WRECK OF THE STAR OF THE EVENING.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 181, 12 March 1867, Page 2

WRECK OF THE STAR OF THE EVENING.

OFFICIAL ENQUIRY,

(Abribged from the Wellington Independent, March 5. ) An official enquiry into the circumstances attending the loss of the steamship Star, of the Evening, lately wrecked on the East Coast, was beld. yesterday in the Resident Magistrate's Court house, by J. C. Crawford, E5q,,11,M., and Captain Johnson, Nautical Assessor. Captain Turner described the circumstances of the wreck— (which were published by v us on Saturday) — and proceeded to say: I attribute the loss 7 of the vessel to a slight deviation of the compass, which perhaps may be attributed to the weight of the atmosphere in the thick and damp weather. We had a standard compass and a steering compass, and two spare compasses in the chiof officer's cabin. The two first were the only, ones used. The binnacle compass was in good order. The standard compass wjs on the bridge. In April last the ship was swung for local attraction to her compasses in Melbourne by Mr M'Culhnn, the Government Inspector of Cornpasse3. He supplied me with a card of deviation, which I had on board. It was lo3t in the wreck. There Was no de via: ion to the north course. The greatest deviation, and that only a small one, was on the N.E. point. No magnets were used for correcting the compasses. We had no iron cargo. We had boats enough to carry the crow and passengers. There were two boats., which would have carried the crew and nine passengers, while we only had throe passengers. One boat was a life- boat and the other a gig. The boats /were destroyed by the heavy sea. They cquld nqt have been saved ; they went away wjth the stern of the ye3s[el. I have found the standard com- [ j>ass deviate on two occaaious j once in crossing the Bay of Plenty, about two months ago, in easterly weather with wet, when steariiig to the eastward. In a run of 160 miles it thveyr me about 15 miles to the northward.; Oh the other occasion ingoing frqm Cape Palliser : to Castle Point, in November last, I found a westerly deviation. It deviated about two or three points: The weather, I* believe, was thick at the. time ; I don't think there was much sea. ; On each of these occasions the cqinpass returned to its original position when the weather became h'ne. The binnacle wliich h^ld the stand , ard compass was not water-tight, and consequently the card might have got wet with the rainjr . ., I was ip Napier three daysbefore s,tartiug t The first day was wet, the other two days fine; I have made.sixty voyage^ upland down between Napierahd Ancklahd; I always take tlie passage inside of the Ariel to liav.e never gqno autsidG.; 1 l^svcr before found

any deviation of the compasses at that particular spot. I did not use the lead at all ; it would have been of little use where we were ; it would n.qt tell you on which side of the channel you were. The vessel was fully manned ; : she had more hands than the Star of the South x which is of the same tonnage. She drew eight feet ofwater when we. left Napier. She was built at the end of 1863. She was classed, I belieye ? for seven years. Sydney was h_er port pf regigter. She was registered as a three-masted s.chooner, of 166 tons, Eighteen men was her compliment. I hold! a Bfelbpurne certificate, N^o. 37; The chief officer-had a second nate's certificate for competency, from the Board of Trade. The geqond mate had no certificate. The fli?3t . and second engineers had New oertifioates. We had tliras passengcra on board, j There were no wives or children of the pfficers. or crew on board. I believe the vessel cost about L 9500. Her ovfners were Morison Ijaw, and Co, She was insured for L9OOO. The cargo was worth LBOO or L.900 ; it was partly insured, but J cannot say to what anjQunt, George Frank Thompson, deposed : I am master of the steamer Rangatira. I have made about twenty passages between Wellington. and Auckland^ cjallmg at Napier on the way , I have only qnge gone qutside the Ariel rocks, and then not of my own accord. I was one of a fleet which took the troops to Opotiki, and I was ordered to go outside, I never observed any cnrrQiit there, at all. 1 never observed any further deviation of tlie compass there than mother places, During foggy weather the cQinpass ia not so lively. I don't think the lead would indicate on which side the channel would be. George Mundle, deposed : lam a master mariner, now residing in Wellington, 1 was master of the Rangatira, and .other steamers belonging to the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company, for over five years. I have made a great many voyages along the East Coast between Wellington and Auckland, touching at Napier. .On every occasion 1 went inside the Ariel reef. I was formerly chief officer of that vessel in November last. When sailing between Cape Palliser and Castle Point, I observed a deviation from the card of about 2£ points to the westward in the standard compass. The weather was thick and muggy, with smooth sea. There was never any deviation in the compasses in clear weather. They always deviated slightly in a dense atmosphere. I never used the lead while passing inside the Ariel rocks. The lead would not be of the slightest use. The Court reserved its decision.