Hull Patching

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 86, 27 March 1926, Page 3

Hull Patching

THE KARU INQUIRY. FURTHER EVIDENCE. Auckland, Mar. 26. The inquiry into the Karu wreck was continued to-day. Alfred Charles Dunkley, second ofil cer, gave evidence similar to the other witnesses touching the vessel leaking and the abandoning of her. Mr Mays: Had the ship power enough to get over the Whangape bar without assistance? Witness: I don’t know, but I think she had. She got over the Hokianga bar right enough. Walter Parker, master of the Ohinemuri, said that prior to towing the i Karu out of Whangapc he and Captain Richmond went down near the bar, but did not take soundings. Ha® Captain Richmond suggested it, witness would have gone on the bar and taken soundings. The bar was smoorn with a little roll, and was fainy straight and not winding. Later, when taking the Karu over, he took soundings, which were satisfactory. The Ohinemuri did not touch, and he did not at the time hear anything of the Kam touching the bar. The Karu kept the same course as witness. Mr Mays: What was the Karn’s draught? I Witness: I don’t know. When I looked I saw 10 feet showing, but *»ixe was then coaling. What was the lowest east you got on the bar? Two fathoms. The Whangape bar is not one tne most difficult of bars? You want to know it well. You got no signal to stand by, i«nd you put into Hokianga because from | the falling glass you thought tne wen- 1 their would be too bad for you to get into Onehunga? Yes. Mr Moody: When you and Captain Richmond in the morning saw the bar, you agreed with him that it was unnecessary to take soundings? Witness: Yee. So that you did not concider morn was any risk? No. e And in your opinion was he justified in proceeding to sea Yes. To the Court: So far as he Knew there were no rocks on the bai. Dennis Brown Cochrane said he was an A.B. on the Karu when she was wrecked, but on the trip from Australia to Auckland he was an ordinary seaman. Mr Hubble: What did you’do in the engine-room At Auckland. Witness: Just chipped the boiler ond cleaned the engine. Did you put in any new plates? No. Now we want the truth. What did you do I put a couple’of bolts in th© hull. Why? Because there was a bit of a look. What did you actually do? I put a bit of plate in with a bolt in each side. Did you hear anything about the condition of the ship, either on the , wvy up to or at Whangapc? No. Where were you crossing the bar? Asleep in a bunk. I was not on duty. Did you feel a bump? No. After further evidence the inquiry was adjourned-