LOST OVERBOARD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 49, 27 February 1908, Page 8

LOST OVERBOARD.

« THE BUSSING MAN" FROM THE WARRIMOO.

THE ENQUIRY." 'The enquiry into the- circumstances Surrounding the death of Angus M'Kinnon, who was lost overboard from tho Warrimoo on tho 21st Januaiy was held before Mr. Simpson (coioner), at the Official Assignee's office to-day. William Joiin King, lirst officer of the "Warrimoo, slated he was not on duty at the time of the casualty. Deceased had been on the ship for some time. His duties were to attend to the passengers' wants etc. At 1.19 p.m , on the date of the drowning, witness was in his cabin. The engines were re- ■\ ersed, and as soon as the way was o5 the vessel v boat was lowered. Kothing was seen of the man. Witness saw two or three large sharks swimming about. The Warrimoo waited about from 1.19 to 2.40. There was a mar at each masthead, but nobody saw anything cf deceased. Deceased was a man who knew his work, and always did what was necessary without being told Witness could not say how deceased fell overboard. It was not usual for a seaman to be employed on cleaning up paint from the bulwarks. Such woik was not usnal on the Warrimoo or any of the Union Company's boats Of course men on tailing chips ran far more danger. Deceased was an exceedingly tidy man, and it was to this quality that witness attributed the accident. If he had been seen at this work he would have at once been, stopped. There was no occasion to have done- the work in question It was only carried out in port The officer on the bridge could not have seen deceased at work. Witness knew of no member of the crew who had seen deceased at work. There were three buoys near where deceased was' working Any of the passengers could have thrown a buoy | over Ho did riot know that jiny one had thrown a buoy over. Everything that was possible to rescue the man .■was done Arthur Victor Richardson, fourth officer of the Warrimoo, stated he was on the bridge, and in charge of the vessel on the dale in question. Witness did not notice deceased at work. Tha third officer leported to him that a man was overboard. Ho could only locate the man in the water by birds circling j round. Witness did not throw a. buoy . over because he heard the third mateorder some one to do so. When the boat v/as lowered he took charge. lie sawseveral large sharks in the vicinity. Tha pnly conclusion he could, come to was that deceased was devoured by the sharks. He pulled about for over art, 1 hour 1 before ieturning to tho ship. Everything that could be dono was done. William Lindsay, third officer^ stated that a passenger had informed him that a man had fallen overboard. He was not on duty at ihe lime. Witness immediately ran on the bridge and ordered full speed- -astern. No orders were given to t throw a life buoy' over. Ho considered otic 'should have been throw n over. In the orders lie gave he was following the company's instructions, wh eh was to reverse engines and not go about at full spe^d: The beat was travelling about thirteen or fourteen knots at the time. It would hnve taken about three minutes for her to stop. They would baye" travelled about' three-quarters of ar-mi!e or moie fiom the supposed spot of the accident. Benjamin Finueano, a passenger •on the Warrimoo at the time of the accident, stated that about 1.5 p.m. on the day in questioii he saw a seaman at work standing on tho rail, washing the rails on the hurricane deck. Witness did not see him fall overboard. He saw the boat lowered. ■ One oar broke, but spare gear Was carriad. About ten minutes after the man had fallen overboard witness saw a large shark in the water. In his opinion everything possible was done by officers and crew, to save tho man. Cecil Finucane, a seven-yeai'-okl son of the previous witness, stated that he saw the man fall off the^ rail. He did not cry out, but he put up his two hands. • Witness called out, and other passengers v ent to look for the man. Xobody threw a buoy over. At this stage the enquiry was adjourned until to-monow, when the evidence of Captain Newton will be taken.