KAPONGA INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 133, 7 June 1932, Page 8

KAPONGA INQUIRY.

HOW VESSEL WAS STRANDED. LOSS ON GREY BAR. NO WARNING OF DANGER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this clay. The magisterial inquiry into the loss of the steamer Kaponga on the Grey River bar on the afternoon of Friday, May 27, was continued to-day. Mr. E. Page, S.M., is presiding, and the assessors are Captains L. C. H. Worrall and A. T. Dowell.

The Kaponga.. owned *y the Union Company, had a cargo of coal for Auckland, when she struck the bar at Greymouth. The ship's company of 33 got safely ashore.

Captain Grey, master of the Kaponga, continuing his evidence yesterday, said the Kaponga was not fully loaded, being 70 or 80 tons light of the full load. He knew of no precautions which could have been taken to find out the safety of the bar conditions that were not taken on this occasion. He had asked the master of the Kalingo to signal if he touched the bar.

Mr. Page: Jf you had known the Kalingo had touched would you have gone across ?

Witness: No. Decidedly not. Captain States Theory. Mr. Page: What is your explanation of the casualty ? Witness: It is very hard to say what the actual explanation is, but it appears to me now that there was something wrong with the soundings that were taken on the morning on the tug. That is the only explanation I can oiler. Mr. Page: Can you suggest where the error may have arisen? —No, sir, 1 can't. Mr. Page: Do you think your draught was more than ISft Cin? —No, it was not. It would be less when i got on to the bar, because we would be in salt water and it would be lighter. After further questioning the captain said his theory of the stranding was that when taking soundings they must have missed taking soundings on the ridge of the bar. The witness thought the signalman should have seen the Kalingo's whistle blast, even if it ha dnot been accompanied by a sound. The practice of giving a blast on the whistle if the bar was touched had been an established one at Greymouth for many years. If he had got a message to the effect that the Kalingo had touched he would not have sailed, but would have waited for other

conditions. The president: However, as far as your vessel is concerned your proposition is that you had wrong information as to the depth of water? —Yes, wrong information. Mr. Page: Do you think you were on the correct line?— Yes. Thomas Ewart Bevan, chief officer of the Kaponga, said the master had said to him when he told him to get the ship ready to leave that if the Kalingo touched the bar he would not take out the Kaponga. Thought It Was a Joke. James B. Gibson, second officer, said while the vessel was swinging the harbourmaster told him lie thought the Kalingo had struck. The harbourmaster.! was so close that witness could have touched him with his hand. The Kalingo at that time was a mile away. To counsel for the Harbour Board, witness said when the harbourmaster had told him this lie thought it more in the way of a joke than anything else. He said, in fact, that if that was so it would be harder for them, because they were drawing a foot or two more. The second engineer was standing behind witness at the time, and he had three sailors of his watch. Witness did not report the conversation to the captain because he thought that if the harbourmaster was serious he would have told the captain himself. Witness had not mentioned the incident in the statement he made before the collector of customs at Greymouth.

Counsel: What would you say if the harbourmaster denied uKogether that he had taken part in any such conversation ?

Witness: Well, there's only one thing I could say. Counsel: What would that be?— That he was lying. Conversation Corroborated. Leslie Lawrence Clark, third officer, Oscar Harold Dillnes, chief engineer, and Henry William Insay, second engineer, also gave evidence. Insay gave evidence corroborative of that given by Gibson with regard to remarks that passed when the harbourmaster was on the wharf. He thought the harbourmaster's tone had been jocular. The harbourmaster said at the end, "Well, it's only a fort bottom." Witness said he had eeeen an escape of steam when the Kalingo blew a whistle, but lie did not hear any sound.

To the president, witness said he knew when he saw the steam that the Kalingo had touched, and he knew also from remarks between the harbourmaster and Gibson that the Kalingo was drawing less water than the Kaponga. He realised it concerned the Kaponga a good deal, but ho thought it was Captain Cox's duty, not his, to report to Captain Grey. The second officer was busy with wires. Captain Grey, recalled, said the harbourmaster would have had an opportunity, ho though, of getting into touch, with him before lie left the wharf, and letting him know that the Kalingo had touched, but there would have been no difficulty at all if the signalman had put up the ball at the yardarm. Harbourmaster in Box. To-day Captain Cox, harbourmaster at Greymouth, said that according to the reading on the guagc and the previous sounding, there should have been at least 21 feet 3 inches of water on the bar. He was swinging the Kaponga 1 when the Kalingo went down the river, but he watched the Kalingo go across the bar. Tho Kalingo made no signal but ho saw some steam around her funnel. Asked did he think she touched, witness said he thought nothing at all, because he knew if she had he would be advised in a moment or two from the flagstaff. Witness said he did not remember any conversation with Mr. Gibson, second officer of the Kaponga, but it was quite possible that if the matter had been brought up he might have said he thought the Kalingo had touched. He watched the Kaponga go right down to the bar and she made a very good course down the river. He thought she was clear. On being notified that she had stuck he gave orders immediately for the tug to be got ready. Were Soundings Incorrect?

It was put to Captain Cox that the only conclusion thai could be come to was that the soundings were incorrect. Witness replied: Not at all.

Counsel: Did not the Ngahere etrand when she expected to have sft or 6ft of water under her? Witness: The Ngahere never went near the bar. Counsel: Yee, Never mind about that, but did she not strand when she expected to have that water under her? Witness: Yes. Captain Cox said he still considered sounding by lead the best method, adding that after this affair he would ne?(jr be easy. He had not the slightest suspicion or reason to doubt the accuracy of the soundings taken the day the Kaponga sailed. (Proceeding.)