SINKING OF A SCOW

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 15 June 1936, Page 5

SINKING OF A SCOW

MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY FLOATING LOGS MENTIONED (By Telegraph—Press Association) AUCKLAND, This Day. The inquiry into the sinking of the 35-ton auxiliary scow Kaiaia, near Mercury Bay, on 25th March, was opened this morning before Mr Wyvern Wilson, with whom is associated as assessors Captain D. Bell, Captain E. W. Norton and Mr E. R. Lane. The Crown is represented by Mr V. N. Hubble, who said the Minister of Marine desired to know the cause of the foundering. Captain H. ,S. Aspden, master, in evidence, said the vessel was owned by the Aspden Shipping Company and left Auckland at 11.45 a.m. on 24th March with about twenty tons of general cargo and 85 drums of benzine, of which 30 were on deck. Cape Colville was rounded at 6 p.m. The wind was fair and the vessel was under sail with the engines running. He went below at midnight and was called at 2.30 by the engineer, as the wind was blowing hard from the south-east with a rising sea. At 4.30 witness said the vessel was leaking and the two deck pumps were manned and the vessel was making for Mercury Bay. An hour later the ship was sinking and unmanageable, and he gave orders to abandon the ship. With the engineer and one of the crew, he lowered the lifeboat. The other two members of the crew having been washed overboard, but were picked up by the boat. The scow soon after sank by the head in 35 fathoms of water about a mile and a half south of Castle Rock. Witness was a shareholder in the company and knew the vessel was not insured. By an oversight on his part, the deck cargo had not been inspected; but he had no trouble with it. Replying to Mr Gould, for the owners, witness said he knew that following a severe storm in February there were a lot of logs floating in the Bay of Plenty. He thought the vessel had struck a log without the shock being noticed owing to the pounding of the seas. The ship was well found and fully manned. He estimated the loss to the company at £ISOO.