MARINE ENQUIRY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14760, 2 September 1913, Page 8

MARINE ENQUIRY.

THK CAPTAIN'S EVIDENCE! {mas association' telegbam.) WELLINGTON, oeptemher 1. The marine enquiry into the wreck o the Devon was opened to-day before J rourt consisting of Dr. McArthur (pre jident), and Captains Bollons am Black. Captain Caunco stated that tn Devon went ashore at about 7-43 p.ni "When ho picked up the Tencarrow light ho continued on a course for th< '■ Somes Island light when a squall ol rain obscured the light. The squal lasted about five, minutes, and atterwards he picked up what ho took to be the red light of Somes Island. When ho found himself in the rod light he ported to get into tho white sector .a S ain. Shortly atter that he saw Jio was too close to tho rocks on Pencarrow Heads, and ho went hard to starboard. The vessel refused to answer her helm, but ne thought her stern would swing round, and ho •instructed the engineer to put on full speed astern. The vessel struck the rocks heavily abaft the bridge He could not sec any rocks ahead, so he T mt, the cnjrii.es lull speed ahead, but .L ho saw rocks'a minute later, ho stopped the engines. 'J be lights vent out a few minutes afterwards, and tho firemen came on cieek, saying that the water was coming-into the stokehold and the-engine-room. Iho ves_u struck about a cable length from the lower I'encarrow Head. His speed was about, ten knots, fho night was rough, with squalls and a strong wmd. Ho did not think it was. necessary when he got into the red light to go out to sea again, but tried to pick up th^air r (who appeared for the Marine Department): How do you get out of the white sector? , _ Witness replied that it might have been the wind. . n Mr M. Mvers (who appeared tor tain Caunce) objected to the *»fS esfc '°" that the captain ever pot out of the White sector. He suggested that it might have been tho red bght of the Falcon Shoal. !„ Witness said the vessel was seriously damaged, and ho thought she was practically n total loss. To'Mr Blair (who appeared for the owners): His explanation of the disastor was that ho took the Falcon shoal ]i"ht to l>o the red sector of the Somes Island light. He took what would have been the correct course m that case, viz.,. to turn towards 1 en- . carrow. " ~ , . ■ ». To Mr Myers: The Falcon light was .t fixed light." It was exactly on the blend between the red and white sector; of the Somes Island light. If the Falcon light bad been an occnlting hgM it would not- have been possible for the wreck to have occurred. Witness, continuing, said the wind wasS.S.E., and it it'had affected him at all, it would have l>cen towards the red sector of the Somes Island light. At this tinifc the .vessel would \havo been about three and three-quarters off tho Falcon shoal. These".two lights were practically in the same bearing. Ho saw only one. and he took it to be the stronger.Somes Island light. Believing this, he had no doubt his proper course was to "port" to get back into the white sector. In Tim light of what he knew now, the ■ light he saw must have been the Falcon light. He must have, been in the white sector all the time. ,lf the Somes Island light had not been obscured he must have- seen that he was in the • green sector. There; was nothing;'to • indicate to him that it was imprudent to try to get in. Ho'could not have left the bridge to take his bearings. Captain Black: According to time and chart you must have been in the green sector for a good time before you .stnicfc? ■ . ' . ■ Witness said he did nob see the green light until after the ship struck... • .Did"you'not see,it when you picked .up the .white light firsti'-^-No. Witness said tlmt it must have been fifteen minutes from ; the time the course was altered till tho vessel struck. Moore, a. member of the Devon's crew,' gave evidence regarding his steering, which he did' -in. accordance with tho captain'-s orders. ' ..'.'... .L. Masurier, who was on duty on the look-out at : 6 o'clock,' said the first light'picked up -was on the starboard bow. *Ho afterwards reported a white light, then a. red light. - both ' right ahead. His next report .was rocks right ahead. He lost the white light after a time, but had the .'starboard lights all the time. ■:'■.■'■"- 'The chief" officer corroborated the cap- .. tain's evidence regarding the ligitts. ■Kdward G. Kapley, fourth officer, said, ho was on duty on Monday from 4 p.m., and tho course that was then Kpt was. not altered-till 7.10 p.m., when homes. Island light Was right ahead. Afterwards there was a squall, and then lie-saw the red light. He noticed broken water and informed the captain who ; immediately went liard-a-•«rtarboard,»but the vessel then struck. Ho could only accb.urit-for.it by the vessel cluinaing her coiirso by the current. 'He did not notice a white light or a green light. After he saw the, red light, a squall went over and hid tho Somes Island lights. To Captain Black-: He got no orders "-■as to how .the red light should bear. '■• There was no alteration in the bearinu; of, the ship. He thought'they'would' pass PencarroTv- by a quarter of a mile. 'Archibald "Walker, Lloyd's surveyor, eaid tho Devon was surrounded by •" rocks, excopt on the port beam and . quarter. The vessel was resting practically on-the. bottom. He could not say exactly what damage was done to • the bottom, but-Vie did there was any possibility of - salving the vessel.. Coming up from Pencarrow Heads on Sunday evening in .the Ivaraki'they had exactly the saire ext nerience as the Devon, in ' euddenlv losing tho white light on' Somes Islnntl through a, squall, and then the red light on" Falcon -slioal opening up.. The , Ksiraki kept on her . course, Captnin •Tones being" quite conversant with the harbour. • Henry "Johnson, harbourmaster at A\ ellington, said that the sectors of the Somes Island tight could be seen from about fourteen nyles outside the Heads in fine- weather. • The Falcon shoal light was inside the blending of the red and white sectors, and an officer navigating a steamer"was expected to see this. If the Somes Island light was visible, the light on Falcon shoal would bo visible as well. He did not see how ono could be obscured. Edwin, master of the W'ahine, «aid that he left the wharf about S.lO on Monday " evening for Lytteltoii.- Tho weather was squally the light being partly obscured. When he got down to the heads'he saw the Devon, and after standing by for some iimo he proceeded on his voyage," as it was impossible,"-owing- to the heavy sea, to render assistance. The weather tlmt evening . was good enough for vessels to come in betVeen the: squalls. If he had been entering the. harbour and had missed the white light he would not have gone on, unless lie was in. snch a position that it was impossible, for him to do anything else. He would not care to express an opinion off-hand as to whether the Falcon shoal light should be occulting or not. Captain, Caunce was recalled by Mr Myers in reference to a letter ho had received in Aucktand when he was there. . Mr Myers: Did you get a letter from « pilot asking if you required his services? Witness: Yes. Mr Macassey said that he objected strongly to the evidence. : Dr. McArthur: Wlmt has this got to do with the case? -Was the pilot on fcoam, or-what is wrong with him? Mr. Myers said that he wanted to get

the fact in, as it was a very important matter. Mr Macassey again objected, and the magistrate upheld his objection, and advised Mr Myers, after being informed privately what the letter referred to, that ho had better make representations to the Marine Department. Mr Myers said he would do so. Captain said that he had heard the whole of the evidence, and that he had foroswn the danger of t^o Falcon liiht being mistaken for the Somes Island light when the latter, was obscured. When Captain Cannce found himself, in the po?ition he 5 thought he was in through the Falcon he was perfectly justiSed in "porting." I After hearing Mr Myers in behalf of Captain Caunce. the Court intimated that it would give its decision to-mor-row.