THE PAKEHA

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 January 1925, Page 8

THE PAKEHA

MISHAP AT BLUFF. mt risnEGKAru —tkess association. INVKECARGILL, Jan. 12. 'a magisterial inquiry into the alleged touching of the Pakeha when entering Bluff harbour in June d was opened to-day before Mr Riddell, S.M., anu Captains Barron._a.nd Boilons. Pilot Schofield stated that he brought the steamer into the harbour at low water. After passing No. i beacon the captain said. “She’s touching, pilot.” A minute later he said, ‘‘There you are,” and witness heard a-noise like a door bein^- -hanged. Witness said, ('lmpossible. She’s in the channel and on -the line of leads.” A minute or two later he stopped the engines and worked quietly to the wharf. He was confident at the time that the vessel had not touched the _ bottom, because he had been over the same ground often with vessels drawing more water. The morning was fine, with no sea. O oss-examined, the pilot said that during a sweeping of the channel he found a small rock in 25 feet of water where the chart showed 28 feet. On two other occasions he had found two little groups of rocks with less water than charted in the vicinity of the touching. In his opinion the dent in the Pakeha was too severe to b accounted for by striking a floating object.