RECK OF THE ELINGAMITE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12996, 11 December 1902, Page 6

RECK OF THE ELINGAMITE.

THE INQUIRY. Pbkss Association.] ■P AUCKLAND, Dec. 10. Elingamite inquiry was continued K-day. f -Jiimes "Morris, a passenger, said there did not M'cm much confusion or panic after the vessel struck, everyone seeming to be very cool. The passengers did not interfere iviih the crew in any v/ay. There was considerable dslay- in getting the •dingey launched. The davits did not work well. William Napier, a passenger, said there. was a slight delay in getting No. 3 boat out. ' : Halmond Cast Hankinson, employed in the engineers' office of the Tramway Company, stated tnat he was certain that the; telegraph rang before the vessel grated, and he'believed that' it was a minute or two before. The bell rang several times at short intervals. The vessel seemed to stop as soon as she grated. He could see ' a wall of rock 15 or. 20 feet [from, the side of the se-amer, and she passed this just like a boat going alongside a. wharf. Mr Haselden: I understand that you have nothing to find fault with in the way the boats were launched. Witness : No, it appeared to me that the offioers and crew did all that was possible under the circumstances. Mr Haselden: And there was no confusion'' ■' ■ Witness: A great deal less than I would have imagined under such circumstances, especially among the women. v Mr Haselden: We are not trying the women. You have nothing to find fault with? ' Witness: Nothing in what the -ship's company did. ,J . William Douglas Keid,- master mariner, • and superintendent, of Mercantile Marine for the port of Auckland, stated that he knew nothing of the passage.up to Sunday morning. At about ten o'clock.the .vessel 'slowed down,'" the weather being then thick and foggy./ 1 -A few minutes after ten he heard the steering gear moving suddenly, and then die heard the telegraph ring. He said to Dr Goldie, "Hallo, we must be up.'' He went over to the port side, and leaned against the rail, the engine stopping as he reached the rail. He saw land through the fog two good ship's lengths ahead of the ship' The engines did not seem to go astern, and'lie could hear a hissing sound in the engine-room. Witness said to Mr Wetherilt, "All right. He'll back her oft'." They waited a reasonable time, /and ;hen witness said, *' Goodness, gracious. •Are they not going to give her the engines : vo-day,"" and Mr Wetherilt went and looked' through the engine-room skylight. Wittiess again heard the telegraph ring. ' Mr .'Wetherilt said, "How far are we off," and replied, "Twenty yards. There's plenty of time if they give her the engines." Mr Wetherilt told witness to look over the 'side and see if he could see the discharge ; pipe. Witness did not notice it, and the vessel continued to go ahead, losing .'her way- Witness said: "She's paying off to starboard. She's all right yet." He could hear some hammering; going on in the engine-room.. Mr Wetherilt again asked witness "now far they were" off, and) lid re- ' plied, V Ten yards. Plenty of. time. Deep wat'er'cldse to." He then saw it was no use, and : 'seeing . a number of passengers ' about the deck, said, "Hold on while she buniips." Witness had bad experience of .'the'bump before. .The vessel' struck foii ward and rose about eighteen inches, skid- " ding up on a shelf and then striking against it'ne- cliff. Witness said to'Mr Wetherilt .that the vessel was still all right, and that ; if thev gave her the engines'she would still 'come off, and that it was-not'a. hard 'bump. • Immediately she struck 'he heard something •which ' seemed like a hammer thrown on /the plates. Witness called out, ".she's, all clear aft. She'll come off yet." She swung fradually round 1 and he .walked aft, the bow eing still 'on the rock. /There, was little wind and no" sea. The then Vran into the rocks,' and witness said, "This like a case," or words to ijhat effect. JWitness started to give a band at 'No. 2 jboat. but owing to the way it /was being ihandled he: went back; saying "I am .not .■going.to 'be. mixed up in this. This is .where.the loss of life is going to be." As I the boat in which witness went was being ! lowered t-h,ere was a fight going on on the lower deck.'. He could hear several people creating quite a,melee, and this interfered with the /lowering of the boats.; While making for land he saw the boat now miss- \ ing with the mast up, and an attempt was being, made by its occupants to -hoist sail. When, tho., look-out man called '''Breakers; ahead" the captain had already rung the tolegrar>h. ; ', The propeller was not stuck in the' rocks when tho telegraph Tan<r.' If the engine had 'been in proper working order there appeared to be nothing to prevent the shin from going asteroi.

The inquiry was adjourned till Tuesday..