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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3009, 16 February 1881, Page 3

Tbe Secretary replied in the affirma tive.

Mr Vautier said the dress was in very bad condition and the diver had to waste a good deal of time in making some repairs to it before it could be used. : Mr Kinross said he was aware that the dress was out of repair. He thought the "fatter should be looked to, as it was very important in tho interests of the port that the Board should have a diving dress fit for use at any moment. He believed there had been great improvements made of late in diviDg dresses.

Mr Tanner supposed the cost of a new diving suit would not be much. Tbe Chairman : About £150. Mr Kinross did not think it would be necessary to purchase a new suit. Probably the one the Board had could be repaired so as to sufficiently answer the purpose. It would be well to ascertain what was needed doing to it. Mr Smith: Hold a survey on it. The secretary said there was a letter from the diver on the subject. correspond since.

The following correspondence was read: — From Mr T. J. Carr, Resident Engineer, stating that he bad prepared phns Ot the training wall at tbe Port Ahuriri bridge, and that they would be forwarded by first mail to Mr Blackett for approval, i and that when approved tbe work would V be put in hand.and pushed forward with ! Utmost speed.

From Mr Edward Patten, Collector of Customs, applying for permission to use

as a landing waiter's office the building *~ lately occupied by the ferryman at Port ~*f Ahuriri, the building to be removed on \ wheels whenever cargoes are being discharged. It was decided to grant the permission asked for. From Mr Vautier, requesting that Mr John Northe might be permitted to have the use of tbe diviner dress to examine the bottom of the Silver Cloud. —The secretary stated that he had complied with tbe request. From Mr Krogh, the diver, drawing attention to the bad condition of the diving suit, and offering to furnish particulars of what is wanted and an estimate of tbe cost of repairs.—lt was decided that Mr Krogh be asked to furnish particulars of what is required to be done.

THB SILVER CLOUD. Tbe following letter from the Harbormaster, on the subject of the accident to • the Silver Cloud, was re?d ;— On the 26th of January at low water slack I went out to bring in the three-masted schooner Silver Cloud. I took soundings When going out and found over 13 feet of water. ()n going alongside I found the vessel drawing about 12ft 9in. My intention was to „ «,__-.bring her in at low water slack, but owing to afresh breeze from the southward the steamor Sir Donald could not tow her up to the entrance, and I had to make a tack to tbe eastward under the fore and aft canvas, and thus fetched over the bar on the return tack to the westward. The tide by this time was running in strong, having been running over an hour and a half. In dropping in her heel touched between the two piers on a bank, which caused her head to slew round. I then ordered them to give more chain on the anchor already down and to let go the second onohor. That held her a little and her stern slewed clear of the bank. The steamer Sir Donald was not strong enough to keep the Cloud's head on to the stream, and her heel again took the ground closer to the eastern pier. This second striking was tho time she got damaged. She commenced to leak very fast, and I got lines out to bold her there, but the lines carried away, and she slipped off the bank into the channel and again took the ground on the boulder bank at the inner end of the western pier, where she remained fast. H. Kbaett, Harbor-master.

The Chairman said he believed the r matter bad been enquired into. Mr Vautier considered that the Board should also institute an enquiry. If the accident had occurred through the condition of the bar he would not have said a word, but the fact was that at the time of the occurrence the bar was better than it had been for ten years, and the accident was due to tbe want of precaution on the part of the pilot, aud this was evinced not only in bringing tbe vessel in too early on the tide but also in the measures taken by the pilot afterwards, which were so misjudged that the wonder was the vessel was not broken in two. If such conduct had occurred only once it might have been set down to want of forethought, but on the previous voyage the vessel after being brought in was put to tbe risk of S being broken into two by the mismanagement of the pilot. The sooner that sort of thing was put a stop to the better it L, would be for the credit of the harbor. It was high time the Board appointed a person to navigate the port who would do so with care and caution. The way the present pilot conducted matters was almost past endurance. Not only did he from the want of caution put the vessel to damage of about £3000, but after he had done tbe inishief he sent a letter to him (Mr Vautier) addressed in most peremptory style requiring him to remove the masts and yards of the vessel, &c. He would read the letter. It ran thus : — "I have to request that you will cause tbe masts and yards of your vessel, the Silver Cloud, which is sunken in the tideway, to be removed at once, and also have all anchors and chains which extend into the channel lifted, aB tbey are an obstruction to navigation. I also give you notice that if these obstructions are not removed by noon on the 27th instant, action will have to be taken by the Harbor Board under tbe 105 th clause of the Harbors Act, 1878." There was no necessity for such a notice, as the pilot knew very well that everything that could be done was being done. If this sort of thing was to go on the sooner the port was closed the better.

Mr Smith thought it was an extraordinary thing for the pilot to write in that way when it was bis fault that the vessel was in that position. Indeed, an action would lie against him. Mr Wardrop : What for ? Mr Smith: For his lubberly conduct in bringing in the vessel at low water. Mr Wardrop: Ido not see anything lubberly in it. The Chairman said tbat perhaps Captain Gleadow could tell the Board what view was taken of the occurrence by the Board of Inquiry. Captain Gleadow said it was considered that it would have been better if the pilot had waited later on the tide before bringing in the vessel, but it was shown tbat be had done the same thing before, and tbat he was allowed to use his own discretion

A copy of the newspaper containing the finding of the Court of Inquiry was then obtained, and the finding read. The Chairman said he perceived the inquiry was held before tbe Marine Department. Mr Vautier: Yen; I demanded it. The Chairman said of .ourse everyone regretted the occurrence, but he did not see what the Board could do in the matter, seeing that official inquiry had been held and a decision given. Mr Kinross said the letter sent by the Harbor Master to Mr Vautier was to prevent any obstruction to the naviga-

tion of the port. He (Mr Kinross) saw that the vessel was settling over on one side, and Mr Smith, who was beside him at the time, also expressed his fear that there wae some risk of the vessel falling over into mid-channel. It was therefore thouaht that the yards and topmasts should be taken off, so as to lessen the danger of the vessel falling in the channel. Mr Vautier : We knew our duty and would have done it without loss of time. After some further di?eussion the subject was allowed to drop. BALANCE AT HANK. The Secretary stated that the balance at thp bank to tbe credit of the Board was £2147 18* 6d. THE BOARD'S ENDOWMENTS. The Secretary stated that there was still the same difficulty with regard to the estimated value of the Board's endowments. The present auditor had refused, as the previous auditor had, to certify to the statement of assets and liabilities of the Board, because he considered some of the assets over-valued. The total valuation was £100,790. The Chairman said the effect of the auditor's refusal was that the bondholders at Home were not supplied with a statement of assets and liabilities, as was required by the Act. This was manifestly unfair to them. Mr Kinross said there did not appear to have been any harm done by the absence of a statement of assets and liabilities. The credit of the loan had not gone down. It still stood at 108. After some further discussion tbe following resolution wi< agreed to : — " That as tbe Government auditor has declined for three years to accept the valuation submitted by the officers of the Board of the Board's endowments, and as it is extremely desirable an authorised statement of the assets and liabilities of the Board should be published, the Board now proposes that the Government should name some one to act with a valuer to be appointed by the Board, with power, in case of difference, to call in a referee, and their valuation to be accepted," ACCOUNTS. The month's accounts were passed for payment. The Board then adjourned.