THE WRECK OF THE SCHOONER CLYDE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3886, 30 March 1877, Page 2

THE WRECK OF THE SCHOONER CLYDE.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY. Ax inquiry into the cause of the wreck of the above vessel was held on Wednesday, the 28th instant, in the office of J. M. Tabuteau, Esq., Collector of Customs, before J. G. Kinross andW. Eoutledge, Esqs., (Justices of the Peace), Capt. Carey (Nautical Assessor), j and J. M. Tabuteau, Esq. The folio-vying evidence was taken :— Captain Lais Petersen, master of the Clyde, examined on oath, deposed that he was master, of the schooner Clyde, of 40 3S-100th tons, No. 50,955 (official) ; that he held a certificate of Home Service Trade, N-.Z.,"-No. 2212; that he lost his certificate and register of the vessel at Mahia; that he kept a • log on a couple of sheets of loose paper, which were also lost. Left Lyttelton on Friday, ■ the 16th inst., at 6 p.m., and cleared the heads at 10 o'clock ; light air from S.W. ; ship's course, N.E. ;, kejt that course all night, going about 5 knots ; commenced to rain during the night, with dirty weather, which continued until the 20th inst. Hauled off to N.N.E. on Saturday^: but did not sight land. Sunday blowing very hard from same quarter, and squally: Monday the same weather continued ; on Tuesday bad weather ; at 2 a.m. sighted land at Long Point, . still steering N.N.E. On Monday, at noon, sighted the land what must have beeu the Kidnappers, which' he took for Long Point. Had been steering N. for 2 hours before sighting the land on Tuesday morning. Ran N.N.E. from noon on Monday until 12 at night ; then steered N. from midnight till 2 a.m. ; found he was embayed, and tried to beat out ; pressed on all sail to beat out of the bay ; both sea and wind were too heavy to beat to windward. The gib blew away, and he had to stow the mainsail. At this time (about 7 o'clock) she was about 2 miles from land ; did not know the land ; he hove the lead several times, there were from 6to 8 fathoms of water ; sent a man aloft to see for a place to beach her as the sea was breaking all over. Afterwards T^ent up aloft himself, and found the smoothest place he could see was a place about a good lead. He had the starboard anchor got ready and let it go with thirty fathoms of chain in four fathoms of water ; his anchor held when let go, but he felt the vessel bump pretty heavily. He then got the boat out and went ashore, and brought off James Moody, who took the vessel round to Mud Hole. To do this he. slipped his anchor with 15 fathoms of chain. When he got to Mud Hole he let go the port anchor, with 45 fathoms of chain. Shackled on the kedge anchor to the remaining portion of the starboard chain, and let go about 20 fathoms. They laid, there nicely until the tide commenced to make. The wind was still southerly, blowing straight .in. Kegular breakers began to roll in. This was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon of Tuesday, the 20th. The : part : chain parted, and the starboard kedge anchor dragged, and, coming into contact with the rocks, the chain broke and the vessel went ashore. The beach where she went ashore was formed of broken sand rock (Barrett's reef) ; she bumped very heavily, the sea washing over her. We all got ashore as it was dangeraus to remain on board. She became water-logged. He noticed that her sterm and stern post had started and the rudder gone, but he could not say what damage her bottom had sustained, as she was full of cargo. Here followed several questions by the Nautical Assessor. The evidence was also taken of the two able seaman, Boison and Armstrong ; it was in the main similap to that of- the captain's. After summing lip the case, the Court declared that in consequence of the captain's incompetency and ignorance of the coast, his certificate be suspended for a period of 12 jatntha.