NAUTICAL ENQUIRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 84, 20 June 1879, Page 2

NAUTICAL ENQUIRY.

GROUNDING OF THE S.S. HUIA. A preliminary enquiry into the recent stranding of the 8.8. liuia at the mouthof the Alanawatu River took place at the Foxton Custom-house on Wednesday last at 3 p.m., before Mr Burgess, Collector of j Customs. Captuia Bendall attended on behalf of the Insurance Companies. James Wills, being sworn, deposed as follows: I am master of the Huia, and hold a certificate as master of a home trade passenger ship, No. 5021 ; left Wellington on June 13, bound for Foxton, with a cargo of railway iron and general merchandise ; we arrived off the bar at Foxton on Saturday, at 7.30 a.m. ; I received a .signal from the Pilot Station to stand on and take the bar; on attempting to cross the bar, the vessel grounded, and dragged a consider* able distance inside, until all control was lost over her ; she then stopped, and was turned round by the current, with her head to the southward ; the tide having by this time fallen considerably, no chance was left of getting her off that tide j at bw water the best bower anchor and 6-inch hawser were got out, and every effort was made to get her off; these efforts were continued each tide till Tuesday, at 2 p m., when we got her afloat again ; the vessel was not in any immediate danger, being inside of the

outer break ; from her position, there was no means of getting a lighter alongside the vessel, and 1 did not think it needful to jetsam the cargo, as from the fact of its being iron it would have been likely to damage the bottom of the vessel. %i By the Collector — I consider the strand* ing to have been caused by there nob being water enough on tho bar ; it was about first quarter ebb tide when I crossed the bar ; I should not have crossed if 1 had not received the signal to do so ; soundings were taken in crossing until the vessel grounded ; it was 7.45 a.m. when I crossed; I did not know until to. day whether the steamer was insured. Richard Berriman, mate of tho Huia, corroborated the Captain's statements. He said he did not know -what depth of water was on the bar at the time of stranding ; the vessel was guided in by the semaphore arms ; the pilot and his assistant rendered every possible assistance ; the vessel in making a little water, but he did not think she has received any material damage ; he considered the cause of her grounding to be the strong: ebb tide, and there not being sufficient water ; every possible means was adopted to get her off j the cargo was not injured. David Braid, engineer of the Huia, deposed that before reaching the bar the captain told him to put on all the steam possible; shortly afterwards she struck. No material damage has been done to the machinery, but the sand getting in has caused great friolioD to various parts of it, which assists the wear and tear. .John R. Hussell, a passenger by the steamer, was called, but it was not considered necessary to take his evidence, as the enquiry was preliminary. Andrew- Seabury, pilot, deposed — I am pilot on tho Manawatw Kiver ; remember the steamer taking^the bar at 7.30 a.m., on Saturday last, by my time ; it might have been a quarter of an hour later ; the signal was " Take the bar" ; I thought there waß plenty of water; according to my last soundings, a week previous, thero should have been 9 feet of water on the bar ; the vessel followed the semaphore until she grounded, when of course, she could not ; the bar mu9t have silted up since my lasb soundings ; the stato of the tide was from 1$ to 2 hours ebb ; it was high water at 5.41 a.m., and the steamer took the bar at 7.30 by my time j the tide had fallen very little that morning ; I was aware of the Rteamer's draught of water, which I considered 7ft 6 in ; I have taken in vessels of the Huia's draught at first quarter flood, when the bar has been good ; I went on board shortly rafter the vessel grounded, and advised the captain to have an anchor run out, which was done j I rendered what assistance I could in getting the vessel off; did not think the vessel had sustained any serious damage j everything was done that was possible in the power of the master and crew ; did not think the cargo should have been put out ; had recommended to Captain Wills that it should be kept in ; I ascertain the depth of the water on every possible oocasion; sometimes I sound twice a week, sometimes a month ; I thought there was enough water on the bar at the time for the Huia to get in all right. James Clark deposed — I am a seaman on the Huia; saw the four balls put up to take the bar; I took the soundings just as she started to take the bar ; the first heave showed 2£ fathoms j continned sounding till she stopped ; had 7 feet when she stopped. This closed the enquiry.