OFFICIAL ENQUIRY INTO THE LOSS OF THE EXCELSIOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 899, 1 October 1866, Page 7

OFFICIAL ENQUIRY INTO THE LOSS OF THE EXCELSIOR.

wrppt nfthn* e 'h f ' U ' r - T * Qto tlle circumstances of the wreck of the schooner f.xculsiar, held by I). Johnston, the captain and mate of the p or ° ' ° , t , he , Ca . ptn l ln > ma, °' and engineer of the Persevere, and of the harbourmaster, and the signalmaster wag fuken.

'T'lp' u Uoulson. the harbour-maeter, wm fir F t examined, and gave it as his opinion that tho wreck was occamuned by the insufficiency of the power of the tug-. When he saw the schooner she had her sails set ; when she got into 'ha break of tho bar the towhne partoJ, and the vessel drifted onto the bcach. Ho thought that the male of the steamer used eveiv r^irfv! r 'f Tk IQ '" tO t eto P "1° drifting of the schooner, and that the master of the schooner could not: have done more than lie did to save his vessel.' "The schooner made for the bar at the top of high water When sh* attempted to take the bar she was on tliH steamer s weather quarter. Had the towline been cut tho river t<? Bea a * ain ' ° r , Iw£ ! r3o . n ' m ister of the TCxcelsior, elated that ho hoisted si-nala for a tug at 11 o'clock on Wednesday morning, and the lVsevere came alongside, and to >k the vojsel in tow. First found the vessel in danger when outsido the break, by her touching the ground. He then set the mainsail to grot her more up to windward. , Xhn tide was setting strongly to the southward, and the tug had no powoito get the Teajel io the northward. Believed that the tug took the ground, and that then the captain cut the tov- rr.po. Tin vessel then drifted on to the beach. When t.ie tow roue wan cut. he tried to get out again but the vessel would not stav, on account of there being no way on her. Ho considered the cause of the schooner's going ashore was the insufficient power of the tug. Samuel Phillips, ruato o> the Tixcelsior, stated that Wljon tho line was thrown from the tug, the steamer dri ted astern of the schooner bef,re they could make fist. The schooner then l»t the line go flipped anchor, and sailed after the steamer. Came up again to get the rope aboard. When close to the _ \ , hd ° wa3 sotting very strong to the southward, and when on tie bar slio grounded on the outer spit, 1 hoy then hoisted the mainsail, trying to mako tor the channel, but the vessel made Hub way. They were ms.de the main channel when the un T p , ar . (o j i > '"'d 'ho vessel was then ntfjat. W lion they tried to woir the vessel would neither wear nor stay, D,d not think that when they struck on tho outor spit they could have got to g'ea again if tho tow-line hud bt»en cut.

Captain M 1 Mecltun, master of the steam-tug Persevere sta'ed that when he went to the schooner he did not consider the sea too heavy for taking the jar. hen he got alongside the schooner the current was running strong to the southward, and a strong northerly breeze was blowing. They could not manage to haul the lino on board the schooner, ana she slipped her anchor and sailed after tho tug and took the rope aboard Ho told them to make all sail, and to keen to windward PS far as possible; but instead of settinß the after-SHil thi.y set the head-sail, which caused her to drift to leeward. After they got into the break they at'empted to hoist the mains iil, but could not succeed properly, Tho result was that the schooner hauled the tu S so for to the south thut it was impossible to make headway against the s»a and current. Witness then cut tho tow-rope, the schooner being in the channel between tho beach and tho outer break. The schooner would not wear t'.g grounded before tho tow-rope was cut and the schooner went ashore. Her goin ff a-hore was caused by tho heavy current and sea ; nothing more could have been done to save tho v<>suel. Tho niato of the Persevere corroborated the evidence of Captain M'Jleckaa.

The signal master at the flaj«taff stated that the bar was favourable and a good channel at the time in question, but the steamer could not get to windward, and tho sehoonor also ooul i not do so. The smnoncr vent to tho windward of the steamer, and J r ?P tf hn<i b'-ou cut the schooner could havo got safely into tlio river. When the steamer went out the weather was nok favourable for taking a vessel in tow. Tho schooner oould have sailed in safely, tho wind being horn tho no'th-wesfc. The cause of the schooner going ashore was the insufficient power oi the tug boar.

_ Launch. Another addition to our ooasfcing fleet in the ahapo of a fine cutter, was successfully launched nt Snvilo s Point on Friday morning. Tho ship Wintsrthur is announeod to load for London immediately upon discharge, and sail on the sth Do ember, who is to be followed on the sth January by the clipper Ida Ziogler. Tho Panama Co.'i steamer Prince Alfred, Captain Gardyne, is to loare Sydney for Panama on the 29th instant.

Tho schooner An Hevoir was loading coals at Newcastle for this port at the date of last advices.

Ihe barque Island City, Captain Wolf, arrived at Melbourne from Gladstone with cattle on the 18th instant.

Tho brig Eliza Blanche, Cipt. Young, sailed from Melbourne for this port, with, a general cargo, on the 19th instant.

Tho barque Free Trader, for Newcastle, BT S.W., and sohoonor Harriet King, for Sydney, both entered outwards at the Customs on Friday.