WOOLLAHRA WRECK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 2

WOOLLAHRA WRECK.

HOW THE CAPTAIN DIED. . EVIDENCE AT THE ENQUIRY. After tho Po.t went to press yesterday afternoon, the wreck of the Woollahra near Torawhiti last Monday night was further enquired into by Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., and Captains Larkin and Grey. Mr. Myers appeared for the Marine Department. Alexander Focte, who was chief officer on the wrecked vessel, said the weather remained fairly good up till 8 p.m., when he left tho deck. Thero v. era live able seamen in his watch, and the second mate relieved him. The second mato was aUo on deck. Witness and the captain took the bearings on the oharfc before the former went below. A shout of "All hands on 'deck" at about ten minutes to twelve arouoed witness from his cabin. He ran on deck, and found the' vessel was a&hore, bumping on a. rock. It was a very dirty night. 11 was raining, ami there was a strong wind. It was not a high, but a moderate sea, and except for tho blackness there was nothing exceptional. They could scarcely see each other: The cap lain and the second officer were on deck. Orders were given to get tho life boat out. and this was done, but the forward davit gave away, and tho boat disappeared. They all remained on the vessel until about 5 a.m., and at about 3.30 the sea and wind ro&o. All ex-" cept tho captiin and one man got ashore in a little dinghy, the last sixty or seventy yards being waded. They tried to induce the captain to leave with them, but ho said he would rather remain till daylight. He told them tboy could do what they liked, but he did not think they could get ashore in tlie dinghy. The men wero doubtful, but thought it better to take the chance. In reply to witness, tho captain told him to get, rehoro as best they could, but ho would stand by till daylight. The man who did not go ashore with them waa M'Xaughton, an abc seaman. The last witness saw of Mm was about 10 o'clock, when they wcro lowering tho lifeboat. There was a launch on board, but he was doubtful- if it could have been us-cd Witness hnd been about eighteen months in tho Woollahra with Captain Andreiton, who was' a good practical man There wcro spirits on board, Inn they wero under Customs' seal. Nono of those on board wero at all under tho influence of liquor when tho vessel loft Wellington. Tho second officer was a good ecaman. Witness had been an officer in sailing ships for nearly twenty years. It was mysterious h«>w the vessel got whore she did. considering h£r pos*.ion at 8 aVoek. Even if the weather during the time he was below w.\s the sumo as between 10 and 12 o'clock he did not think llicio was too much sail set. The vossel was in good ballast. When ho went below she was on the "starboard tack, so as to catch the wind. There were plcntv of life-belts on board, and every man had one. To Dr. M'Arthur: Tho "i-piain was at the, foot of the companion way, by his cnLin. not on deck, when witness las* saw him before getting into the dinghy *_o cup! jiii gavt vz. iO.iS'h foi not guirsg rxcept that he would rather remain tilt daylight. They lcf& in accordance with the c-iptuin's orders. The captain said: "ilia fliip's breaking up; every mnn for him«;olf, but I advise you not to triut to tho dinghy." They -ncre not more than 20D or 250 yaid-s from snore. When they started to walk fkey wero in about three feet of vatsr. ur. M'Arthur. Uo-rsn't it isccm strarge that the captain chould lemain beliiud. when you could got into thicc feet of water within a couple of hundred yards? Witness: "I cm only tell you what ho said, which wes, 'Look after yourGelves. 1 " To Mr. Myers : After landing they searched for tho captain and tho ablesicman, but found no tvaco. Tllo_ vessel Droks up, and it would have been impossible for anybody to romain on it. TIIE SECOND OFFICER. William Go^gh, second officer on the barque since 28th May, produced bis Board of Trade certificate. Ho took the v.-atch at 8 p.m. on ths Sunday night, whan the weather was fair. He remained en dctk until the vessel struck. The captain went. 1 ay about 9.Z0. and gavo witness tho courca, instructing him to'ioport if shs wont off, and in no case to let him remain below mora than an hour. Tho wind changed, and it came on squally at about 10.15. TJp till then ihei'o had bson no alteration in the ship's course. 110 called the captain at 10.15, and waa instructed to -fquaro tho main yard, which he did. The captain romalnod on dock until the vessel struck, except that ho wnnt below two or threo times to look at the chart. Tho captain was in chargo from 10.15, and witness ( took his orders. The first sign of danpor was when tho look-out saw land on tho lee bow at about 11.30. The captain wont on to tho forecastle head to look, and hold tho Ehip up all tho timo northwoaii to north. Not long afterwards tho look-out called out — "BREAKERS RIGHT AHEAD," And tho captain told the man at tho wheel to put bar hard to port. The vesbol failed to clear, and struck tho rock. Ho saw the captain just bofore they loft. The captain told them "stick to the ship till daylight," but afterwards said, "Every man for himself ; if you think yon can get away, go" He added : "Don't blame me if you get drownod." They waited with him a little while, and them witness, thinking the vessel could not. last much longer, went on deck. There wore three or four men at tho port rail, and witness said he thought they had hsttcr take to the boat. Witness did not go down to tho captain again. One of the men called down to tho cabin ' that they wore going in tho boat, and the others camo up, but not the captain. M'Naughten was not in tho cabin , he was in tho forecastle ; but witness did not see him aftor 2 o'clock. The captain, when in tho cabin, gave witnecs his watch and chain, and said : "You are a young man and might get ashoro ; if you do, give it to my wire. ' He also gave witness £136 odd to tako. Witneiss thought at tho timo they would hive to swim. Witness had no complaint to make concerning tho navigation of tho skip, and could not account for the accident, oxcept that cho was t< o close in. Thoy saw Pencarrow until about 11.30. but did not boo tho land. To Dr. M 'Arthur : Tho captain handed over his watch and money between 3 and 4 o'clock.' Witness had ctatcd thru ho wns going a&horo. Dr. M 'Arthur : You seem to have bessed tin show. Witncsa : Wei 1 , they wanted a leadci of somes' sort. JIo added that he did not take lho thijf officer's placo, but looked (iftru 1 himr.elf. Ho tried to pornuado the captain to ljavc, but unsuccessfully. To Mr. Myors : While the captain was in charge, witness did not know where they were. Mr Mvers ctatcd tiiat a personal friend of tho captain had just informed him that the rhicf mate had bec-n ill, and therefore it was quite naturnl that tho watch and money should be handed to an able-bodied man liko Gough rather than tiic first mate THE MAN AT THE WHEEL. William Konig. able seaman, stated that ho nnd M'Naughten jumped into the water, arid that was the last witness taw of him. i.Witpws got ashore

