LOSS OF KIA ORA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 405, 14 January 1909, Page 5

LOSS OF KIA ORA.

SOLE SURVIVOR'S 1 -STORY. IMPORTANT POINT AS TO MASTERS , WHO DRINK. .'(D* TEL^QBAPn,—SPJICIAI. CORHESrONDENT.^ ■ • Auckland, January 13. At. tho; inquiry ; concerning tho wreck of: the scow Kia Ora to-day, Walter I 'Joseph .Macklow,' ono of. tho ownors ofi tho scow, said -thai, 1 . Captain,l'iercy had been in their employ, about: eighteen years. His ability as a - seaman. | was ••unquestionable, provided he : was .sober, l'iorcy was mostly on-tho scowsj; but a littlo over twelvo months ago they put him on their steamor 'Wairoa, On two ■; or;; three - occasions' ■ they .warned : him' •on account of his drinking habits.. Tho trip previous to his • discharge from the Wairoa the witness'said to Captain Piercy: "Ted, if this occurs again we will have to dismiss you.'' t Pierey replied: "'Well, all right; if jou find, me c t the drunk again clear me

Captain Olschargod and Re-engaged. .^■"Witness,added that Piercywas under the ; influenco of liquor'when bo took the -steamor • . out that day, and tho witness, feeling uni . ieasy/ followed, .liimcin the Ngapuhi. '. Ho was not atWhangarei .when ho should havo been, but ho found him there' two days later. When he got back to Auckland he discharged Pierey,./but four or. .five days., later, 'when tho ..witness; was away,- Piercy was again engaged for the scow by another- member of ■ tho -firm-. The; scow should - have been otf Kawau Island on the night of the wreck at- pino o'clock, judging by the time sho 'v: left Ngunguru. Ho did: not;know if iho captain's son:: drank much, but he was a t ®F r 'W® gambler. The "cook tvas not-a sober .-. ' man; i -No ono at Ngunguru knew anything . of, the'stato .of the. cre'w? : while' they wer# at. Ngunguru, . except , the' master of a tug- ; boat. :-The scow should have been outsido : the: Canoe Rock .when she struck. Shewas ~ four or;' live miles out of her. course. Cap- , : tain : Piercy was a particularly good : man in the. .water.:? Piercy. drank. much more on ... . the steamer thari on. tho scow, because he - had/more spending p'owor when on the for- :•>• "Wr . '.Witness ; said he never heard of such captain of ■ a scow being at the .-wheel from four in thp afternoon ti!l eight at night. : v . •. - '■; Evidence of a Kawau Man. ' William Boyd, a resident of Kawau Iscalled, and gave evidence that there ; . .was a,;fierce gale blowing and,'a terrific sea running at ; the island on tho ' night, of the "tV 30 him,the morning after the wreck that just before the vessel . v. struck ho was; down below, getting : a ■ cup: of coft.ee. r .Someoho.'sang. out "Breakers," : and he .went up on deck. He nould not havo • v thought ,tha| it was possible for.' a man to - ! « £ Too j c . for seven hours on .that nignt.f. If Gossct'had done, so, the witness ; ; would have .expected him to bo much moro Jcnockcd about.., It was a miraolo that lie 1 ,goJ ashore., He had seen Gosset's ! hands, and' . naturally expected that thoro would bo more . cuts and_ gashes. He oxamined ;tho boaoh •. - and found footmarks about fifty yards to the _ south of where tho hull lay, and traced tho footsteps to .the base of tho cliff. The lifeboat was found about 600 yards north of tho wreck. There was very little water in the lifeboat, ..and, two of its planks had been 1 stove in. He would havo cxpcctcd the bodies . to nave come ashoro ;had they : not' got en- ; tangled.m tho rigging;- i Georgo Grimmer, foreman in Messrs. Macklow Bros.' employ stated that he was :.' : on':,tlie.:wW the night when Gosset re- I turned in tho s.s. Kawau to Aucklaud. Gos- : . was talking td friends. ,Thoy asked him . wno was at iho wheel .when tho vessel struck, i and he replied that hq was ntnth&wheeL and , • *ho captain had jnst gono below, v - ' j /jeming Olarine Superintendent) stated that the scow Kia Ora was in excelienfc seaworthy /condition. • • - ..... Frederick S. Gi'sset,- .the- Burvivor 'of 'the ! len recalletl H " to his -f^/?^W:.#^>^;-were. : -sobbr when' tliov. . ; - :; took. ;no- drink aboard at that poit, having on board only of - • w la J ; ,t lle y '-got: at ;■ Little

