HIMITANGI INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1419, 20 April 1912, Page 14

HIMITANGI INQUIRY.

CAPTAIN ABSOLVED. ON FIREMEN KEEPING WATCH, NOT EIGHT. BUT LEGAL. Tlio inquiry into the stranding of tho Himitangi at tho Chatham Islands on February 11 was opened beforo a Nautical . Court yesterday morning. Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., presided, and lie was assisted by Captains Post and Black, sitting with him as assessors. Mr. C. E. Nixon conducted the case for the Marine Department, Mr. A. Gray appeared for the master of tho, Himitangi, and Mr. F. G. Dalziell for tho ownors, the Chatham Islands Fishing Company, ' The Captain's Story. James Cairns Cowan, master of the steamer Himitangi, was the first witness. He told of the arrival of the 6teamer at Waitangi, and how he had chosen tho best anchorage in the weather prevailing. About 4.40 a.m. on the date in question ho felt the ship roll, and on getting to the door of his room he met the fireman who was keeping watch. The ship was then practically in the breakers. Ho told the fireman to call the chief engineer and tell him to get the engines ready as tho ship was "on the beach." He called the engineer, and witness went round and called his two officers. He then went to the forecastle and called a man out, and went on to the fo'c'sle head to get the windlass ready for heaving in. lie then did his utmost with tho engines to keep the vessel from going on the bench, but the vessel touched bottom, and her engines were of little, use, so that after trying for some time he gave up tho task. He then did what he considered the next best thing possible, and that was to place, her bow shorewards, end on to tho surf, and filled all the ballast tanks to prevent her going any further up on the beach. Beforo the vessel stranded ho issued instructions to call all hands, including tho nino passengers, and he ordered tho chief officer to get the surf boat ready to take tho people ashore. Ho put all tho passengers aboard the boat and got them to shore without accident. It was impossible to run a kedgo tlrrough tho surf in that weather, but at the first opportunity he put twe anchors down with 140 to 150 fathoms of ropes, but they were. not far enough away, and they came homo almost at once. Settlers offered him fencing wire, and ho made a tenstrand rope of it, 22 chains long, and every • timo tho lines carried away ho immediately made them'- fast or ran tho anchors'out. None of the gear-he procured there was of much uso. The Usual Watch. He said that the usual watch was kept —tho usual watch that had been'kept for the twelve years of which be' had Knowledge. Tho deck hands got very little rest, because tho work wos nearly all surfing,'very arduous work. It Was the custom to allow the fireman-to keep tho anchor watch, tho reason being that he had few duties below, and his hours were always regular. When thcro was any doubt as to tho weather he always kept watch himself. The mooring tackle used was moro than sufficient. The cable bad carried away some six or seven times to his knowledge, but only threb times sinco he had been master. The last threo times occurred on the last trip down to the Chathams. It was the 'anchor shackle that gave way; he wag not sure whether it carried a\Prty or -whether the pin dropped out of tho shackle. • To Mr. Gray: Witness became • master in December last, and had dono three or four trips as master. In his judgment tho anchorage he selected was tho best in Waitangi Bay. The wind was from S.S.W., there was a fair sea outside, but tho ship lay in almost calm water under tho lee of a high bluff. He had used tho same mooring tackle at the Flower-Pot, where there had been ten tim«s i .the amount of strain put, on it as in Waitangi liny. The chief officer oxamincd tho tackle after the anchor was weighed at tho Flower-Pot, and reported that all was well. The cables were inspected by a Government officer every year, tho lost occasion being about the end of April, 1911. Ho did not know with certainty whether it was the custom on other ships liko the Himitangi to allow tho anchor watch to bo kept by the fireman, but he believed it was so, It had been the custom on tho Himitangi under tho master who had preceded him. After tlio vessel struck, the passengers wore landed safely without any difficulty. The ship lay on tho beach for soven weeks until she was hauled off by the Gertie, assisted by her own engines, He, stood by tho ship all the time, and mado several. attempts to kedgo,her off. . Trusted Providence. To Captain Post: In .the Chatham Islands it was his custom to keep a watch on tlio deck himself. He never took his clotlits off, and ho was never away from tho deck for long at a timo. Tho fireman on duty was a trustworthy man, and the weather was so calm, that he judged it safe to leave tho fireman in charge. Ho reached the deck just beforo the vessel grounded, and ho telt her rolling in tho surf. He tried to get steam en her, but was too late. Captain Post: Why didn't you drop another anchor, instead of losing time trying to get steam ? Witness: Because tha only other anchor I had would never have held her. It was only a small stream-anchor; we had lost our other anchor at Glory Bay. Captain Post: And yet having only ono anchor you trusted to Providence and one fireman to keep your ship safe? Witness disclaimed this rebuke, maintaining that ho took uo extraordinary risk. Tackle Looked Safe. Archibald M'lntyro, mate of the Himitangi, gave evidence. He stated that he was in bed when'the vessel stranded. He said that ho had examined the tackle when it was last drawn up, and he found it in good order. He could not say whether or not it was the practice to allow firemen to keop the anchor-watch. When the ship struck he thought that everything was done that could bo done at the timo to' get her off. When he pulled up the cable there was no anchor or shackle at the end of it. The anchor was picked up afterwards, and the shacklo was missing. It must either have given way or the pin must have worked out— a very common occurrence. To Mr. Gray: Had been four months on the Himitangi, and ever since he had joined it had always been tho rule that firemen keop the anchor-watch. Tho stream-anchor on board, if it could have been dropped in time, would have checked tho vessel's drift, and turned her bow on to the sea, but it would not have held her. To Captain Post: By the timo he got on deck it was too lato to drop the anchor. Tho only result would have been to swing the stern on to tho beach and spoil all possible chanc« of getting her off with her own steam. Chains Declared Faulty. Thomas Clarkson Sawyers, 6eoond mate of the Himitangi, said that ho was called before the vessel struck, but beforo ho got on deck the ship had grounded, and the engines were going. Ho knew of the chains parting seven times whilo he hail been at the Islands. He attributed the breaks to faulty chains, the iron in them had crystallised. To fir. Gray: He did not suggest that a fireman was" as safe a man as an A.B. for keeping watch, but a fireman had always been sufficient for the safety of the ship before. Several times when tho ship had previously dragsed anchor the fireman on'ttateh had called up tho cap tain. , • To Captain Post: Had never been on a ship on which a fireman was left on anchor watch. Other Evidence. .loliu Henry Prondevillc, chief engineer of the Himitangi, said thai lie went to lied at about 3 a.m., an hour after Hie vessel anchored. He left instructions for the second engineer to lie called nt about, fi o'clock, as everything was rlnsr-d down. But ho was called about 5 o'clock, and told to get steam on as quickly ns possible He did so, and the engines wero kepi, going for two hours in Die nmlenvour to get the ship off. To Mr. Gray: Gave the fireman on .inc.lmr watch to report to I bo captain at once in the cine- of I lie miniMum l getting bad or of anything goiuit wrcmii. John Symons, fireman, iwid l«> *■»» left iach*r2« of tU tut uxeiux wUah an tU

