MARINE INQUIRY

Grey River Argus, 16 June 1936, Page 5

MARINE INQUIRY

SINKING OF SCOW In Mercury Bay (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 15. An inquiry into the sinking of the 35-ton auxiliary scow Kaiaia, near Mercury Bay ' on Alarch 5. was opened this morning before Air. Wyvern Wilson, with whom were associated as assessors, Captain D. Bell. Captain E. W. Norton and E. B. Lane. The Crown was represented by Air. AL N. Hubble, who said the Alinister of Alarine desired to know the cause of the foundering.

Captain H. S. Aspen, master, gave, evidence that the vessel was owned by the Aspen Shipping Company. She left Am-kland at 11.45 a.in. on Alarch 24.. with about 20 tons of general cargo, and eighty-five drums of benzine. of which thirty were on deck. Cape Colville was rounded at 6 p.m. The wind was fair. The vessel was under sail, with engines running. He went below at midnight, and was called at 2.30 by the engineer, as the wind was blowing hard from the south-east, with a rising sea. At 4.30 the vessel was leaking. Two deck pumps were manned, and 'he vessel was making for Alercury Bay. An hour later the ship was leaking and unmanageable and he gave orders to abandon the ship. With the engineer and one of the crew, he lowered a lifeboat, the other two members of the crew having been -washed overboard, but were picked up by a boat. The scow soon after sank by the head in 35 fathoms of water, about a mile and a-half south of Castle Bock. Witness was a shareholder in the company, and knew the vessel was not insured. By an oversight of his. part of the deck cargo had not been inspected, but he had no trouble with it.

Replying to Air. Gould, for the owners, witness said he knew that following a severe storm in February, there were a lot of logs floating in the Bay of Plenty. Tie thought the vessel had struck a log without the shock being noticed, owing to the pounding seas. The ship was well found and fully manned. The estimated loss to the company was £l5OO.