little. It-might mislead anybody?—lt might, ™t not mc. He did not see Mr. de ,Wplfe again till after the ship struck. He was then on the bridge deck, and 'lave them orders to get the boats out. Did you notice anything which indicted that he was under the influence or hqnor, or was incapable of work?— 1 saw nothing. „ .Did you see anything to indicate that «c tad been drinking to excess?—No, »na I would have had that been the «*•. witness further said that there no undue delay in lifting anybody °nt of the ram. Mr. Clayton: It is said that the oen took up the best places in the ■water, is that true?-There is no truth as far as I saw. fcTVT 1 y ° U hear any corn plaints?—Not . >Ut i w tlleill in the paper. I asked jMdntosh to bring his children under «c shelter, and he said, "No thank you, like He had ,f Olluns of a blanket teing snatchCavf 3f J s - Cara nagh. All the men but Cavanagh helped to assist in keepinESS TbZ -f a Seneial Way tO ? sailors rem ained awake iS ° lo ° k after the fire - &° as to the cause of the Kettle:' Kd you say positively -S» SEV"! 8 nO . diacussio n "to how ,r"» am fcad got co fax: out pf her

-course?—l-took part in none, and heard none. Have you seen de Wolfe trader the influence of liquor?—l have never seen him when he'd lost his head. I know he took a glass sometimes. Have you ever seen him when it was apparent that he had been drinking?— No. Witness stated that he never had a drink aboard the Kia Ora, and had never known a bottle to be taken from the bar by a member of the crew. W. F. Nbrbury, master of the Rarawa, stated that at 4 a.m. on the morning after the wreck, he. got news of the wreck, and between 5 and 6 a,m. When he reached the scene, as soon as he anchored, a launch came alongside and said that the shipwrecked people were six or seven miles further down the beach, stating that there was a passenger aboard the launch. He decided to send a boat ashore to see if any of the passengers were there, and the doctor very pluckily volunteered to go. The weather was bad, and the sea was making from the north-west. He asked the doctor what the boat should take in ease there were any passengers there. He suggested brandy, biscuits and hot soup, or bovril, and these were put aboard. They had a rough and tumble through the surf and the boat got full of water. The passengers reached the bea-ch about the same time as the boat, and the doctor went up to see what he could do. Not one man in 50 would have taken the boat trip on, and he (witness) would have been justified in stopping them from going at all, knowing that they would be capsized in the surf. He thought it was a life and death matter, however, and allowed the riak. They got out again, but he thought they would never be able to do «o. It was only after a hard struggle that they got out. ,He asked the mate on returning if the people wanted food, his reply being that he had been to the whare and there was plenty of food. They were in touch with Marokopa, and there was no reason for running a Tisk and sending a boat there again. Had a boat gone in it could not have got out again, and it may have been capsized and more drowned than were lost originally. He meant to take the people off. but it was impossible. Mr. Kettle: You knew that they were in good hands and perfectly fectly. If there had been any danger of starvation I would have sent a boat of tinned stuff ashore, but there was no need for heroic measures like that. Mr. Kettle: Can you say there was anything left undone which should have been done?—l do not think so. Mr. Kettle: Perhaps Mr. Mays will say so? Mr. Mays: I do not blame Captain Norbury in the least. Mr. Kettle: Then what is the complaint? Mr. Mays: I have never made one. I said I ■would lead evidence to show that the Rarawa only landed two bottles of brandy and a tin of biscuits. Mr. Kettle: An inference was left to the Court. Mr. Earl: It is one of the tabulated charges made by Mr. Mays. Mr. Mays: The charges come at the end of the inquiry. Mr. Kettle: I am glad that I wrongly understood that there was a complaint against the Rarawa in connection with the relief. Mr. Mays: I am satisfied that if there is any man on the coast who would do the right thing it is Captain Norbury. i Mr. Kettle: Then why has our time i been taken up? Mr. Mays: The statement was made by witnesses. How long wa the boat, away?—A little over two hours. Was there any necessity for the doctor to go back by the Barawa? —No; hut he would not have left the beach if there was the slightest necessity for staying. Mr. G'avanagh was then called in, and asked if he had any complaint, or if anybody had made a complaint, against the Rarawa, his reply being in the negative. Mr. Kettle said thai, he had no doubt that some of these people had been saying things to Mr. Mays, who had looked upon them with too much favour. Perhaps it ■was better, however, to have the matter thrashed out. Mr. Mays: It is much better to have it thrashed out here rather than talked of afterwards. Mr. Mclntyre was called in, and asked if he had any complaint. He replied: "In my evidence I brought it up because it was said that so much was done by the Rarawa, when I knew she had only sent ashore a tin of biscuits and two bottles of liquor. Mr. Kettle: But you make no charge or complaint?— No. Jas- Morris, recalled, was asked by Mr. Mays: Did you have a conversation in Queen-street five days after the wreck with a Mr. Bruce Morrison- and Mr. U. James, and say that the wreck was due to the drunkenness of one or more of the officers and crew? —No. Do you swear that you did not say that de Wolfe was drunk and off the bridge?—l did not. He did not remember what was said, but knew that he said nothing about the mate being drunk. Mr. Mays: You say you don't know what you said. How do you know you did not say that?— Because it -would not have been .true, and, therefore, I would not say it. Wm. Symes, fireman, said that Oavanagh was hanging on to the boat nine or ten minutes before being taken aboard. Witness hung on for over haif-an-hour. In the boat Mr. de Wolfe's conduct was such as might be expected from the officer of a vessel. He could have dope nothing more than he did. Witness did not hear him say: "I don't know whereI am or what to do." It untrue that the crew took the best oi the shelter, leaving the women and children out in the rain. If the dogs had been out of the boat Cavanagh could not have been taken aboard any earlier. Fred. Martensen, A.B. in the Kia Ora, said that as far as he could see the chief officer was fit to be in charge of the ship. After the wreck he acted in a perfectly proper manner, being perfectly alert as to his duties. The crew had done everything in their power to assist the women and children, and he had carried one of Mr Mclntosh's children half-way through the bush. There had been no conversation as to the cause of the wreck, except that wonder was expressed as to how she got there. Thos. Chambers, A.8., re-called by Mr. Earl, stated that he was on the look-out from 10 to 12, and at the wheel from S to 10. He observed nothing peculiar, about the mate, on whom he saw no signs of liquor. At about 10.30 de Wolfe told him to go on the bridge, and look out from there. He remained there lor two or three minutes, and the mate then returned with his oilskin, and witness i went forward. At a-quarter to .twelve the mate told him to call the watch below. He saw the mate on deck several •times before midnight. He had never got liquor on the Kia Ora. There was no. sign of drink about the steersmen that night—Morris, Anderson, and Forbes. Mr. de Wolfe did his duty, in

a se-aniaiillke way, and the crew had not taken the best of the shelter ashore. The best he could find was round the fire. He had heard no complaints about the crew till Mr. Cavanagh got into the box. His opinion of the ■wreck was that it was a pure accident. Mr. Earl: Did you hear any threatening remark by Mr. Cavanagh on the beach as to what he would do to any officer or member of the crew?—!Sfo. At this stage the case was adjourned until 11 a.m to-day.