WRECK OF THE LYTTELTON.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7696, 19 March 1887, Page 3

WRECK OF THE LYTTELTON.

_ Wellington, Friday. The Lyttelton case was resumed to-day. W. J. Tennant, secretary to the Timam Harbor Board, was re-called and produced the minute-book of the Board and certain correspondence. He slated that nothing was charged for pilotage, and no special instructions ' were given to Pilot Storm about towing the Lyttelton out.. W. H. Levien, one of the Wellington agents of the plaintiffs, was examined merely ns to the existence of the company. - Captain Bendall, re-called, deposed that it would be more proper before unmooring a vessel previous to getting underway to see that the anchor was unshackled and ready for use. He did not think it was prudent of the Grafton to start towing the Lyttelton until she was ahead of the fillip. The Grafton should have been ahead of the ship before she let go from the red buoy. Ho did not consider that when the Grafton was at the red buoy and the Lyttelton tit the checkered buoy the vessel was in a proper position to start for sea. _1 1 would all depend upon the steaming of the tow what direction the vessel got into after starting. Witness thought that a, tug with a rope well forward on her -sheer (on- the side of the ship forward of lieif helm) could easily get into a proper position. It would certainly not be pin-, dent to drop the anchor while the vessel had headway at all. The probable result of dropping an anchor in shoal water was that the vessel would go. over her anchor. Uefore the anchor was dropped it should l>e ascertained that, the vessel had stern way on. He would not' say that it would be safe to drop an anchor before the vessel had commenced to'have sternway. Captain Rose, the local manager of the New- Zealand Shipping Company, was examined as to the duties of pilots in getting' vessels ready for towing, but his evidence was unimportant. From a drawing prepared by. the diver he thought the vessel must have hail headway on when the anchor was dropped. This closed the case for the plaintiffs, and the Court adjourned till 10 o'clock jto-moriw morning.