LOSS OF S.S. WAIKARE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 714, 13 January 1910, Page 6

LOSS OF S.S. WAIKARE.

I " the inquiry. ; , ARE OUR CHARTS RELIABLE? OPINIONS OP EXPERTS. Toloeranh.—Prcsa'Association) t ,Dunedin, January 12 rUt-:-s A.-nautical -. inquiry, -concerning' the ftftft ,wrec k ofthoWaikare. inDusky'Sound on r ' January 4, was held to-day Mr H Y >?;; ;-Widdowson, . 5.5I m ' presided, aud. the Captains Sundsti-nm and ?'r. W.-'Sibbald..(Collector of Captain-Beaumont (Superhi; ~ o h-h eha If .of ;the.Jfarino*' Department.-' Ny f ;Mr .Si bbal d: stated ...that-, the '• Department be attached to the; officers or": to the ; . company for-sending this steamer into the Nonnan'Be'aumont, Superintendent ! of ift-; 5: :;Mercantil e - Marino. at ;Dnnedin, 'produced :ft;ftfttfae'?cfßcial ; and only " chart.' of tho West Coast Sounds.: It showed'Dosky Sonnd'- ; : : : all:'.; the 'soundings' ' marked in' g?y j V i:?^sT"^Oaptain' Eobert; Straingi'Marine. SupcrinV^l4'^.tendent^for_v L the '.. TJnion iCompany,- r gave. |Uft:;ft :formal : touching-the . cruise of ;:Waikore. ... William. Joseph: Newton • was master,' and hold tho ;usual : certificate' £•- cmgpetency,,issued' by ■ the Boardftof ; i- Trade, Liverpool.- The .Waikaro - was raoutside company for 1 JH5,000. tft';ft:Sho:was' now- :_.a; : tcrtal;.-loss. vCaptain [i--."'JTewton hadbeen. in. the.servico of -.the - : company since 1881!," and l the -company[bad every confidence -in him. 1 ' Captain Newton Called. • Cajtaiii Newton produced J his master's :... ■ certificate, aiidstaied that, for nineteen' pj&®ye^^hs i hadyi)ean:in',thei-ierviee : ; of the' ■ Union..Company as.- master: '■ He 1 toot r.-.command ■■: of -; the ■ Waikare ■, on. December 2il, and on the followmgday'was ordered pjsSft'-to .:take';her:;bn' the • usual excursion to ,tho Sounds. ,Ho had been - eight timej fe^^: ; tb; v .the ; Sonnds^siz ( ; as ''chief ' officer f :'and .. I'SsvS 0 "? 0 '■(ra^ptly)''**"-.i'Vpawenger'>in">:order. . gJjsjithatitoy inigit .-refreshtea. memoir: of the: ; k<i.- Sounds,; and -once as master. His last 5.;;..:^-.-trip,: as chief officer, ; was eighteen -years - E-hk.- ;■ ago, - but he ;still /remembered' the Sounds I- j:very 'well. On Monday,: January - 3,- .the •j/'ftftftWaikare commenced her 'return voyage ; i.V ftft. fromft;Milford .'Sound.. • They entered : - i-.-A.;Breaksea. Sound' at 5.25 - a.m. onJanuary 5; ' and; ■ at [i.-ii a.m., they anchored -m n";ft: 7 Wet Jacket Arm. -They hovo anchor at .'.:9,'a.m,, .entered Dusky 1 Sound,■>proceeded ' to tho top, and camo back, and at ... .21 .minutes past .noon when, a couple of ■ cables ,-distant from.-.lndian-'..lsland "..the k-vessel:. struck:: something. •: Contact lasted V-. about, -jive. seconds, and, . shortly, after- . \ wards,, the engineer came on- to the Isv k,; bridge,, and ■■ v reported - that water • was ' < entering the engine-room He then p&V- 'Stopped. the ship,-, and 'lowered all . boats \. \ana,' at 12.34; when tho . engineer re..the lower.; fires, .were under .i.-water-' aud all : the.', passengers • were m 1 b'-'Y' "the boats, he decided to beach the ship 'J I'. ■ : at Stop Island,' that being ' the only ; ■ place -,winch ho could 1 reach m the tnne I p.'Uv: : -at:.his;disposal; He accordingly did so, -1 t : larmg her bro.-ui.SHie on to.