THE TAKAPUNA INQUIRY.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5812, 30 April 1884, Page 2

THE TAKAPUNA INQUIRY.

rrBBBB ASSOCIATION TKLXGBAX.I DUNEDIN, April 29.', The inquiry re the Takapuna waa <& tinned to-day. JL~^ The second mate of the steamer, B#§B Ferdinand Sommer, Btated —I was aeo&w mate of the s.s. Takapuna from November •' 17th last up to March 3rd. On the 2uA ' of November the ship left the M&__;n harbor, and reached New Plymouth some* where about midnight,'leaving there stoat half an hour later, I went on toe bridge about 12.30, and the master shortly left ■ the bridge. He directed my attention to a point of land ahead, and told mc to keep the vessel going just as she was.' I. ' cannot point out on the chart wiat point it was, as it was my first trig. on that coast. ' After we sighted Caj»"~ Egmont light he told mc to keep' Mr : / a couple of mileß off the land, and haul her , gradually along until the light bore N.&, ' and then to steer S.E. three-quarters S. - When the light bore N.E. the course she-." was going was S.S.E., or B.S.E. three-:, * quartersE. lam not sure of the course'; } because 1 was hot steering by company but by the land. Seeing that this course vO would not take mc dear of the land, Is ! short time after hauled her round. Ths'-j;* master Boon afterwards sang out the Bpeaking tube, and asked mc ■ how flai* Ught bore. I .told him N. by W. He the*? . asked mc if I waa steering my course, Ivr said, " No; she won't lay it." I went oa, ~\ a Uttle whUe longer steering the same' '. course, and I bad just told the man at Uts wheel to keep her out another half point,, when the man at the look-out »» A potted something. I could not, r ptie | out what he said, but I shouted to tfeataoa at the wheel," Hard over," ahd gate aio a hand over with the wheel. While dqlsg ' ; this she touched for tho first time. The - I captain then rushed on deck, and gang o&t 1 "Hard a port." I think I said i"Si» i wheel is hard a port," or words to that J effect. He then caught hold of my too,:- i and said," Man, what are you trying fc* 1 do ?" Ido not think I answered hun. Bs | then took mc on one side, and told aw to .a look after her while he went down below. J He said he would see if any of the pM- | sengers were moving about. He returfidi 1 about twenty minutes afterwards/ s&& j took mc on one side, and told m J that one of the steerage passes©* had been asking if she had been' on the reef. He also told mc tfr t ■ say nothing about it, and to denytttoi.fj everybody. The vessel touched twwaytt*'' latter time whUe the master was stiafUSg' alongside mc. * There was not a hesw- ' striking, but more Uke a vibration. Tstt - was my first trip on that part of the pom. ; Next morning at breakfast one of m . passengers named Rich, or Ritchie, aw* mc what was the meaning of the pe™*? . jerk during the night. I said 1 did** know ; that I thought it might be thew- ?, gines priming, stopping, and then atanaff - again. I told the master of this ccnvflM" tion. My reason for teUing the pa«Mß«r - what I did was because the master baam mc to say nothing about it. _ By the Court—l had no orders u» ,S heaving the lead though we were ramusg § along the shore so closely. On tins oat**- 1 sion I took one observation on the wayc?- -1 to Auokland, but I had no opportiauWtf | seeing the chart. The Takapuna grouß**| - | twice in the Manukau Harbor, as desmw*. h by the master at the first hearing of tw 1 inquiry. I did not anticipate that «J „« damage was done to her on these °<**!r m sions. The Becond time she laysg»oa» H about five hours. I saw rocks ahead« M her this time. When the vessel tootiwa- ■ off Capo Egmont I did not see any torn? m nor did I see or hear the surf. !«*£& S was quite smooth, and there was no *m m but I thought we were ® theland- I did not beave the leadb*ef«* W I supposed we were in deep '**?J_!__. M I used myown judgment in M distance of the land. I tookWWg- :■ to judge the distance, but only««_? m eyesight. When I foaad *&/**£<" I would not lay her course, I hasted m>n M without caUing the master. I 'tr**-'* tiie instructions of the master W M speaking about the affair at aU. 4 m The engineers on duty gave eri_eu-«? ~» to the vessel striking. #ji*k »if John Burton, seaman, gave 1 ing evidence wm quarter-ntfHW r ( W the Takapuna on her first trip, «»*£' M Ueved the wheel at 2 a.m. I I received from the man § "Just aa she is going." She «J , sEf_| heading about 8. *• *£. m secoE-Tofflcer was on the bwdgei«»_«. ■■ master down below. The «E*|S : J__" directed mc from time to *w.ffifr steer. Between two and t^odo»*gj| shin, struck, Just btfore J W out man called out soinetttiag> g ddn't know what it was, wgr m that it was something ..™±£s> M We were a bit <* I but dose. to a I felt her bump I put tte_»"g -* M over, aad the «oondn»te c«m» m mc a hand. The ship M three times, bumping, each ,^ fl g&* j| making a sort of SP^S^ 0 uM'W bump was the heaviest, overVth it. Theuawter canwr **£&* & bridge at the jtfsVm wheTshe struck tte t^ff^ M times. He mmjmt "'JJfJJ, |t_&& you doing p%ggJslJ^m pattingherashow.' Th *£FWE be was only steering: .»• "Sijjjf >W? The master then toofctto «^,_| tj| I down to the other __ I ispoke to M? *h«. *«J { II what he said. He " a ?J^~ J %& M S and drawers, 4 /. 1 about I he went coming up again be dowTto L other After I had been nU<*!S_Sfe3PK' l «_lK mc what I bad

said that t had amply answered *_?_£__ put to mc. The master told the next time Iwasques_S«_l was to say she never did strike, or Slteew nothing aboutsit »«**■£ ffifi engineer was chaffing mc about ££?»_* tie vessel on the rocks, and for voyages it was a common topic the crew and pas>*Tthe Court-I edged the vessel off * -vself t»ice without orders from the 2*_d mate before she struck, because I i Ski see she was going. He asked mc • -Sail was doing, and told mc to keep her _!~L I had not been on that coast t2__," I could see the reef of rocks close %Zu*idc too near for a ship to be, and » «!!int running out in front This was about J*T___s from the mainland, but not a „f_i e r of a mUe from the reef. I said ■jSSng to the second mate about the disijSefrem the reef. ijl_» inquiry was then adjourned tiU to- j