THE KAIPARA INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 728, 29 January 1910, Page 6

THE KAIPARA INQUIRY.

-;'7' , 7'.7.,V' t ". ;' '."'.' ■/;■.'';.. ~ OPENED AT AUCKLAND. IENTIEELT NEW ISSUES; RAISED." /^Vi;. v ;:-vff|OTi'sm;s;TßiM;,...'..-';.';-^'' (By MeEranp..—Pro'ss Association.)" ■• :-: ' ■'■'-■•■ -.' 'Auckland, Januair 28.':. ! .The Court. of Inquiry into the' stranding of the steanior .Kaipara" was begun this .niorning.'before.-MrV.O.C. 'Kettle, S.H., Captains W.'J..Reece and C. FVPost. In opening .the. case, .'the; Collector of.'. Customs, said, the questions to .be submitted were:—;' '■ .;.'■[.- -,:.-.-. ';.'■'.'.■.,' '.'.''• 7' 7v'; (1) Whether:, the . stranding ; had 'been caused . by: default,- negligence,,; or an orror of judgment?. (2) Was the vessel : in', an 'nnsea7' : ..worthy .condition by reason of a list ' . to starboard when she commenced her '■'; voyage?.. .'■'■ ; ; ■. (3). What, efforts were made by the' 7 master to ascertain the cause of Buch* -list? '.-■■.■:. ;.'■,"■■:■/ ■:;}/ •'' ;;'..- ''■■ .iMr.: Kettle.expressed'..'regret that' the ■Minister; for l Marine was not represented by. counsel.' ;.;',. ;. \.. Shoal .Patch Admitted. '-. 7 The' Collector of Customs stated; that application.-was made, 'but .the; Minister decided that a' legal representative was not -authorised.. The Collector proceeded to say' that "the scope, of the investigations seemed to challenge.'the navigation • 'of' what had • hitherto. been : regarded as one of the best; and safest harbours *in .the .world, and: serious questions as to the • prudence' or lack of'-prudence, in; the navi- : gation of the %6uld,be placed.be-, fore the .Court. 'The Kaipara- left her berth at' : the : Railway Wharf shortly before low tide,: having a list to' : fitarboard,, stated at.', six;.-." or, ~6even .(..degrees, At' the wharf : : the :-.vessel's '- marks indicated, that :'"she,': drew 727 ft. ~- aft . and 26ft: forward.' ' After .. the" ;■ vessel left 'the' wharf/her - list-increased. - This increased''her -draught. -..From- the chart marked- by.'-the. captain,,, showing ..the course followed* -it would .'be seen 'that the'master -did not' avail: himself of, the deepest,water-in- mid-channel, but .pror ceeaed between- -the.'. -4J7and.' si-fathom marks. ' The. vessel struck something. two minutes;later. ..She sank, to, her. hawsepipes.'. -The-existence,' of. , a:. shoal ; patch ■ with 26ft7 of ..water at low tide;'.was admitted,',, but it;". was .'a question 'whether the ship-.struck this; shoal v and, whether the master-.w.as justified;in-bringing the ; vessel in 1 - the vicinity, of this shoal.- He submitted.- that the .master' should have steered the safest -course,-'and -not in,-the. minimum' of water in -. which his vessel could float.' - Briefly,.- Captain•'. Cornwall had failed;tp, avail..'himself;of,.the.deepest. \ part Of;:the:channel'-in':,navig'ating.. : his vessel, .whose (draught'.was problematical -to-the;point of danger;;; ; ;A; :;.'' ;'■'■'.'■ 7 The; Captain's ..Evidence I .' -7.7; '* Captain- Cornwall; examined, 'said '• the - Kaiparai, hid.'. : no.:iist: from -Wellington to; Auckland. All ,the ballast-tanks ran, right' across,,the ship except Nos.- 5, and'; 6, :.which' .were ; inde.pendent...7He first: noticed- the.Vlist;: on' •January 13,": and gave specific instructions to the stevedores. ...Leaving port, the vessel.,listed six to-seven.uegrees. 'lie- en-gineers:-remarked-upon the' considerable , list. There was an' hour." and aV-half of' ebbtide* to run.'. ,He knew jthe',list would increase -the vessel's; draught,;,b.ut did not anticipate'.any..difficulty. getting out of .the .harbour: .He couldvnbt say." if, the vessel -. touched,''bottom'', alongside'.'-the wharf;"'-' The: would 7; increase., >,the draught by 14in. to 16in. VThe";ship, proceeded : down' the harbour,."'full •.power ahead,;'but'was 'no't'gbing'-full speed,'.'not■ having -gathered way.'- / She continued at this speed until she:stinck. at .the: spot marked, on,: the'.- ohart produced" by. ■ wit-, ness.- Witness :had.marked .on this.chart the course followed; and the exact locality of the ..accident. ":,..:.'' '~'.' .' .' . 7 7 Inflow of Water Surprising. ' 7 v . Mr. Kettie: ; ,Th6,.-''New.|Zealand Pilot" - suggests a oopse out' o|:iAucklpd.i . harbour:; Did* you lateithat'course?'' Witness:. No,, not. that course.' T, believed'.that I; would have ample'.water in following. the course' 1; did.. I; was...travel-; ling eight knots an hour ivhen, we'struck/ I; heard'a. loud grating noise- .as if the anchor,-was running; away from the. pipe. There wereVseveral' distinct bumps. The' engineV were stopped,. and:.'.the. -.:■ wells sounded. After-striking .we travelled a cable.or a cable and a. half. It took two; minutes ■, to -carry,"out the,', soundings in the forehold. A depth,of 15ft. 9in. was■ . discovered,-/and,'.in r No.r2- 22ift: • -I- ■ was surprised- that so .much.water could -have; been made in such a short space of time. Even now, after seeing the damage to the hull;'I am-still: surprised-that so 'muoh water was made in such a short time.; ■■ ;.