after thpso who went into the dinghy. He had no complaint at all to make concerning anything that happened, and he knew of no complaints from any of the other men. Witness took thR wheel at ten o'clock, and the second mate, and then the captain, gave him a course. Th» course. wns changed at the last to northwest by north. Sho was hardly travolling, as tho wind was unsteady, but she was steering. To. Dr. M'Arthur : When he swam ashoro, the others had gone aft, and he and M'Naughten missed them. Tho dinghy tmtst have gone before them. Witness could not swim ; but he had a life-belt on. Tho distance to the shovu was about 150 yards from where lie jumped in. M'Naughten also had a liic-belt on. Ho lost sight of M'Naughten before ho reached tho first drop. Witness was found by the men. who came with the dinghy about daylight. THE LOOK-OUT. George Henry Moore, who was on the vessel thirteen days, stated that he wab on tho look-out from ten o'clock to midnight. Ho caw Pencarrow until about 11.15. .fust after that ho reported a light on the starboard bow, but thoy had that only a few minutes. Aiter a thick black squall had passed witners remarked to- the captain.: "That looks like land." The captain told him to keep a sharp look-out on the one side, and ho would ,look on the other side. About five minutes after it seemed to go, but rome ten minutes later witness reported land on the Starboard bow. He went aft and told tho skipper, as to did not seem to have been heard. He said to the skipper : "That hnd looks • close." Aoout ten minutes after he reported breakers ahead. Ho could not say if 'anything was done between tho time he reported the Jand and then "breakers ahead." He saw the captain give his gold watch to the second officer. Witness had no complaint to make a3 to tho conduct of things. M'Naughten was standing alongside witness when the dinghy was on 'he davits. That was about twenty minutss alter the vessel struck, and witness did not see him again. Mr. Myers eaid that waG all tho ev'vence he proposed to call, but then were several of the teamen in court, and v they had anything to cay ho should be glad to hear them. Personally, ho had no complaints to make. TIIE LAST SEEN OF THE CA.'iWl:*. Walter Felton, a young ordinary seaman, elected to give evidence. Ho said he was. die last on board with the captain, and tried to persuade him to Jo up into the dinghy. Witness pui. a lifebelt on the captain and said : "Captain, you've got your wife and children u> look after." The captain went up to the head of the compauion way, then stopped, and said : "No, I'll stick to tho thip," and went into the cab>u again. Witness foliowed him, and then heard the men above shouting- to shove off the dinghy. Tho captain said : "Go on, my lad, I'll stick to tho ship." As witness left there was three fceJ uf water in tho cabin, hi to which the cap tuin walked and sit on a setee. As he left, the vessel heeled over, and the cabin filled. Witness heard the cook and the mates try to persuade the captain, to go ashore. This concluded the evidence-, and th/ court reserved its finding until this morning.