MARINE ENQUIRY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 49

MARINE ENQUIRY.

TUB WAINUI ACCIDENT. HOW THE VESSEL STRUCK. INTERESTING EVIDENCE. At 7.30 p.m. on Friday a Alarm© Court, consisting of Dr McArthur, S.M., and Captains Post and Keane, assessors, held a sitting to inquire into the accident to tho Union Company’s steamer Wainui, which struck the Tower Rocks (between Stephen and D’Urville Islands) on the morning of the 15th inst., during a dense tog, while on a voyage from Wellington to Nelson. Mr Myers appeared for the Marine Department, and Air Herdman for Captain Hull and the officers of the Wainui. In opening the case Air Myers said he did not think it was necessary to say much beyond what appeared in the information. Only one po nt occurred to him—viz., if the weather "was thick, as the officers said it was at the time of the accident, was it a proper thing, in a place like the vicinity of the Tower Rocks, to go at practically full speed P THE CAPTAIN’S ST OPT. Captain Gerald T. T. Hull sa d he left Wellington in charge of the Wainui in fine and clear weather at midnight on the 14th. He expected to get into Nelson in time for the afternoon tide by going through the French Pass. The Wainui was a vessel of 411 tons, and had ninety-four passengers and fifty-seven tons of cargo on board. The vessel was not insured. From the time of leaving Wellington until Cape Terawhiti was passed witness remained on deck, and then went to his room i o read. About 3 o'clock he was in doubt about tho Brothers light. A course north-west by north was steered up to 3 o’clock, when the third officer met witness at the door of his room, and stated that a drizzling rain was coming up. Witness keut on the same course, and decided not to take the French Pass, but to go outside Stephen Island. The second officer was on the deck up to 4 o’clock. At five minutes past 4 a course north-west by west, a quarter west, was set, and e.ght minutes later it was altered to northwest by west, a half west. He made this change because lie reckoned che former setting would bring him too far off the island. The course mentioned was steered until four minutes before the shin struck. Witness was on deck till 4.40, when he went to lie down with his clothes on. At 6.52 the chiei officer called him and said the weather was coming up thicker. Witness reckoned that owing to the change in the tides when off Stephen Island the vessel was steaming less than nine knots after 4 o'clock. When witness came on deck at 6.56 the weather had thickened considerably, and he asked if there was a look-out man on duty. Air Alyers: Do yGU mean to say you are without a look-out man at times?

Witness: Yes, in ordinary clear weather.

In thick weather —even if it is daylight—do you keep a man on the lookout? —If it is necessary. Where were you when you asked about the look-out man?—On the bridge. And could you not see the look-out man from the bridge ?—Yes. Who was the man on the look-out at the time?—AlacPhee.

When did you first see land ahead ? Immediately the chief officer called my attention to it. At 7 o’clock? —Yes.

Witness, proceeding, said lie at. once ordered “Helm hard a’port’’ and “Full speed astern/’ When the ship struck he gave the order “Full speed ahead’’ to keep the ship on the rock, and got the boats and rafts out. The passengers were put in the boats, and the women and children were landed on the rock. When the weather lifted lie discovered D’Urville Island, and then knew he had struck Tower Rock. Up to* this time he did not know it was the Tower ; he thought he had struck Stephen Island. The passengers were afterwards all landed on D’Urville Island. An examination of the ship made subsequently disclosed that the damage was much less than was anticipated. Water was coming into the forehold!. A trial of the engines, which were reversed to full astern, failed to shift the vessel, and the after tanks were filled up. At 8.43 she came off. The ship was then headed to D’Urville Island, the passengers were taken on board, and a slow course was steered for Nelson. At 10.30 the weather cleared], and he then steamed full speed for his destination, which was reached at 3 o’clock. Witness was three miles out of his reckoning when the ship struck. He attributed this to a strong ebb tide setting in off Stephen Island. He knew ho had the ebb tide to take into account, but did not calculate that it would set him in in the way it did. Tides were erratic in the Straits at times. He had twelve years’ experience as an officer and two years and a half as a master navigating the Straits. He was positive he made* no mistake as to hie

estimated position at 3 o’clock. It was doubtful if he saw the Brothers light, and he saw no land after leaving Tera»whiti until th© Wainui struck.

Mr Alyers: Under those conditions, do you think it was prudent navigation to continue full speed ? Witness: Under these conditions, yes. Did you heave the lead at any time until the vessel struck ?—No. So you had no certainty as to your position?—No absolute certainty. Proceeding, witness marked on a plan the course the vessel had taken.

Air Alyers: Why did you not use the load ?

Witness: Because the weather, up to the time I was called was not thick enough to prevent me going full speed. But you were not there? —I was on deck till 4.40. And from 4.40 to 6.52 you were not on deck?—No.

So you don’t know whether the lead should have been used or not?—Yes, I do.

Why?—Because I gave- instructions to the chief officer to call me if the weather became thicker. Well, if the weather was not thick enough to necessitate your remaining on deck and using the lead, how is it you did not see any land at all ?—Because we were not in a position to see land until that tin i-0 .

Witness, continuing, said he considered there was nothing improper in leaving the dock between 4.46 and 6.56 under the conditions. He thought now, on mature consideration, that there was fog when the vessel struck. He had said before the Collector at Nelson that the thickness of weather was not due to fog, but to smoke from bush fires, mixed with rain. A consultation with the chief officer had changed Iris view. GROSS-EX A MIN ED.

