THE ELINGAMITE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1308, 11 December 1911, Page 3

THE ELINGAMITE.

A REHEARING. CAPTAIN ATTWOOD'S CASE. WAS HE TO BLAME? 'J'HJIEK KINGS AND THE CHAM , . Over nine years liavc elapsed since, the Huddart-i'aiker steamer Klingniniti: wns lost at tlio Three Kings, l'rom time to time the memory of the wreck has been kept nlive by searchers after the valuable cargo thnt wont down with the vessel, and on Saturday morning ihe story was retold in the Supremo Court in connection with the rehearing granted to Captain E. B. Attwood, who was in command of tho steamer at tho time. Tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) presided, and Captain E. E. Smith and Captain Chrisp sat with him as assessors. The Solicitor-General (Mr. J. W. Salmond) appeared for the Marino Department, and Mr. T. M. Wilford for Captain Altwood, The Story of the Wreck. In opening the inquiry, the SolicitorGeneral gave a brief review of tho storv wrapped about the wreck. On November 5, 1902, tho Elingnmite left Sydney for Auckland under command cf Captain Attwood, and having on board 191 persons. •At noon on Saturday, November 8, observations were taken and the vesfol was tliou found to be 2G2 miles from the West KinK. A course was then set, calculated to take the vessel past tho West Kino-(betn-een that island and the North Capo on the mainland) and soven or eight miles to the southward. On Saturday afternoon tho weather became misty, and tho same afternoon tUe patent log fouled and was unreliable. During the night the weather became thicker and grew steadily worse until 10 a.m. on Sunday, when the captain reduced tho spaed from "full." Until then the vessel had been steering S. SG} U. true course, but at 10 n.m. the course was altered to N. 80 E. magnetic. The ship continued on the new course at tho reduced speed up till 10,(5 a.m., when the West King was seen directly in front of the vessel. The land seen was the mest westerly of the. group and the most southerly "portion of the island. The captain at once telegraphed "Full speed astern," ami gave the order, "Hard aport." The engines stopped, but did not reverse, with the result that the vessel glided on her course at reduced speed and gently struck the rock.

His Honour: "Why did the engines not reverse ?

The Solicitor-General replied that that was Hie subject of a remarkablo conflict of erjdenca betyceeu the engineers, the men ia the passengers, deckhands, masters, and officers. The Court accepted the evidence of those on deck-, and held that the failure of the engines to reverse was duo. to some defect in the machinery. On the vessel striking she was almost immediately driven sideways on to the rocks. Her fate was scaled, and she seemed to have sunk within half an hour. The boats and rafts were got out, and most of the passengers got into these. One of the boats, with an unknown number of passengers ou board, had not since been heard of. This was responsible for the loss of perhaps 30 lives. Tho most tragic episode in connection with the wreck was that a raft with sixteen persons on board was adrift without water, provisions, or compass from Sunday niornins; until Thursday afternoon, w.hen it was picked up by 11.M.5. Penguin. As to'the cause of the disaster thero could bo no doubt that the vessel was carried north of her course eiprlit miles or so.by a current.

Mr. Wilford: Will you put in Capt. Trotter's evidence, taken on commission, in Auckland ?

The Solicitor-Crcneral: J have never seen it.

His Honour asked what the evidence was.

Mr. Wiiford explained that Captain Trotter was commodore of the -Tyair' line. He passed the tamo point within u lew hours of th'n disaster. His evidence was taken on commission because he could not attend the inquiry. The Solicitor-General said it could never have lipen put in nl the inquiry, but ke would look into the matter.

Original Findings of the Court. Continuing, the Solicitor-General said that the finding* of tho Court were that Captain Attwcod was guilty of grossly negligent navigation.

1. In driving the vessel full speed through a fog up till 10 a.m. on Sunday when he must have known he was near land.

f'2.) In neglecting to sound before and after 10 a.m.

(3.) In altering his courso without any sufficient reason.

