THE OFFICIAL ENQUIRY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 283, 6 December 1878, Page 2

THE OFFICIAL ENQUIRY.

Tauranga., Thursday night. Most of the wrecked passengers left for the South per Hawea thia morning. The official enquiry connuenced at 11 a.m. before Mr Braband, R.M., and Captains Clayton and Ellis, Nautical Assessors. Mr M'Rellar, Collector of Customs, appeared for the Marine Department. Captain Malcolm, examined, deposed:— The Taranaki left Auckland on the 23th Nov., at 4.30 p.m., with a crew of 32, and passengers equal to 65 adult3. At 10 p.m., the weather being thick, eased the engines ; at 11 p.m. cast the lead, and at 11.55 anchored in 13 fathoms. Weather very thick. At 3.30 am, heaved the anchor and proceeded; at 4 a.m. passed the Needle and could see the Castle Rock aud Shoe and Slipper. Shaped our course by the bridge compass S.E. by S. £ S.; cleared Slipper Island by a good mile aud a balf. Gave the mate instructions to set the log, aud ho set it himself at 5.50 when he reported the weather thickening again. The north end of Slipper Island then bore S.W., the Shoe W. and N. \N. Gave instructions to keep the vessel S.E. by S. At 8 a.m. when the log was hove in, thejdistance reported was 20 miles. Pricked the position on the chart. Without making allowance for flood tide, this left 17 miles from Tauranga Heads, 13 mile3 north of Karewa, and 3 miles outside it. . I gave the chart to the second mate and left it on the bridge with him. At 8.30 altered the course to S.E. by S. -\ S., fearing we were too far out. The weather was now very foggy. The vessel invariably raade easterly courses. At 8.45 1 saw a thin fringe of white water right ahead, I thought it was a sandy beach, and gave orders to put tbe helm starboard and reverse the engines full speed. As the vessel forced ahead we saw rocks close under her. She ran ou to the rocks at about 2 to 2.»- knots' an hour. She began to roll on the rocks, so I stopped the engines. Immediately after the engineer reported water in the engine room, so I turned the telegraph "slow ahead," iu case the vessel shouid slide off. Meanwhile I gave orders to clear away the boats. The vessel filled very rapidly and she began to list to port. As we launched the boats I left one man in charge of each, and gave instructions for the women and children to be landed. I sent the chief officer to try and find a landing place on the lee side of the island, which he did. Landed the whole of the passengers there. About 10.30 I despatched the chief officer and a boat's crew to Tauranga for assistance. The other boat was engaged in lauding provisions and attempting to recover the luggage and mail3. There was great difficulty in doing this as the vessel leaned over at an angle of 45 degrees. We knocked down'the bulk head leading to the mail room and passed the bags up through the f orecabin skylight. About 4 p.m. two cutters came out, and afterwards the Staffa, which took the passengers to Tauranga. Myself and crew stayed on the cutters all night and saved what we could. At daylight proceeded to the wreck at' 3.45; and found the ship broken in two. The after part bad sunk and the forward part -was hanging on the rocks. Could do nothing, so proceeded to Tauranga. Cross-examined by Mr M'Kellar: The vessel went tnrough the Hole in the Wall at 4 a.m. The log was not set then. The distance from there to the Slipper ia 14 miles. Previous to the accident we were going at ordinary speed, as there was no reason to alter it. The man on the lookout had orders to keep a good look out. The second officer was on the bridge at the time of tbe accident. Soundings would have been of no use, as there was nothing on the chart to check them by. If soundings had been taken and decreased from 30 to 28 or 17 fathoms I should have stopped the vessel. The officers and men were sober. The compasses were in good order. The vessel was last surveyed in November, 1876, and was to be surveyed the first opportunity. S.E. by S. £ S. is the course which has usually taken me 2\ to 3 miles east of Karswa. I have never passed inside Karewa. I used the Admiralty chart. The Union Company put the latest charts on all their boats. I always found the log correct before. The distance run by log from 8 a.m. to the time of the accident could not be ascertained. We iwere unable to recover the log, as it got foiil of the screw when she struck. I saw the

breakers flrst myself, and not the man onthe look out. I could not make oufc for a moment where we had struck. Had no idea it wag Karewa.* The helm hard a starboard would have shelved her off. Had I put the helm hard a port she might have got off, but sho might also have struck an outlying rock and gone down in deep water. I was ,uot aware at the time tbat tbere was any set of tide towards the shoal. The chief officer holds a master's certificate and the second officer a mate's. The , vessel ought to have passed, from 2£ to 3£ miles from ICarewa. I cau only accouut for the catastrophe by an in= draft into the bay. I don't attach auy blame to the oflicers. There were about three tons of iron on board. The boats were dl! In good order. I did not test the compasses this trip. I had no opportunity on account of the thick weather I have .had larger quantities of iron on board without it affecting the compasses. I don't think the lookout man is short-sighted. The vessel should have been swung this trip at Wellington. J. A. Wilson, Judge of the Native Lauds Court, deposed that tho circulation of the currents of air and sea had been one of his chief studies for years, and that there Was a a strong current setting iu wherfe the laranaki waa lost, lie visited Karewa two days after the wreck. The current was from the N. and E, to ' inc s. au d W., and the wind worn, inc N.E. ' This portion of the tropical current, he shouid think, would affect a vessel outside Karewa at from a mile to a mile and a half an hour. Witness had beeu seut towards the rock himself in a small boat in a calm from the same quarter. The.curreut would be stronger in summer than in winter. Hreinpties itself afCape Runav.ay at quite two knots an hour. He' was also nearly wrecked off White Island by the current He considered a master knowing the other parts of the coast might be taken by surprise here The first and second officers confirmed the captain's evidence. The chief officer's log book shows that percisely A similar course was steered on the last trip. . The Court thenadjourn'ed till to-morrow. __„ Friday. The enquiry was continued this morning. The look out man stated the weather, was so foggy he could not see more than three lengths ahead before she struck. He had helped to stow the cargo. A number of iron sash weights were placed in the forehold in front of the bridge compass. He called out " breaker a head " first.— C. McLean, agent for the Bank or ftew Zealand did not think tbe vessel was going too fast for the state of the. weather. —The seaman at the wheel from 8 a.m had been at sea 12 years He steered the course given him.