THE SURAT INQUIRY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1710, 27 January 1874, Page 2

THE SURAT INQUIRY.

In the presence of a crowded Court Mr Strode delivered the following judgment of the above Court of Inquiry :-f-" Tho ship Surat, bound for Port Chalmers, arrived off the coast of Stewart's 1 Island between 2 and 3 p.m. on the 31st Dece'nber last, at which time land was sigh tail, bearing north-west about sixteen miles off, the wind blowing a fine breeze from W,N.W., and the ship being steeied a N.E. course by the magnetic compass until abreast of Bruce's reef, off the east coast of Stewart's Island. From this point the ship hauled more to the northward, the master (to use his own words) ' giving instructions from time to time to the man at the wheel to' luff, without noticing particularly what alteration it made in his course," and passed Ruapuke Island at a distance, as estimated by the master, of twelve or fourteen miles, but of seven miles £3 estimated by the chief officer, whose watch it was. From thence a course N.E. and gradually up.toN.N.E. was steered, : £he vessel going about nine knots until Dog Island Jight was sighted, at 730 p.m., bearing W. byN. £N., at a distance, as it was believed, of jbwenty miles. At • /this time the course was atterad to N.E. by E. \ E., by the standard , compass, , which the master Bays had 'only thr^e degrees of easterly deviation, and I JS. \E. by the binnacle compass; which shows that the hitter was quite unreliable, and ,- Jh«r course steered until eight o'clock, When 3.s Dbg Island light was being lost flight of, the vessel's supposed position . .. was marked by the master . on a small scale chart .{the only one he had) of the' ; ' New Zealand coast/ the light bearing W. toy N., distant, as f* guessed by the master, twenty-two niiiea, bgt no effort ' ■ jwas made by sounding or otherwise more accurately to determine the ship's position; from this tfone until within a few minutes ■ of 10 p.m., the same course was professedly kept. On land being reported on the port bow for the second time by the look-out, the second mate, who was, in charge of the deck, ordered the helm to be '' 'put up, the wind being at this time N. W. , When the vessel was coming up by the 1 lee, and the yards were being squared, the vessel struck heavily on Bomo bidden danger five or six times without stopping '/' ; her way, the- land being from a quarter of : ' a mile to half a mile away. She was then braced up on the starboard tack and stood out to sea for three-quarters of an hour, when she was hove-to with the maintop- - saU to the mast until daylight. As little : or no water was made for the first hour, „ .: the excitement amoiig the passengers con : sequent upon the ship striking was Very, considerably allayed. . About midnight ; ; .jfeeguent soundings iri the ..pump «. well ; '^horned that the Vessel was making/ water; 110 i*he^poX; J punip and subsequently the fire--engine wece started, and worked mainly by the passengers, The starboard pump ibejng found out of order was of no service.

Between 3 and 4 a.m. of the Ist January, there being about 7ft of wj,ter in the well, the vessel was kept* away, and a ! course steered northward along the shore, when a steamer hove in sight, steaming to the southward. As she /n eared the Surat the .ensign was hoisted by one of the passengers, but immediately v haulecl down by the' master's orders, with threats that be would shoot any man who should hoist it or fire a gun. When abreast of the si earner it was, however, again hoisted, union down, and a boat with the second mate in charge pulled towards the Waaganui, which uteamer passed within a mile and a half of the Surat without any notice having been taken, there being at the time no oflicer in charge of her deck. From this time everything on board the Surat seems to have been in the utmost confusion and disorder; boats were lowered without orders ; an incompetent person permitted to steer the 3hip. The anchor was let go in Jack's Bay, and about 100 passengers landed there, and with lift of water in the hold the cable was slipped, and the vessel beached in Catlin's Bay, where the remainder of the passengers and crew were landed by 11 a.m.' !No portion, however, of the immigrants' luggage was saved, notwithstanding the fineness of the weather. We further state our opinion on the matter as follows, that the master was moat blameable : — 1. In starting from London with 1 his ship in an unsea worthy condition, inasmuch as he had not provided himself with detailed charts of the coast of jNew Zealand. ! 2. In not tacking when he made the New Zealand coast, to which he and all his officers were strangers, and when night was setting in the necessary steps to determine his position with accuracy, not even consulting the "New Zealand Pilot," which work he had on board] That the master and chief officer! were most blamable — 1. In , makingj no efforts to lessen the leak ; 2. In allowing to pass by, at a time when there was jeight feet of water in the hold, the steamer Wanganui, whose services they could easily have secured. . ■ , j That the • master, chief officer,! and second officer were most culpable — !l. In rendering themselves, by insobriety,; after the vessel struck, and before she! was beached, quite unfat for the performance of their duties. 2. In making no .effort after the beaching of the vessel and landing the passengers (all of which, was affected by 11 a.m., the day being fine) to save the immigrants' effects, i We, therefore, come to the conclusion! that by the wrongful acts and default of Edmund Joseph Johnston, master ; Abraham Foreshaw, chief ; and Edward j Hesselton, second mate, the ship Surat was lost and abandoned in Catlin's Bay on the Ist day of January, 1874, and we decide that the certificates of cbtupetency of Edmnnd Joseph Johnstbn as master be cancelled ; the certificate of competency of Abraham Foreshaiv us mate be cancelled ; and the certificate of competency of Edward Hesselton as Second mate be suspended for the term of two years, from the 20th day 0? January, 1874. -I