- tho island.' I fc After grounding, the vessel listed from 1 | - starboard 'to port and, at :10.30 pjn.. on ■' .Wednesday lav over-on >her side.. E ; 'At.3,:pjn. -he had dispatched the launch ( with a boat and a boafs crow in tow ' fy':..:to- Pnysegur Liglithouse with a telegram -1 Pi to tho owners giving' particulars of the * '' .. / accident.' -Mr. Appleypjrci,. who was in; 4 fe chaise, 1 had instructions Ito 'reach the jv :\ .bcforo S-p.m.'lf possfblo. The .- had. now capsized.'and could .not. ba ,The depth',- under her I ' bow M-as , fivo fathoms,-., abreast of the J . fore-mast; vfour; fathoms, 1 while:: aft • there -t p.i:: Wh-fathoms. :. When tho.-vessel -was. : ivboaclrtQ,'!there - was ■ not; sufficient 6teani' /->. I left t} heave tight the ropes which were , . taken ashore, and:. this liatt to .'be done - by me®as of'tackle. He traced on' the t t- .: chart the track- pursued from Supper { , 'Cove_ down tie Sound, and tho track 1 !;?>:; ....which -5t tras mtended to -follow after - jpassmg Indian Island. It > was, he said 1 , t f j'. j >,ia - mid-channel course,' avoiding all pamts 0 tof,land:>and rocksr6o;far as'-possibw- - - r t > -t f, , Three Uncharted Rocks 'Found. -. - •: ' Tho vessel struck-. off: :the f . -portion of Indian Island on whicli tliey £ [ placed a white paint mark. On the ; E '.■' : Jnorning/after tho accident, ho proceeded. the locality .with..the-steam launch ( ! j, ■ : kind two -boatsi with lead■ lines and; -after ■ g;i( i.-shalf:-, an 5 hour's sounding, . the .boalkwain,: „ s-::?:.-",an:-.hauling in,.'his lines,-found his'lead I' . j . grating on,.a - rock.-. -It. subsequently- 11 Blipped off suddenly. They searched m t ; : . tho vicinity . for an-, lioux vtithout -, again .1 f- finding it and on the following " morning both ho and Captam MDon- f, !■■■■■.■ 'aid; searched the samo place for over an •: t. -hour, 'but unsuccessfully. The chart, u pj^shq^?iib"'soimdingsiih'the' ■ ' any that had been attempted had been i, iiiibottomcd.. - The ;rock; touched, by. .the r . )b&itsWEiin wa.s 111 tho Vicimtj",, appar-:':sn.ay,-.of where ;the' ship ,struck -and,:-so' {r= fcfar as could bo judged, :tho ■ obstruction 1- : S . Vas.from lS Jo 20 fect.-uwler water. The „ dr a TCin F forward 'and S 1" j;as about low water at tho time On f,,\ ? h ®. TOy -to Pigeon' Island ', with tho „. two: other 'rocks'-whibh i: I K:;'K..'.were;hot'rmarked' on'the' charf. far ; ■ r' ; \,;g Ao,knew;'all. tho tracks pui-'sned by- n jsteamers m ' tlie Sounds clear.- He ' L.(had- heard nothing, to ! the contrarjv. Mr. Sibbald: The AYaikaro was fri ' at ,;full'.: speed -when 'she strnck. ' Er";-Tho r ;riso. arid fall of tho tide in the ~ n [ r vicinity, according to the chart was 0 teife'Wrj?^;::ipfti';:'neaps/6ft.;; ; w i.rJl'S;i J :: i .out ,':^th^''-. ! - , .prbj^mme ; - 61 r- '.?!; 9 f f to :P^ T1 ous trip, .and there was onlv : : -i diiTorer.ee between the -vPv , time.: at which tho' Waikaro passed V". |:-A , vM -which she.'pa&ed' tho week, before.'Of t : '!. : courso it was high -water on tho previous jreek^that:time,ibut -the < depths in ;the ■ S r... Sound were so considerable that tho tides ■ BE?swi.4enter.into •consideration. .Ho was ? - p. •' on ; the.bridge examining tho chart when- : '- •:. .. . the struck. He had follqwed as c< p: \ ' nearly as possible the'. course' followed bv* ci ' -.Captain .ll'Donald tho. week before, but ft S;.'."'--;.V'as 'pf.course"' steering "by the oye." : d < : Mr. Sibbald: Then you think that a ti through- and hot' ti touch?. . , v,j, p . r -Captaih; Newton: Well, the; - re-:- V. vesselfl.