morning tho vessel stranded. Everything went well until ho went off watch at 4 a.m., when ho was relieved by another | fireman named Coroy. To tho best of bis knowledge the vessel was still at her anchorage when ho went below. Whatever went wrong must have occurred on Carey's watch. To Mr. Gray: It was quite easy for a fireman to keep tho anchor watch on a small ship liko tho Himitangi, Hairy Hoblyn, A.8., and lamp-trimmer on the nimitangi, gave evidence in 6ub> stantial agreement; with that of other witnesses. Called by the Owners. Arthur Calvert, Surveyor of Ships and Inspector of Machinery for the port of Wellington (called bv Mr. Dalzieli). said ho had last inspected the cable chains of the Himitangi in May last. Tho chains were ample for their requirements, and in good condition. Ho attributed the continual breaking of tho cables to the fact that sufficient length of cable was not paid out. Ho had seen the cables again recently, and all of them were in good condition, save a few links of one length. John MacFarlano Samson, managor of tho Chatham Islands Fishing Company, owners of the Himitangi, said he had never received any complaints as to-the state of the gear. He was not himself a practical man, but so far as ho knew the ship was well found. William Edward Fuller, shipping man-, ger for Levin and Co., said that he had had tho Himitangi under his charge before and after sho was sold to tho Chatham Islands Company, and he had never had reports that the gear was faulty. THE DEFENCE. WITNESSES AND COUNSEL. Mr. A. Grav called Harold Willis Foster, second officer in tho P. and 0. Company's service, now on holiday, who happened to be a passenger on the Himitangi on the ill-fated trip. Ho said that everything possible was dono to save tho ship after the alarm was given. In reply to a question from Captain Post, ho said he considered that Captain Cowan was justified in leaving a fireman to keep the anchor watch. The deck hands had been working from daylight till dark. Archibald Walker, marine surveyor on Lloyds's Register, stated that he went, to the Chathams to superintend the salving of the Himitangi. While there the scheme ho adopted and successfully carried out was suggested by Captain Cownn. Mr. A. Gray addressed the Court. It was quite clear, ho said, that the mishap had occurred through tho chain giving way. It had been suggested that tho repeated breakages had not been reported to the owners, but tho.fact was that the only breaks that had occurred while ho was master had occurred on the last trip. Phis particular cable used on the last occasion was a new cable, and the anchor was also a new one." There had been evidence- that the gear was in good ordor, and that tho ■ captain had no reason to expect that anything was likely to go wrong. Ho had also acted as a prudent mariner in the selection of a safe anchorage. In spite of what had been suggested to the contrary, ho urged that tho captain was justified in permitting a fireman instead of an' overworked A.B. to keep tho anchor watch. The post was not a very responsible one, and the practice had held for years. Tho fireman, Carey, who'was on watch at tho time of tho stranding, was not present to givo evidence, but he was given a character as a reliable man. Captain Cowan had really done nothing blameworthy nt all in putting a fireman to keep watch when the deck hands had been working from daylight till dark boating cargo in roadsteads. Counsel submitted that tho cop-tain'was-tho victim of misfortune. ; The Judgment. Tho Court delivered judgment later in the day, and tho purport of it was that Captain Cowan was absolved from all imputations of carelessness and from all blamo whatever. They found that tho practice of leaving a fireman on anchor watch, of which practice they did not ap-' prove, was a custom of the ship, and in accordance with'tlio 'harbour rcgulatioh¥. r These latter enjoined upon a master tho duty of leaving a seaman in charge of the deck of his vessel in port, and a fireman came within the statutory definition of "seaman." Thero was nothing to show • that the captain had been careless in tho management of his steamer, but the Court would niako a recommendation calling the attention of tho Government to the practice going on of leaving a fireman to attend to his duties as a fireman in the stokehold and to keep watch on deck. No order was made as to costs.