WRECK OF THE GO-AHEAD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 796, 3 June 1887, Page 24

WRECK OF THE GO-AHEAD.

MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY. The nautical inquiry into the circumstances attending the wreck of the GoAhead, which was remanded from Napier «. few days ago, wa3 continued at the Resident Magistrate’s Court last Friday morning before Mr H. S. Wardell, Resident Magistrate, and Captains Neill and Grant, Nautical. Assessors. Mr H. S. McKellar appeared on behalf of the Marine Department. Mr McKellar put in as evidence the statements of Captain Plumley and his men taken before him at the preliminary inquiry. Captain Plumley deposed : The Go-Ahead left Wellington for Napier on the 18th inst., at 6 p.m. She passed Cape Turnagain at 6 p.m. on the 19th, and at that time the Cape bore W. by N., two miles. He set the log about 6 p.m. himself. The course was N. by E. half E. At 9 o'clock he passed Blackhead ; the sky was overcast, and the weather rainy. At midnight the log showed 49£ miles. At 1 p.m. the wind and sea were increasing, the sea being very high. He then thought he was about six mileß north of the Kidnappers. He took a cast of the lead and found 40 fathoms. At about 4 o’clock the man on watch directed his attention to the breakers ; he then ordered full-speed ahead. Immediately after this the ship struck, carrying away her propeller or shaft, he could nob say which. The sea then took charge of the vessel. He got washed overboard twice. He could give no accurate account of how they got ashore, as he was unconsuioua. The distance between Cape Turnagain and the Kidnappers was about 53 miles. The compass used was a Renold’s patent spirit compass. He did not know of any local attraction of the compass, and could not account for the vessel getting where she was. The log used was one of Massey’s patents. The log had not been taken from 6 p.m. to midnight. By the Bench : He did not place implicit faith in the log. As to his distance from the time the log was taken, he depended altogether on the speed he was running. He had no reason whatever for turning her head inshore instead of outward when taking the sounding, except that he thought she would lie easier with her head to the wind. John S. Barnes, chief officer of the GoAhead, deposed he was in charge of the deck from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the 19th inst. They saw the land easily at Cape Turnagain. The wind and sea increased as they went along. He could see no land when he went off watch at 8 o’clock. He corroborated the s atements of the captain at and after the time of the wreck, He thought Gunning could have saved himself if he had not lost his nerve. Ho could not account for the position the Bhip had got into. The sea and wind should have made them overran their distance, if anything. By the Bench : If anything, he thought the ship had been taken too far northward for her safety. Charles Pope, seoond mate, deposed his watch was from 8 to 12 p.m. on the 19th instant. The captain told him to haul the log in a little before midnight, and on doing so he found it registered 49£ miles. He went below soon after, and was below at the time she struck. By the Bench : Had not seen land at all after leaving Blackhead. It was raining hard all the time. He saw no land from 8 p.m. to midnight. As far as he knew everybody was perfectly sober at tho time of the accident. He considered that she was running from 8£ to 9 knots while he was on watch. Michael Boyle, A.B. on the GoAhead, gave corroborative evidence. Thomas Gabrielson, A. 8., was on watch between 10 and 12 p.m. His evidence also was purely corroborative. Bernard Nelson, A.B. and lamp-trimmer of the Go-Ahead, was on the lookout from 6 to 8 p.m. on the 19th. Ho came on deck at midnight, and took the helm from Ga‘ rielson. The course he then got was north. He kept the wheel hard-a-starboard at the time the veasel struck. The mate came and gave him a hand, but the wheel was knocked out of their hands. By the Bench : Ho had been in the Go-Ahead very

nearly three yearly He knew that coast pretty well. Oswald Kelly, engineer of tho Go-Ahead, stated he had been in the Go-Ahead about eight and a half years. The engines, shaft, and propeller were all in first-class order. She was making about 110 revolutions per minute from Akiteo on the night of the 19th. That would be about knots in fair weather. It was only about two months since the vessel was cleaned. Her bottom was fairly clean at the time of the wreck. He left the ship in the surf-boat. He could not be certain as to what happened after the ship struck, as he had been buffeted about by the waves. By Captain Plumley : The ship was going ou the night of ths wreck as well as ever she went.

Captain Plumley, re-examined : He had allowed half a point for leeway from Cape Turnagain till 11 o’clock for the heel of the aoa. She made a weather'.y eoorse. Captain Plumley also stated that it was blowing a whole gale of wind from the southward, and he thought that he was quite justified in trying to get shelter under Cape Kidnap, pers. This was all the evidence, and the Court retired to consider the verdict. On returning, Mr Wardell said the Court had considered the matter, and arrived at the conclusion that Captain Plumley over-estimated the speed at which his ship was driving ; that he did not allow enough for lee-way; and that in turning the ship’s head inshore for the purpose of taking soundings, Captain Plumley committed an error. The Court considered that even if his vessel was in the position where he had calculated she would be, he was still too close to land. He was cutting Cape Kidnappers too fine—unreasonably fine for the weather. The Court considered that Captain Plumley was blamable on those grounds. He had been guilty of negligent navigation in attempting to round the Cape under the circumstances. In the weather that prevailed he had not acted prudently in trying to cut the headland so fine. The judgment of the Court was that the captain’s certificate should be suspended for three months, and he should pay the costs of the inquiry.