(I.) In going at \\ knots or over ■without taking soundings. (5.) In not carefully ascertaining his position when going slow ahead. (6.) In guessing the speed from noon on Saturday as 12 knots when everything pointed to a higher speed. Counsel was bound to say that there were a number of other findings in connection with the conduct of the captain and crew after the vessel struck.

His Honour: Wo had better have them. The Solicitor-General said that first of all the captain had committed an error of judgment in that he allowed a boat capable of carrying 50 persons to go away with only about half that number and it never returned. The master and first officer were also held to blame for not having tho boats proporlv equipped and for neglecting boat drill, also because tho rafts were abandoned by tho beats. Tho master's certificate was suspended for a year and ho was ordered to pay .£SO towards the cost of the inquiry. The question for tho Court now was whether these findings were correct. The ground of the inquiry was the recent discovery that the islands were iucorrcctiy charted. All the islands in t;ho Three Kings group are a little to the east and a littlo to the south of where the Admiralty ch.irts in i:<o at that time showed them. Had they been where the chart showed them, the Elingamito would have been safe. However, after giving the question every consideration, the bolicitor-General came to the conclusion that the errors in the charts were irrelevant in judging Captain Attwood's conduct, and counsel thought he would be lacking in duty if ho did not impress on the Court thnt the findings were just. It was a question, whether it was good navigation to run 262 miles in foggy weather to pass through a narrow channel. His Honour: What is tho width of the chaunel.

Captain Chrisp: Thirty miles. His Honour remarked that the point seemed to be: If tho captain had known the correct position of the islands would he not have allowed more sea room.

Mr. Wilford: That is the point in a nutshell.

Tho Solicitor-General put in tlie report «>f the original inquiry, and the evidence, tho New Zealand Pilot, seventh edition, a marked chart, and the original survey made by the Terra Nova. Ho then suggested an adjournment until MoiKfciy to enable the members of the Court to read the evidence. His Honour decided that a.s there- was so much work on hand, the hearing must procosd.

"The Soundings Were Valueless." Mr. Wilford called Captain Slovens, of tho Jlaitai, but then decided that his evidence would be of no use, as tho survey by the Terra Nova would cover what tho captain had to say. The survey showed (ho thought) that tho soundings in tho charts were unreliable, so few, and irregularly placed. They were no use for the lead.

Captain Stevens's evidence ivas taken on one point, viz., that the soundinps ou the chart were valueless for tho guidance of mariners. Mr. Wilfonl askctl that tho nautical assessors point out to his Honour tho deep Rutter between the W&st King and the mainland where a mariner ini?ht find no Iwttnm. and think he was nnywhere. Tlio Solicitor-General tbon called evidence. Arthur Calvert, Oovcrnment Inspector of Jliiehinery at AVollinßlon, dpposwl to hiivinc a lcnglliy pxperioncc of muchinor.v, fifteen year* liavins been npr-nt at. pea. He save evidence as to calculating tiifi spevd of a steamer by the machinery.

Captain 11. S. Blaeklnirue, Nautical

Advisor to (ho Marino Department, gave I'videnco a< to marking cm curtaini c-lnirij Ihu most iwoMly-determini'd positions in the Throu Jvin«>, a* taken by the li-rra Nova mid bv iI.M.S. (.'ambrinn. J his showed tho islands to lw « mile a" ,l "■ half to the south and a third ot a miln to the East of tho pwition shown on l.hu chart tliat Capmin Attwooil w;n proliably iiMiiy on the Klingnmite. J »« mural steered by Captain Attwood would, in the ordinary" circumstances, havo carried him eight mile- to tho south of llii' inlands. Tho deviation was probably duo tn a sot in the current wlm-li in lh« ordinary course in il hours would huvß carried llio vessel seven miles to the north. This was not an unusual circiinistanci., and should havo been taken into consideration !sy a careful navigator. Soundings were so few in the locality of tho Three Kings that they would not havo boon of much use in establishing Captain Attwood's portion. They might possibly have shown that he was getting noarer'tho land on one side or the other.

