THE OMAKA DISASTER

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 17 February 1921, Page 7

THE OMAKA DISASTER

NAUTICAL INQUIRY, OPENED

(BY TEI-EGI-APB'— press association.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 17, The nautical inquiry into tbe wreck of the schooner, Omaka at. Wellington Heads on January 30, involving the loss of life of all hands, was opened touay. Mr A. Hunt,'S.M.,"presided, tuassessors being Captains G. G. Smith and W.. J*. Rogers. f-a-sil B. Irwin, master of the Maori, stated that his vessel left Wellington at 7.50 on the night before the disaster, and cleared the.heads at 8.20, when a south-westerly wind was blowing, with a heavy treacherous sea at the entrance. The wind and sea both increased to a strong gale. On that occasion the Maori had taken four hours going from Pencarrow to Cape Campbell. / The run. usually occupied two hour'-.. He had had experience of the Picton run,, and several times had. left on the run to Wellington in perfect weather^ and half an hour afterwards had encountered a southerly gale. It was quite possible that: a southerly gale might clear the bay over there altogether.