THE COROMANDEL ENQUIRY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1262, 7 May 1896, Page 38

THE COROMANDEL ENQUIRY.

The enquiry into tho stranding of tho barque Coromandel was concluded at Westport on Friday, after lasting nearly seven days. The Court found that Captain Nolan, of tho tug, was to blame for not getting proper way on tho vessel after leaving tho wharf, and for slacking tho towlino at a critical moment; that Captain Leech, harbourmaster, was to blamo for tho immediate stranding of tho vessel by giving a wrong order to port tho helm instead of starboard; that tho Harbour Board wero to blamo for providing tho tug with an inefficient crew, and for taking Captain Leech off tho stranded vessel to attend a meeting at a time when his services wore most required, thus preventing tho tug going to tho assistance of tho vo;sol at tho appointed time. The costs of the inquiry, amounting to .£9O 17s, wore apportioned as follow:—Captain Leech, .£ls 8s Gd ; Captain Nolan, £22 14s 3d ; Harbour Board, .£22 14s 3d. All certificates wero returned.

In consequonce of tho findings of the Court, Captain Leech this afternoon tendered his resignation as harbourmaster, after 30years' service. The Court expressly stated that tho harbour was in no way to blame for the stranding of tho Coromandel, which was solely duo to bungling.

THE VESSEL CAPSIZES IN THE HARBOUR.

On Sunday the barque Coromandel, which arrived on Saturday from Westport, foundered in the harbour. Tho Coromandel, it will be remembered, went ashore recently in the Buller River at Westport while being towed out, bound for Valparaiso with a cargo of coal. About 100 tons were discharged into the dredge hoppers with a view of floating her off, but a heavy gale prevented this, and eventually sho was handed over to the underwriters. It was then decided to bring the vessel to Wellington, and Captain Bendall, gurveyor to the Underwriters' Association,

accordingly left for Westport for that purpose. Last Thursday night the vessel left Westport, with her cargo of coal on board, on what seemed a most hazardous voyage, for Wellington. Two steam pumps and a hand pump were kept constantly going to keep the water under, and on occasions they became jammed. A trying time it must have been for Captain Bendall, as it is stated the men wanted to tako to the boats and leave the vessel. Captain Bendall was confident, however, of bringing tho vessel safely to Wellington. This he succeeded in doing, and, with tho assistance of the tug Mana and the Union Company's steamer Wareatoa, the Coromandel was moored alongside the steamer Southern Cross at tho Railway Wharf on Saturday evening, Captain Bendall never having left the ship's deck from the time she left Westport on Thursday night until her arrival here. All day Sunday crowds of people were at tho Railway Wharf viewing the vessel, which had a considerable list to starboard, tho water encroaching well nigh to tho centre of her deck. She was considered to be in a safe position, but as the afternoon woro on it was noticed that tho list was increasing. About 4 o'clock she gave two lurches in quick succession, and then went right over on to her side into a large hole, which had evidently been caused by dredging operations. Tho vessel at once began to settle down, and efforts were made to save the seamen's effects, but with one or two exceptions without success. The holes in tho vessel's side, caused by her grounding at Westport, could be plainly located by the outrush of air, which caused tho water to spout up like small geysers. The crew behaved with great coolness during the capsize. As tho ship went quietly over they retreated up the upper sido of the deck. "Let go the braces," one of them called out, and tho braces

wero lot go. Further over went tho ship, and further away from tho water tho men retreated. At last when sho settlod the men woro soon sitting on her sido quite cool and unconcerned, and one of them quietly took out his pipo, struck a light and had a quiet, philosophical smoke. It was a case of " the British sailor " all there with the right grit, as was freely remarked amongst the big crowd who wore looking on. Many of those present remarked that you might live a hundred years and never see such a sight as that capsize. Tho opinion was freely expressed that if a hawser had been taken from the wharf to tho main topmast tho ship would have been kept upright. That was in the assumption that the receding tide left the ship partly filled with water, the weight of which, being on one sido, gradually forced her over. The vessel i* almost completely under water, tho only visible parts being a portion of her port sido and tho ends of her yards. Her cargo was insured fur .£9OO. Captain Williams, who was formerly in charge of tho Coromandel, is expected over rem Westport by tho first sto amer. Crowds of sightseers wended their way towards the Railway Wharf all day Monday to view tho barque. The vessel has not altered her position, and, as sho now lies with the sea washing over her, has madft a splendid subject for amateur photographers and sketchers. Mr J. Stitt, diver to tho Wellington attempting tho recovery of tho diving and pumping gear and two boilers which aro on tho vessel, and ho also made a survey of tho bottom on which the vessel is lying.

Captain Bendall oxpects that tho barque will be righted without tho necessity of removing the cargo or tho top hamper. A scheme for raising the vessel has been formulated, but ho does not feel at liberty

to disclose his plan until instructions have been received from the underwriters at Liverpool. Tenders will probably be called for tho work as soon as Captain Bendall has received an answer from the underwriters, to whom ho cabled for instructions yesterday. The cargo of the Coromandel is insured for £lO-13 in the United Insurance office. The Liverpool underwriters are thought to have a line on the hull.

Captain Bendall was not aware of tho excavation made by tho dredging operations, but if the Southern Cross had not been moored at the wharf, and he had been able to get the Coromandel alongside the wharf instead of alongside the steamer, tho probability is that the unfortunate mishap would not have occurred.