CENSURE ON A HARBOR BOARD.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7144, 4 September 1888, Page 6

CENSURE ON A HARBOR BOARD.

m EXPLANATION OF THE HARBORMASTER. [Bt Telegraph.] [from our correspondent.") WELLINGTON, September 3. Reflections having been cast upon the Harbor authorities by the Coroner's jury i on Saturday in connection with the wreck ■■ ot the schooner Colonist, an Evening Post I reporter waited this morning upon Captain 1 Halliday, Harbor Master, and obtained his I version of the affair, which, it will [be noted, was not asked for at the ' inquest He says— " The first informai tion I received in reference to the vessel, came to mc about 3.30 on Friday ' morning, in a telephone message from the fiignalnn-n at the Beacon Hill Signalstation. I answered the ring myself, and the message was to this effect—' There is a schooner anchored about a mile south-west of the ledge. She seems to be hanging on all right.' In this there was nothing to indicate that the vessel was in any danger, and I j didn't tl-i-nV there was any. The conclu- j sion I formed was, that as it was a thick j and dirty morningthe captain seeing broken j water ahead, let go his anchor in what j seemed to mc a safe position. Still I went on board the Mana, and finding no one on there, I sent Pilot Sims in search of the engineer, who informed him that it would take quite an hour to get up steam. Then I went to the Huia, and found that she also had no steam. Returning to the office I rang up the signal station again and asked what the schooner was doing. The reply was that she had now her ensign in the main rigging (as a signal of distress), and appeared to be driving, and further that the Tarawera, which was coming in, had altered her course, and was bearing down towards her. By this time it was about 9.15 o'clock. Well, I went back to the wharf, and met Pilot Sims, who had in the meantime been on board the Waihi and seen her captain, who said it would be impossible to take his vessel ont in the sea as she was very light. However, the Australia was ready for sea, and was taking in coal. Mr Wheeler, the manager of the Union Steamship Company, readily gave us permission to U3e her, so I sent Sims out in her with instructions to pick up the pilot boat and crew and take them out so as to render all possible assistance." "Yes," continued Pilot Sims, who was present during the interview, and now took up the narrative, "we went out to the Heads, bnt by the time we got to the pilot station the Colonist must have struck, so that when he got round she had gone to pieces. The seas were so heavy, tha_ at times even the Australia would not steer, and twice she slewed round upon ns." Captain .Halliday further stated that, looking back at the unfortunate occurrence now that it is all over, he aannot see what steps he could have taken other than those he adopted.