-;lmv6 '.t&CT-v.ijpiDg. e^o .f°^3®vy e ai'S irithout acci-. T * , "It is an Act of God." T< f. v-i' -bo-you think, that'the Sounds are im-' il .' perfectly surveyed?—" That is not for ine | ; -s.:to.', say: ' The -water .is ■: so deep :■ in places d fe -.- si that . you.-,would.-, want to . make a sweep 11 feV;tto"i^t'an^..awsurate. ; raiTCy;'.''iK:;the:'survey! ..- was to he a close one, it would take about 20 years." 11 •,*:..'''.-.Could' you take a vessel through there m : ; v>. :again safely?— I took marks which « enable meito : clear:this place." -•. , Captain. Newton went- on; to say that. P from.-'an'. observation;,which ;ho' made ; he -P 1 ;v::gxonsidered.that: the-vesselihad been struck i ■>. 4¥::;"almost,V'exactly7aniidships:',; The:Waikare -'. i 'ihad:.doubles bottoms except under'the 'en-jiwvgme-robm,';where:,tho\water.,first,cam6 • :s.;' ; v»Had,' her;: double her' - •ft there would havo been,no difficulty, and - 1 l-.V:- he could -have brought her on' to Dun- ;'V- |!.' edin or'the Bluff, ft;.:ft .' . /-.Do you think, after this accident, that ft I:'-S:ft it ftis i safefor: vessel, to go - through t j '^;, : ,:.there ; without; haying -a' double -bottom ' t I ; .;, ! "Well, it is ; an act -'of God. If you' were ti -f SttHithat: you required a double : bottom . £ lpr'"i.tb>,be safe you wquld not gofc much -plea- '« The ft .-company' ? ■(IV. would not undortako the excursions, if it : afS?was thought ; that there was any danger."-' that' ? |fe'ithere I ,,'was,':boat .-accommodatibnftbn :, the P. ji p '..steamer .for. double '.tteftnumberoof pe'en: | ti'ft.pleV'ftl'he .plaeb .which,he really. wanted . !• Is'i'-to'ibeach: at. was.''Duckv.Cove'/: five miles 11 | [-. -. ' away, and there was another equally good (ip.ijiWco 'four, and; a, half miles' away, but 01 r.-j. y the engineer had reported that he'had J; v ;no more steam than would carry the Ji f: K,:,?ship ;a imile.'ft Stop'; Island.; was -the'lonly n p t r-"spot near by. .' If: the-.-vessel had not • s< gfi/fttaken; .that : he:;w6nld':-havci tried. : to, .g: j. i' reach some harbour. If she could havo .e g, !•. gone on full speed, for. ten minutes moro b p [ .he would have saved the ship. . . -.- b f- |-.ft .To Captain -Beaumont: Dusky Sound 0 g|;Kwas. not. Uke :MiUprd : ;Sbund, ..which 1 was; ; :S] !free' frorn rocks, ; etc. It was' considered ■ ti |jb:safe to'. work the Sound: at' full'. speed; and ri c) :to .go through. at night. Colliers some- -ti |'lf;ifttimcs:;went -through- , • •. :. ■ 1< p[i'. -is Charles':. Holdsworth,';:general manager, a 1-.] ft -of . the. Unioll:Steam , Ship ' Company,, -ti j; •[ . stated' that.: Captain . Newton ' was: a ■ mas- ti |. ji' ter. inftwhomftthe' company; had, the: ut*. ': t||iitiSW-;wniidei^"." ; 'The.'.Waikm!' was' pro- ; pjf'i-equipped Mwithft/life-saving.'appli- - l-.jfftvances; VShe; was' insured ,-in ; various, com-, I fl\ §. pames'iand ;..at Lloyds,' for £215,000,'.'!; ft a .J:

