NAUTICAL ENQUIRY.

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4077, 21 August 1878, Page 2

NAUTICAL ENQUIRY.

An enquiry was held at the Custom House, tytrtelton, yesterday afternoon, on the circumstance of the Baymond, brig, striking some floating: object on August 14th, whilst on a voyage from Newcastle to Lyttelton. Bobert Evans, sworn, said—l am master of the brig- Raymond, of liOndon. I hold a Board of Trade certificate. On August 14th, 1878, at 7 p.m., four milefl E.N.E. of Cape Campbell light, 41.4S S.. 174.23 E., while under all plain sail, -steering- S. by E. compass, at the rate of f=ix knots, "wind JT.W., and weather clear and moonlight, ship suddenly brought np as if running orer something move&bfe. On her bead coming rottnd as high as west, ship avpearedasd felt as if she was rolling and sliding on some moveable substance. Immediately ship was clear several large pieces of wood floated to the surface all around the tessel, which led ne to belieTe that we had struck on* sunken wreck, but whether any portion of such wood cune from this vessel it is impossible to say till we shall be ableto look a - , the bottom. The yards, which had been thrown abnek as the vessel was brought up, were then trimmed, and w<? proceeded on our course. '■ As soon as the vessel's head canted southward lead was hove, and 10 fathoms of rater found. SonnSed pumos, and found liar making no more water than usual, but atterwords found her making* a erreat deal of water!, August 15th, 10 ajn.. 42.20 S., 14710.6. Previous to this time the TJ.W.-windhad _ died Mtaj eslm, and continued s« till 10 a.m.. when it commenced to blow, a heavy gale from sorith, with a high cross sea, which caused the vessel to labor very heavily. 4 p.m. At this time ship laying ■" to unde* two lower topsails and fore topmast stay-, eail, some iaore wreckage was Been a short distance ir-m the ship, and about same time the vessel was fonad to be p"' t rn'g much more water, so much that the pimps had to be kept constantly going. ' I eonehided, should the gale have contitraed, to bgar.up for Wellington. The timber we. s%wiregfetnbiad » chip's knee. Immediately after the vessel etrnckon August 1-tth, tried to pick up oae or two pieces of the timber we saw floating about, jbut tailed to da so owing to the ship's getting way; on jher, too rapidly. Siaee we arrived at Lytteltori we iave to pump about every hour, but cannot aseerttSa' «xtect of datmge natit the- vessel Tβ discluuved. It was the captain's watch on deck, and et the time of striking I was standing on the poop looking about. The helmsman was William Veal, „ and the lookout Joseph Patterson, both good and " tried mHj. lam verTeetty certain it eoujd have "beea no collision with. »tiy vessel above water. The night being so bright and clear that even a small boat could hare been seen at a great distance. My side lights were brightly, and in their proper position. It could not possibly have been a small vessel. " 1 "-*' : Geoifce Preston stated —I am mate of the brig Baymond. I hold a certificate of competency, of Trade, London. The extract • irom the official log, hsndeo , in, ißcirrect in-every particular. I was -not forward at the time, and; did not e«e the -Smber floating about, but all other particulars lean verify as correct. I was too busy engaged jp fceclriag the yarde to see the w od floating in the water, one or other of the crew asked mc whether I had seen any of tae pieces of timber flps.t--ißjr np from under the bows. At the time that the Veu&el struck 1 was below in my cabin writing up .: the ihip'4 htg. There is ao doubt in my awnrTnind „ tuat iisa vessel was over something that was •-xaoreaSlf. ha'J it been otherwise the damage ' woald have teen very serioas. There are no r>>cks -marfced iii'tie Admiralty chart where the accident i tootpkuw. I think notice onght to be given to : caution toasters of vessels going that track. fiillig Maaasl, an A B. on board, gave similar .evidence. This concluded the inquiry.. ... The Collector stated there was nothing in the evidence to show any negligence on the part of any 1 person aboard the vessel.