-'■ '-'.'."'.■'.'•• '.."■■; -.: 77 ■ The Shoal; Uncharted. ":; Captain... Fleming: ..If your .-vessel; had. been so injured by bumping on the bottom; at the Kailway .Whirl as .to cause her: to, leak, would you', be-still', surprisedtnat so■':much.:water should ;haye been found in her holds at-two:minutes after striking?—" That would undoubtedly ex'plain it" " : ■■-.;. ■:.-..:■., .-':-.'. :Is it not a' fact that''.when.iii shallow water ..the "ship, going Vat;, full ; speed,: would."smell"; the; ground'?—:'Tes, -I'.believe it .would'draw,;niore.water;aft'." ':> V. Do you think.you were prudent:in go-" ing over this part -of rthe channel -under, the ; circumstances accepting- thechart.as correct, I Wjis justified: A shoal wasaftenvai'ds located near by." -'.'. Captain Fleming: You' think that this shoal;-was in .the course ■■. followed ""by' you?—" Yes, I passed over it.'and I took the-bearings ofit'afterwards. The shoal on :.which the Kaipara struck was not shown in any. shape or.fprm'pn'the'chart. It. was a- trap, and. theTe was absolutely no indication of its existence." - ; Mr.: Kettle: Had. you any reason for leaving at .low tide?—" No'; none except that we were ready to get.away." - Are; you etili unable to account for the:list?—'Tfes, except: that the ship,has | a. slight'tendency to list' to starboard.".; ■V: .-.-; Buoys Out of.- Position.''';.' . Mr.: Cotter-said- that .-he ■ wanted. ( to form. the. Court.that. _he had assigned; statement "from Lieutenant :Hughes, who. was' on the ship at the: time,, and was'navigating. .officer .of: "the -Iris', Pacifio Company's; repairing- steamer; that, the' list":was not sufficient to be.' of any. sequence. 1 ' • ■"-■ ,"'• :.'-■;"'.:'..''' ■ :.,„■'. . -'' 'V.v .' In answ.er to Mr.' (>ttor,Capiain',Coni-. wall, stated that no ship.'drawing more, than'";2sft. sin. .could ..have'., passed: over. :the "shoal which" the Kaipara 'struck.: The shoal was distinctly, in -the fairway; .After, the accident witness; discovered tnat;the luminous' buoys' were out' of -position; .;. ;' Captain Cornwall, -continuing ;his,evi-. dence,, stated; that he- was.,not informed before" he left; that; th'e : 'luminous; buoys were out of position. ' ', • -.' From an- examination of-the, boat madesince- she had been docked, how-do you think : she struck the - shoal ?— "1 think she struck the western edge of-the shoal." V Was She Injured;at the Wharf? '■■' ;You considered ■ that, 1 .- with your ! ship in the state in-which she was,'and at the' speed at' which-s!ie", was ; going.-iyou"! were justified-in going oyer any part of the channel -marked 5 "or -5J .fathoms?— "Yes." : :-'/.;'-;".,-■' ' '" V ' '■" Vi' In leaving the Kailway Wharf, have yon not to pass over-water-marked less than that?—" Yes." . 7 ■; ; VHave you.found any, indication pn the; hull of having touched the Railway Wharf ?-"No.";.-: : ..;■,.:.- .■ ; . - v Mr.: Kettle: This inquiry will-not, close until the /shoal ; has;;' been thoroughlyswept and .examined, and the'-, berthage has been examined. , . .' ;;Mr. .Cotter (to witness): It has been suggested that the vessel was damaged at the Railway "Wharf. Did-.you.suspect chat during the time you were operating the .boat,. or can you find any sign,- of it on the,vessel?—''No.";; .} ";■:,;•.■.■-'"•.. Other Mishaps at Auckland. 7 Mr., Kettle: Since' this' accident have you heard of any other vessels touching in the' harbour?—" Yes; the Wcimate touched in July,..-1904j. also a French warship touched." . . Were these; occurrances -reported ?— "The touching of the Waimate was." Mr. Cotter v.'il may; I,;am in communication; with, the captain of the Waimate,' who. is now,in Lyttclton,.: asking him to give evidence. If ho. cannot get.up hard,- I. will ask that he be examined in the south.,;,' ' .V.

Mr. Kettle: It is stated officially that vessels drawing 30 feet can enter the harbour in safety at low tides/ Is that correct?—."No, it is not." :."■•'..' ■ , • Captain Fleming: That, of course,.is assuming that this '■ shoal is not. marked. If.it is marked the harbour is safe P— "Yes."'-' •'•'■' '■■'."■■'■.'■ -.- ; Charles Worthington, chief officer, said that he considered the vessel seaworthy with the list.•".-. ■ . ■■■_;■ ■ William Thomas. Point, third officer, said that the list did "not affect the safety of \ the vessel:' It only made it uncomfortable for walking. He had seen worse lists on-other vessels, than the Kaipara had;- Prom the time she struck to the time she finally settled, the. vessel travelled, at least a ship's length' arid a. half. He', considered that'the master took a fair., and reasonable course. •' ._. ~ At this stage the inquiry was adjourned till 10 a.m. on Monday; ■•'