Captain Colin MT)onald, assistant marine : superintendent ; for ,- the' .Union Company,'-'.statedhe ,hadlmd 14 years' experience usa master -mariner, ana. had been 21. years in; tlie service.of the Union Company: * Ha had been i seven times .in chafge'j of ; excursions. tb 'the ! SoundsHs'ix times ,oii: the . Waikaro, I .' and once! in the -l'aluno.: -He had been iii charge (ff the •Waikaro oiiher:'second last .tap;.: Each of, his trips . had included Dusky ; Sound,: arid? ho ' had / .always lollowcd the track through-Dusky Bound - between Indian Island and Passage Isles. ; In these ■journeys; ho> had;inever ' taken Vthe -tide into .'consideration,' , : He '{had not-, looked upon'.pussing; through;,these Sounds with a - ship "ivitli a':;'single*>bottom' as ' being especially' dangerous: ■- Witness here' 1 added .(in; •' reply -to .'a .; question ;as towhat measures.: should be.: taken to': safeguard 'navigation: in those, waters) that."-a good: deal ;could be done - by surveying .Dusky Sound, . '.Wet.,' Jacket;-:;.Arm,.Doubtful Sound, aiid TThomsoa - Sound.:... -If :the Admiralty -would'-:lay down on ; them an approved.: track, ■ and the cost of -such a--survey ' would. ■iiot,. , bo \much, it would enable people '- to;. make - the '. trip to this beautiful scenery true of, doubt or fear. -'I havea feeling myself," ho 'continued,/ "that most. of: these" places are perfectly .free, ..bat' Dusky. Sound is • a place ..that shows . signs of being, broken up entrance,"; though, further Vup, it shows bold headlands." . Continuing; .he stated that he hacj ! made I a search for' i the rock: in .. the vicinity. ofn-here'the Waikaro struck,, but hadfound nothing. Tha' Waikare had last been surveyed'.by the'Governinent .in .October,':. 1909, and had been inspected just prior to each of her last trips. ;She.carried .86 ; of a crow; and 141 passengers '(including a band), but she. had',4o7 lifebelts.^and accommodation for 471 people in ' her boats; launches. He' and. Mr. Jl'lntyre (Kepairs . Superintendent), went together in the Monra - to. the 6cene -of the - wreck, and' decided, ' after ln spMHon,v.that she ; could'not' be . salved. All-the;gear.that :was salved;-Was taken aboard',; the lioura, and- ,;Mr.< M'lntjTe, Mr---, Apployhrd, : .;-'rtwocarpenters, two A.H. s,; and va cook- were left behind at the wreck. / • • ;. ; Properly Surveyed? Far From; it 1 . Captain j .Beaumont: .• .We have heard something;...--about, these ,'v Sounds ; ' not rbeing- properly: surveyed.—'Tar from it. il foel.that. as'l:have said. it-would be . better to; survey a track through certain of the Sounds." - . -- With';, -the';. knowledge , that. ; you'" - have jained - lately - concerning;; Dusty.; Sound.' ffould.you/ care,to drive your ship at full speed through that passago?—'3s*o, I don't think I would.", J -~ ; . -- "Mr.Widdowson:. Tou have heard the vNewtoh. -"What, ,in r'our opinion, did the Waikare strike. on? ~"I could not - ofJer an opinion." ;. r Did she, in your opinion, strike a rock? -!"It must have b&en. a rock. Ido not iiiow what else it could; have been;" \ ; Captain :. -I.; took, my vne'n. the vessel;',sfruck,v and', therefore. >1»ould be prepared. to go full speed ihrough thero at any -time. - vAndrow Todd, manager: of :the ' Otago farmers' Co-operative Association,: who vas a .passenger on tho Waikare, -said ■hat. he.', considered - that the vessel ■ was ibout a - quarter of a mile from Indian aland, whin: she. struck: - Dr. Koberts, ;who was medical officer on ho Waikar& ■ during the excursion, said hat ho had particularly 'noted .the ;''posi-' ion ;ofi the vessel; but had an. impression-' hat/she .was-nearer -the 'shore than was isual'.ih the Sounds. ;Still he would not ay that thoy were less than a quarter of •mile- from Indian'lsland. It was-his ith.ftrip-'to' the?S6iihdsiv-, James > Gerald I Doorly; .chief officer, tatcd. that he. felt three bumps, and told lib purser that .they- had struck , a rock. [oi.