In answer to questions by his counsel, witness said the fog and thickness of weather was purely local. In giving details of the voyage from Wellington, witness: said the second officer reported that lie thought he saw the Brothers light, and lie (witness) also thought he saw it. In navigating Cook Strait points of the land had to be depended on. Witness gave a technical explanation of the action of the tides in the Strait and th© vicinity of Stephen Island. It was not until they came close to the rocks that they struck the bank of fog.

Air Herdman : Would it have l been of any use to have used the lead?—No, I should say not. Would it have given you any indication of your whereabouts? —No. I should say not. Is the water deep up to where you struck? —Yes, and very steep. So the lead would practically have been of no use?—That is so.

Witness also stated that if the weather had remained as it was up to 4.40 the shi'ji would not have struck. Replying to further questions put by Mr Alyers, witness said he was very much surprised to find himself three miles cut of his course. At 3 o’clock the thick weather was all on on© side; at 4.40 it was all round him—a drizzling rain had set in. [Captain Post also asked the witness some questions, but owing to the bad acoustic properties of the Court-room, only a few words were audible at the reporter’s desk.] THE DAMAGE TO THE VESSEL. Arthur Calvert, engineer surveyor for the Marine Department, gave particulars of the damage to the ship’s bottom. He had not made any estimate of the cost of repairing the damage, hut roughly speaking it might run into £IOO or £l2O. EVIDENCE OF OFFICERS.

John George Seed, chief engineer of the Wainui, said that on the morning of January 15th at 4 o’clock he was on watch. At. this time the Wainui was steaming a good ten knots an hour. Later she slowed down to about nine knots owing to the fires getting dirty. Witness corroborated the evidence of Captain Hull, as to the. orders given when the vessel struck. The ship had been set to go at ten knots after leaving Wellington. William Cameron, second officer, stated that, he had informed Captain Hull, in answer to a question, that he fancied he had seen the Brothers light. Arthur Charles Showman, chief officer of the Wainui, said he went on deck at 4 o’clock. ITe presumed they had' passed the Brothers. The second officer had told him they had. Between 4 and 5 o’clock the captain called witness to his room and blotted a course on the chart. The weather was fairly clear up to 6.52, when he called! the captain. Previous to this he could see two and a half to three miles a head, but did not see land. The bank of fog began to lift about 7.15 or a little later. If witness was in charge of the vessel he certainly would have taken a rest at 4 o’clock. It was quite a common thing for fogs to come down and lift quickly. When witness saw the land he reckoned they were a short mil© off. Ho could not say what distance the vessel could be pulled up in. Perhaps it would take three-quarters of a mile'. To Mr Herdman: Witness considered

the vessel was being navigated with perfect safety up to the time she struck. They ran into the feg quite suddenly. OTHER TESTIMONY. Hugh MacPhee said he was on the look-out from 5 o’clock until the ship struck. "When he went on duty there was f: a, bit of a fog” all round. He first saw land about three minutes before the accident. They were not far off. The weather was a good deal thicker then than it was at 5 o’clock. The fog seemed to lift slightly some time after 5 o'clock, but came down again—quickly. To Ivlr Herdman: Witness was not prepared to contradict the chief officer when he said he could see two- and a half to three miles ahead at 5 o’clock. George Holford, master of the Takapuna, was called by Air Herdman to give evidence regarding the tides in Cook Strait. One could net. he said, rely on the tides in the Strait for direction. Sometimes cliey flowed from three to five knots. To Air Alyers: If he was proceeding from Wellington to Nelson, and did not .see the Brothers, he would haul his ship out. Hearing was concluded at 10.45, and Dr McArthur announced that the Court would give his decision at 0.30 a.m. on Saturday. CAPTAIN HULL CENSURED. The finding of the Alarine Court (Dr A. AlcArthur, S.AI,, and Captains Post and Keane 1 in the matter of the accident to the steamer Wainui on the 15th inst. was delivered on Saturday morning. The judgment says that on Sunday, the loth inst., the Wainui, while on a v °y a ,ge from Wellington to Nelson, stranded on the Tower Bocks. She left Wellington shortly after midnight, and at 2.20 a.m. on Sunday, while off Cane Terawhiti, the course was set north-west by north, and this was continued till 4.12 a.m., when the course was altered tc north-west by west, half west. At 4.40 a.m. the captain left tile bridge, feeling all safe, and he instructed the chief officer, who was in charge, to call him if anything unusual appeared, or when the steamer was off Stephen Island, but, in any case, not later than 7 a.m. He was called by the chief officer at 6.50 a.m., when a bank of fog had appeared, and in a few minutes the vessel stranded on the Tower Rocks, the captain being then on tiie bn dge. ‘‘Tn my opinion,” said Dr AlcArthur, “the captain committed an error of judgment in not slowing down his vessel when informed by the chief officer that the weather was thick, and that lie had not seen anything of Stephen Island. The captain must have known that lie was in tho vicinity of tli© island, and that the position from which he shaped his course was an assumed one. Knowing the unreliability of the tides, the captain, in my opinion, depended too much cn their constancy. After the stranding the captain and officers did everyth ng in their power requisite for the safety and comfort of the passengers, and brought the vessel safely to- Nelson after coming off the rocks. I think the captain is to be censured for his error of judgment, and should pay the costs of the inquiry. The chief officer carried out his instructions, and is in no way blamable. His certifies 4- © an that of the captain are returned. Captains Post and Keane concurred in the finding.