BY TELEGRAPH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6696, 4 May 1883, Page 4

BY TELEGRAPH.

RUSSELL. May 3. —Arrive! : S.a. Tarawera, at 8 a.m. ; b.«. Suva, at 11.30 a.ra ; they both nail again this evening ; Mariner, bailed ; Hawk, and GrifljD. WELLINGTON. May 3. —Arrived : S.n. Ha.wea, from the South ; S.ii. Oreti, from Onehunga and Waitara. Sailed: S.h. Mahinapua, for Westport and Greymouth ; s.a. Go-Ahead, for the South. POKT CHALMERS. May 3.—Arrived: S.a. Penguin andTaiaroa, Mills, from the North ; s.a. Wairarapa, from the South. Sailed : Mary Ellen, for Foxton ; Mary Campbell, for Greymouth; Ellen Fox and Kaupiti, for Bluff. BLUFF. May 3.—Sailed : Electra, barque, for Napier. Cloared: Albion Co.'s ship Irivercargill, for London, cargo of wheat. THE MONARCH ENQUIRY. Dunedin, Thursday.—The Monarch enquiry to-day was held before Mr. E. H. Carter, R.M., and Captain Scott, R.Ni Mr. Hack worth | Collector of Customs, conducted tho enquiry. Mr. Haggitt appoared on behalf of Captain Wretman, and Mr. Stout on behalf of Pilot Kelly. Captain "Wretman, in the course of his evidence, said that the surveyors estimated tho cost of repairs would be between £1500 and £2000. The following are tho more important parts of Pilot Kelly's evidence:—l was appointed pilot for the port of Otago by tho New Zealand Government in 1859. Ou the 30th of March I received orderß from tho deputy harbourmaster to remove the barque Monarch from the Railway Pier to the powder-ground. I did so, and remained on board that night. At six o'clook next morninpr, I looked towirds tho Taiora Heads flagstaff, but no balls wero up. Tho tug pluokily came up. We then went down tho harbour with the tug alongside. When nearing the lightship the signal was put up, " Wait for high water," and we stayed accordingly for 20 minutes or half an hour. When nearing Harrington Point, Pilot Patoii i cume off, anl I asked liim whether there was any sea on the bar, and he replied there was mote of a. " jobble" than of a heavy sea on. When near tho bar I saw two or three rollers come in on tho port oido on the middle bank. Thero was no breals in the channel. In crossing the bar 1 felt the vessel Btrike. She struck four or five times, and three times forward, and graerged quick aft. On approaching tho bar it appeared smooth, and there did not n-em to be much swell on. She was drawing 20 feet. I reckoned there was 22 feet of water on the bar. I have frequently taken in vessels of heavy draught with only two feet of water to spare on the

bar. Had I previously known there was so much sea on the bar I would not have taken the vessel out, but when 1 saw tho breakers on the bar it was impossible to stop the vessel. The wind had freshened us we approached the bar, but that would not make much difference to the sea. I returned at eleven o'clock acioss the bar on the barque Native Queen, and it was no worse then. My opinion is that the so a. got up suddeuly tint morning, I had a conversation with the CRptain, and talking about crossing the bar, I said if the danger balls .were up 1 would not lift an anchor. He left the thing to me, but said he would not - like the ship to loach. I said, * 4 No more wonld X." Mr. Haggitt; You have said that if you had received notice of the state of the bar ten minutes before you crossed it you could have stopped, and saved the accident. Do you mean to say that it is a usual thing for the sea to rise so rapidly on the bar that you cannot tell ten minutes before if it is safe to take a vessel in? —Witness: It is a usual thing for heavy rollers to come in perhaps at intervals of a quarter of or hnlf-an-hour. Mr. Carew : Have you known any instance in which, with 2 feet of water to spare, it might in the course of ten minute become dangerous to take a vessel in ? Witness: Yes. I have known the bar to be perfectly smooth, and in the course of a few minutes four or five seas to come in one after another, and the bar to remain comparatively siaooth for half an hour afterwards. Mr. Carew : Then you thhik that with a margin of only 2 feet there is always a certain amount of danger ? Witness : Not if there is only a "jobble" coming in. If there is much swell, of course. By Mr. Stout: The Hauroto, drawing beween 19 feet and 20 feet, cAme in that morning. She crossed the bar more than an hour beforg we did. I have never known the bar to vary much either in depth or position. The Monarch was kept in the deepest water all the time.

At this stage the inquiry waß adjourned till two p.m. to-day.