£hen.'blow;.his whistle,: .told the..carenter .to. sound-tire and - went: to he captain:, on tho bridge. "Tho . captain omted;out;.thai ; there wasiiiothingjonvthe,; hart; to. indicate a rxock, and: less •. thanhrco' minutes. afterwards the ship, listed.. ' ' Ths Helmsman. « J \ Apgns, McLean said .'ho was ••steersman, hen'the Waikare.struck.... S.W.';by .W., as the course he got when ho took he wheel ■. i and ' tho captain -. ,was: standig near hua giving'him his course. ■ To Captain. Newton: He was steering lb shipiwlien Bhe';passcd through'there n;-' tho -previous ;week and thought that ,oh tho last rip as on the previous one. .• Patnck, James : Hicksy, chiof engineer, bated" thai ho was standing, on deck ast previous to the accident, but did not articularly. -note the position -the vesiL -He rushed below as- soon as ■ she truck; - and gave orders , to . put -the nmps into action. Ho should sa>- that le • outer, plating of -' theV.'Waikart /'was' t. least, half an inch thick, but tho ?sult ' of, tte collision . depended "upon, w, rate of ,specd- and the character of le object encountered. The .watertight Mrs;'were closed; .and he reported to,the : lptain that tho water was coming in' eely. There were four feet of water i.: the engine-room when the boat, was : sachedi and the',fires had then been at. six minutes, 'so''tbat .6he was merely •avelling under, the 6team: rbmaiiimg"' in' io boilers. John M'ArQrar, seodhd ' engineer,' also' ive evidoaca. •' ■ -?''i ' r . r-. J ■ Alex. Invcrartty, fourth ; engineer, -who as ■. in charge: of the engines ' .when , the lip 'struck. also -gavo -corroborativo ovimce.' Mr. Sibbald asked. whether ■ the Court ished. to hear ,tho - evidence of tho men > aw; at Dusky: Sound. Personally ho did ot : ,think itrnecessary.- ; : •-; The. Co-urt did not think' tiris • evidence 2cesary. , ;; v'.: -,'-; ;; ;;; : y ~' . Questions for the Court : When asked if ha to addrefie tlic crnrt,: ilr." Sibbald said that that course as scarcely necessary. Ho would simply ibmit these, questions:— '. . •'. Sid :tho Wmiaia strike a Took ' charted or uncharted? ; ... •'i(2) Did>the .master- exerciso.'every .' care in navigating tho vessel? . . : ' (3) 'Was tho vessel properly equipped ■ with such boats and life-saving ap-... pliihces■;as would .enablo.her to, cope:with'such a. disaster? . • .' *. As; far '/os the ' last '■ question: was . oohTned, he did'iibt.'think.thatfahy charge >uld .ba' laid against the Union Company. : 111-. Widdowson: In. view, of tho evi-. ihee, I supposo you ~wdsh to ,dtaw attenon. to -'-tho .fact that:-,the. chart is defec-ve?;V^.-.v^'v..-; v - : 's . Mr. Sibbald:, tes.-. .. .- Captain Newton: 11 have 'nothing -to' ,y. ~I stated the plain facts .of tho case, ne i; whole thing' is very''clear . and, plain, here ; .is'.nothing subtle about, it. It great 'intellect ,:to;'grasp, 'the : cts,'.'aid '- 1 everything !WM'. very 'siinplei' he • captain ' added that', 'he.: wished 'to raw - attontion' -to : . the: very able maimeT . 'which'tho ofßcors and men had'perimed'their, duties. He had-cover seen oqualled! They' had done-itheir ,wsj-k ..a third, less'timo than, ho-had over ' em-- boat-drill ! performed ■, in.-,; The pasngers had bohaved admirably. : ;. ..; llr^: Widdowson announced- - that ' the wrt's proposed to give judgment at • halfcst two. to-morrow afternoon.. '