THE TAKAPUNA INQUIRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7006, 1 May 1884, Page 5

THE TAKAPUNA INQUIRY.

[bx telegraph.—pkess association. J Ditnbdin, Wednesday. At the Takapuna inquiry to-day the principal evidence was given by Captain Cameron, Marine Superintendent of the Union Company, who said :—The repairs cosb £266. It is the duty of the master of any of our Company's ships to report any acoident that occurs, but Captain Jones did not report the Takapuna striking, and the company knew nothing about it till the ship wan docked. To the Court;: The appearanoo of the plates was not as though the ship had dragged aoross anything. The indentations were all straight up. I don'b think the damage could have been done while the vesiel was going fast through the water, as then the frames would have been drawn aft, which is not the case with the Takapuna. With the knowledge that the ship had grounded at the Manukau, and had also bumped after leaving New Plymouth, and that a leak was subsequently found in the starboard tank, I would not have run the ship without docking her. I do not think it would be prudent for a master to. leave a-vessel for more.-.than half an hour to-the care of a young officer who v had not been on that coast before, and wto had been told by the master to keep her. "only two miles off the land. Although the New Zealand Pilob contains a caution to masters that it is not safe to take a vessel within five miles ef the coast of Cape Egmont on account of outlying eho&ls, I should not consider, it unsafe for a master to take his vessel within two miles of the shore if he was in the habit of. going up and down the coast. The enquiry lasted all day, and was again adjourned. • - . .