Ffntlingof the Court. ®?v:.Court' was - of . opinion that, having regard to; the Conditions -as they existed at and.for. Eomo xonEiderable. time .before the tuna of the wreck (viz.,-* stfong wind, al- . most a galo from the north-east, a lieavv sea, and very thick weather) the-master of ■wT.iw! have shaped a course from ™;iL 11 t0 n the ?? st , < at least two • or. Canoo Rock,. Instead of , takmgvthis -course, ;ho hugged the land and , attempted :to_paE3- between Canoo. Rock and Kawau- Island, and- owing, to tlio thick 'weather he apparently could:notpick'up the red light on Tintin or tho land at Kawau In. so navigating his vessel themaster was guilty of negligence, and the Court therefore found that tho wreck was due to negligent: navigation; s : ;- L evidence shows," .continued the • Chairman, "that- the' master was given to insobriety, but it has not been established to -our entire satisfaction that-ho was in-" toxicated.; while in charge of his vessel on ,the night of December 14, when- she was wrecked." Mr. Ivettlo -Mid .that tho Court had had some difficulty : iri arriving at ade- ■ cision on" tho question of costs, but had ; . come to: the : conclusion that they should not order costs against the owners of thescow. If the -Court had been satisfied ' that - tho wreck . was : due to the insobriety - : of the master, they would havo ordered costs i against Messrs.-Macklow Bros;,- as the -evidence; disclosed : that it was well known t-o them that Captain Piercy , was addicted iV : ;to ; drink,.-but ithey-were? not isatisfiedaWut that;, and., as tho wreck was duo negli-, ; gence, and Picrcy was a certified officer, the - . Court ;did-not. think -.that 1 vcosts■ should; be. awarded against, tho owners; of the vessel. Mr.. Kettle, said: that ho supposed tho police -would pursuef investigations '.-into the question of liquor at Ngunguru. - Mr. Mays '(Crown'-Prosecutor): It will have to go on. . J am not satisfied. We will •. havo further.inquiry mado here.,.; ,J.. ■ Compulsory Reporting -of Drunken Masters. tho question was raised, as to whe- ■ y:- ther ; - : or not' it-should '. be: made compulsory, ; forowners of-vessels discharging masters for >.- ; -• the Authorities -.the: reason for the discharge, Mr. Walter J. : Macklow- said, that it -was not the practice- : of-scow owners to. report the fact that. cer- ,■■■.. tain , masters and others - were addicted to :. v-; drink. : -:He' did -not think ; it was ' reported when a master was discharged/for. drunkenness.- He wpuld- not do it. A seaman • might ship with a drunken man. and- so risk ..- - his- life. It would bo. a benefit to the com-. .■ ■ munity if the ; discharges of masters for r:; drunkenness were repprt-cd 'to .the proper authorities.-. - • -. : , '_ . .Mi 1 . C. J. Tunks (who appeared for Mes- . srs.vMackloW: Bros.): ;You didn't pay "you would notV report it ; hut "you did not. I '. - Mr. Macklow : No. I would not do so. I would think twice-about it.. V Mr. 'Kettle: Do you say now that you Would do so? v . . . Mr: Macklow: No, - T would not. I would sooner let .him go and discharge him. Re- .. porting a man has very: far-reaching. ef- ; fects. ;. ' | ;Mr. Kettle spoko of,-recommending tho - . J irisertibn ; . into ..the . Act of "a compulsory ■ clause, - : ;jlr;;?MayS said , that only' one. case of .th« .kind Hinder discussion had been reported to the. Marine Superintendent, This was about .. .:eight?en, months '.ago.. ,The Marine Superinr:: tendent had .at onco. reported the matter, to headquarters, "and the man's' certificate ■was.cancelled at once. ; ; ~ln' reply to the Chairman of tho Court, . " Mr. .' -Fleming, ; .the Marine -Superintendent, expressed- the:- opiniijnVthat -it-Was. the duty of .an ownof vessel ;to report .cases .of discharges .for drunkenness.; There .w'as really actuiiil: discharge. -A master .ottered into mi: agreement, ■ and to . dismiss him . was .. . cancel-,tlie ! agreement. ,- . . . ; In delivering. i.ts . finding as to the' cause, of' the •-wreck;-', the -'Court''.recommended., that "th(? .owners of , vessels- should ho required to :' report io the.. Collector of " Customs any : . master- orV.offieer : w'ho is . of .intemperate ■ habits or who - is,.in a'state of intoxication .. .-while on duty or who is deliberately dis- -. ; by_ liis employers.- for drunkenness.