THE WRECK OF THE DELMIRA.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIX, Issue 3003, 15 December 1896, Page 3

THE WRECK OF THE DELMIRA.

the Magisterial Enquiry. . An enquiry into tiio circumstances m connection with tho wreck of iho barquentlno Dolmlm on Tuesday, Bth Inst., at ID P- m » near Cape PalUaor, was hold yoateeday before Mr.A. Greenfield, S.M., and Captains Von Sohocn and Uato, Nautical Assessors. Air Gully appeared on behalf of tho Collector qt Customs (Mr D. MoKollar). Captain Uutehi* non WiM not represented by counsel. j Captain Frederick Arnott Hutchison, Piaster of tho wrecked voshol, first examined, and mid that bo left the Dlufi on November 30th, bound for iho Sandwich Tolande. The fllilp was Mil. found m (/•or'r respect. lie M with varii.be v/oaMier until reaching 15 inks Peninsula, on .Tuesday afternoon. The wind was. then b W iiis course from ,noqn that day was N.W*, on .which ho continued .until ,8 3d that night, when ho. changed, it to N.E. by K., to tho thick weather. Ho did nob sight land that day or night. The weather wan thick with rain. The vosbol averaged about sovcri knots that day. He thought hue nuao would have taken him 20'miks. cast of Capo pallisoi'. Tho vessel was in ballast, and she was not insured. AboutlUo’ulock onTuesday night tho second officer reported that land was in night. Witness was below'at that time but had. nob turned in. He went on deck and took tho wheel from the seanlan. On (Joining Uu tha ouast ho allowed a hillf-pdint Jar the tl*e.sea. When lie.todk tho wllool ho could SCO:,tho land through.! the wist. He thought the land was ton miles away, but it turned out to bo much closer. Ho could boo no breakers. Orders wore given to ’bout ship, which wore obeyed, and ull hands were called. Tho ship ctuio about, but before the sajls wore quite trim nod breakers wore reported ahead. There was then no wind and when tho ship came about iho surf took control of her, and a few minutes after she struck Iho roof end on. Orders wore given to back tho foroyards, but tho stern struck heavily, and the bow swung out eastwards, and tho vessel went broadside on to the roof. The boats wore ordered out, and iho crew took to them and remained in them till daylight, when a start was made for Wellington, and u.i hour afterwards they wore picked up by _ tho Kahu. Ho had visited the wreck since, and she had a heavy list to seaward. She was a total wreck. The crew were quite sober. There were only two bottles of brandy on board—belonging to tho medicine cheat—and lie went below aod broke them both after tho vessel struck. Ho bad no idea ho was ho close to the land, and would require a full mile to wear tho vessel round. The anchor would not have been any use to him, if ho had known that ho was eloao to tho land when two miles away he would have given her the anchor with the hopo of bringing her up before reaching tho Und. Ho had been up and down tho same coast for about eight years, and had never had an accident before. Erasmus Hold, boatswain And second mate, dopoßod that ho was in charge when the Delmira struck. At 9 o’clock the captain gave him his course as N.E., and afterwards changed It. Tfid qight wag a .thick one, and {bli mmatea after ho saw the Idnd tHo venae! struck. About two hpurs before this ho had noon a light on the port beam, bub could not dutinguLsh it., George Henry Twiaa,. chief officer of the DlcUnira, was tho next witness, and deposed that he was on watdh from 0 to 8 p.m. Ho had tho last of tho daylight, and when ho loft the dock tho land could nob be seen. In his opinion everything that could bo dono to get the vessel out of her position was done. John Kudos and Hebert Storm, soaraen, ware also examined. Alter some consideration, tho Court reserved ito decision.