THE RIPPLE DISASTER

Evening Post, Issue 65, 13 September 1924, Page 8

THE RIPPLE DISASTER

INQUIRY RESUMED

EVIDENCE AS TO WEATHER CAPTAIN OF MARAROA- AS —-- -WITNESS. >"■/•; "■- The "Magisterial " inquiry ' into the loss 'oi the; steamer Ripple -with all hands on thenight. of: 6th August last was continued;, this' morning.' - . ■--■■ ;; ■•.-' • Mr." W. G. Riddell, S.M., presided, .•with'.-V-.Cap.tains.,:. Baron.. arid':;Muir as assessors. ■;■. .■: ;.., . " ; ,:. ■:. ■ Mr." J.: Piendeville appeared for, tho Marine Department; Mr. J..F.. B.:Stevenson;f6r the: owners oi ;the' vessel (Messrs. Richardson and Co.); 'Mr. E. | K. Kirkcaldie for the .Merchant;, Service Guild; Mi-. -W. T. Young for -the. Sea- j men's ■Union; Mr. J. F.. Skedden, with Mr.- Walsh. (xictmg-Secretary), for the Cooks' and Stewards' ■Union, and the deceased cook-and stewards; and Mr. T. J.- O'Regoiv for tho of six membersof the crew. ".'... ..

Thomas Bartlett Sewell,", master "of the 'steamship Mararoa, said that he left Lyttelton on 6th August in1 the evening; for Wellington: The weather was not had, until they got. to Kaikoura, when, the wind started to freshen from tha south-east .and..south; ; This was about 1 o'clock in the morning. • The: sea started to make then, a swell coming up , from the south. The vessel was making her usual time. At 2.30 a.m.:lie got. a. wireless message that the Ripple , had "broken" down oft Cape Palliser and was, ■seeking assistance. ■: The Mararoai waa then 50 miles'north of Kaikoura. "They ; had passed £he ■■.■Maori about .a quarter of an hour before .that. On receipt of the message, witness .went...on to .the "bridge and prepared to: shape a' course for Palliser. 'It was beginning to set in rain. . At 3 o'clockr he got an approximate bearing "of Cape Campbell lightTiouse.. Ho then set .a course : definitely for Cape,Palliser—east by north threequarters north. Owing:to ; a heavy .sea and a heavy beam .wind, he' allowed for leeway.-- It Avas.floodtide., in the Strait.; That course would have taken him five' miles" off'.Palliser. He ran'4o milesby log and saw darkness ahead .which appeared to be the loom o f me land. This was at • 6.17 a.m. _" H-. then . reduced speed, and stood east south-east.- A hard southerly fgale was;blpwing" with: a;.very, heavy sea." .T,he: ship wasshipping heavy seas on the. beam... At'9.l2-a.m. they got the loom. of. the. land abeam,' and.-he altered the course to N.W. and dodged round, - steering .; various courses.: He stood in as close as he thought safe: -under .the. conditions. , Heavy rain kept j shutting out the view of; the land. At 11.52 a.m. the weather lifted/and showed the outline of the' land quite 'clear:' The' lighthouse .was bearing N 36 west/ six miles away. "Witness then set a.course . for Wellington. Erom the time;he gotthe message until he turned to come to Wellington the weather >was bad— a: heavy southerly gale, heavy confused^ sea, and visibility, so bad that at times: they could not see half-a mile. was- heavy, thick driving rain, more like fog on the" water through the spunio being lashed up by the wind., The time taken■ from- when ho got the' message .to whenhe got off Palliser was about four hours. It "was the ■'". .quickest :_ possible time :; ;consistent with the safety''of. the; vessel.-The. Mararoa; was at full speed, making rieavy weather of it. It was' for the master to decide whether he should take his ship to sea if the weather was' abnormal. : v-.;.■' ■>•

MAORI COULD NOT HAVE DONE .'.,-, '.'BETTER. ■ : , ...,-■- ---;■ TovMr. Young: It was about 55 miles from the position when he received themessage to Cape Palliser. The average speed of the .Mararoa was about 14 knots. Thirteen minute 3 elapsed 'between the time of passing the Maori and the time of the receipt- of- the message. > The Maori could, steam four miles an hour faster than the Mararoa. > ■ '.- Witness, in answer to a question,- said he doubted whether the Maori could have got to Palliser in such weather much sooner than the Mararoa. He did notthink the Maori could have done any I better-than the Mararoa under such con- j ditions._ .It .was a very heavy sea. . If the 'Mararoa had lost her propeller four1 milei-off Palliser—four miles from'a lee" ( shore1—they would have to rely, on their anchors: A vessel became helpless"if it lost its propeller. If a ship had canvas bent ready for spreading at a moment's: notice, it" might avail to keep herout/; of the trough of the sea. The Mararoa ■did. not carry a sea anchor. The effect in a breakdown, of, a sea anchor would be to bring'; the ship's head to. sea.

Mr. Young: "You were" unable ■to locate the position of the ■ Ripple ?"— "Yes;[ - ■-■■•• ~: ■.; ■• -■■'.: ■■/:■;■ "Mainly due to 'want of visibility?"1 —"Yes." '...,••■" ■■•'.' , ' • THE' QUESTION OF WIRELESS, "If the Ripple had been fitted with wireless, would you have been able -to shape a course1 direct to her?"—"No: Under-the weather conditions, no," ■ '■■' '! "Why?"—" Because' the skirting point was only approximate off ' Cape Camp-' behV" .■■■-■'' "■' ;. ;■:'."■;■ "You steamed around Palliser for some";! four hours?'!—" Yes." "You saw nothing of.the Ripple?"— "No/"- -■ ■ ■ ■■ ■•■■■ -■ ■- ■• '■■■ ■-:■• ■/■■■' "Do you think if the Ripple had been fitted'with wireless, it would'have been come assistance to you; in locating the vessel?"—" Under the conditions it was impossible to pick up Palliser." To Mr. Stevenson: Wireless under the conditions would not have helped much.

Two anchors —ordinary anchors—would not have the same effect as a sea anchor. A ship.could rig a sea anclior herself ■without a great deal of difficulty. If one had been requirsd by.the: Mavaroa. it cpuld'have been rigged, and ho could have ;gpt the ship out of the trough of the sea, provided that the anchor had a sufficient grip. The Maori . could not liave picked up.'Palliser; any sooner than tho Mararoa did. The course for Pallis:er could only be approximate under the • conditions. Wireless -would riot have lelped. in such circumstances. At this stage the inquiry was adjourned until Wednesday next, when further evidence will bo called. ''"•-•