To Mr. Wilford: Tho true- position of the Three Kings was not known to Captain Athvood at the time of the wreck. There was no possible way for him to iiuil out tho true position. Until the vecharting, witness had no idea that the charts, being given, out by the Marine Department, contained erroneous information. Tho course set by Captain Attwood boforo tho change, that was No. SO K. magnetic, was such as a prudent mariner would havo taken.

-Mr. Wilford: I pnt it to you that soundings were of no use?

Witness agreed that they were practically useless. Mr. Wilford: I want you to fay worse than that. I want you to say they were misleading. Witness would not go so far as that. Mr. Wilford: On account of the "gutter," might he not havo imagined he was in the open sea if he sounded there? Witness agreed that was so. Mr. Wilford: If you take the courso ho steered nine years ago and tuko the island as now charted, don't you fiud the island directly in the track?

Witness would not admit that tins was quite tho case.

Mr. Wilford next asked the witness if it was not rather a "oinpliiu.nit to call a chart, that was then "in use, a chart at all, but witness thought it had done good service in those da',*. Mr. Wilford: Isn't four arl n bi.\t knot? a reasonable speed—the absolute minimum speed that tho Elingamito could go in a foff,_ without being stopped? Witness said it n-is the minimum speed, but considered there was a risk. In answer to furtUer questions, witness said that four an-J a half knots wa.« « very moderate speed, but considered that the only safe course in tho particular circumstances was "stop." If they could only see two lengths ahead there would havo been no chance of avoiding a collision had a ehip been met with coming jd tho oppoiito direction.

A Survivor from the Raff. The next witness was called by Mr. Wilford. Henry Weatherilt, Government Inspector ot Machinery at Auckland, and engineer surveyor, said he was a survivor from tho raft picked up by H.MS Penguin. When the vessel struck, . lie heard confusion, hammering, imd knocking in the engine-room. Ho. thought it was a hammer being used to free the machinery. He hearc( a hammer drop on the iron staging in the engine-room. Tho engines did not reverse. Kxactly why was never known, as the chief engineer perished. The vessels speed was "oasy," the fog was very thick, and there was only vision for about two lengths of the vessel. Did not think the slight touch she first gave would injure her stem. J here was then a slight rebound and a few "rollers" brought her in sideways on. When she was stopped she had been going at about four to five knots. Witness had already expressed the opinion, from the partial working of tho .--haft, that a wedgo, that had been placed in some part of tho machinery to take up slack, had become jammed and caujrd a defect in ths machinery.. If the engines had reversed when the telegraph rang, the danger would have been averted—or even after she had first touched the island. \

To the Solicitor-General: It- would be hard.to make him believe that, sho. was making forty-four revolutions—even in face of the sworn evidence of the engineers.

Mr. Wilford hero remarked that the evidence of the engineers had not Ix-en accepted. Tho Solicitor-General: Tvhit was your opinion of Captain Attwood's conduct aftor the vessel struck ?

Witness: When I last sair Captain Attwood he was on the corner of the bridge. I had then to make for the raft, nothing elso being loft. Up to that momrat 'ho was tin-re at his post—to my mind cool and collected.

In answer to further questions, witness said ho could not saj' exactly what o:tiers wpro given, as he was snrviug cut lifebelts, with tho stewardess, who was drowned, and tho boy, who died on the raft. ' Captain llcid spoke to him v/lion leaving in the boat, but did not say what order Captain Attwood had given him. The Elingamite must have gone about a quarter of an hour after striking. Witness saw food brought up from below, but did not know if it went into the boats. There were no provisions on the raft. As to tho missing boat, no one knew how many people wore in it. Witness believed a number were- drowned at tho ship's side.

The further hearing was adjourned until 10 a.m. to-dav.