NAUTICAL INQUIRY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6450, 22 February 1908, Page 7

NAUTICAL INQUIRY.

TiTR WAT IT I ACCIDENT. A nautical inquiry in commotion with the recent striking <>* Tho ftlcamor Waihi on the Karon rock Imki v«Mf*rdav a-ftor/ioou, before Dr McArthur, S.M.. find Captains Grey and McArthur, assessors. Mr M. Myers appeared for the Marine Department. Mr Uerdman for Captain Carey, and Mr Ofay for 0. >i. l/rouii, the chief mate. TUK (-A FT A CVS STOEIV. Captain William John Carey, master of the W'aihi, stated that he hold a forei'/n-goi./ig eerlilicato (produced) and had been in command of the versed etjrhUve.n mouths. Left Blenheim mi the trip under notice at U. 20 p.m. on February Ul.h. T!ie> bar was crossed til 10 p.m,, a light easterly wind blowing. Wilmas “turned in” at midnight, leaving the mate in charge, with instrnelions to steer north-east for a while, then lake her over as usual and tn call him at threes a.in., all being well. When he retired the steamer was about twelve miles out, the night dear and the wind blowing from the north-west. A few minutes before three a fireman rushed into his room and said they were running tho Rhip ashore. "Witness jumped out of bed, feeling n slight hump, rushed on deck and saw the high (and on tho port side quite elearly. The weather wjus elear. but then' was a slight hawA.uked (he mate if he had been asleep, and he replied, ‘'ft. must have been Katori rock." Later on he said. 'Tin very sorry, 1 know f shouldn’t have been hero.” Tho steamer remained on the rook for about two hours. No suggestion was made to witness that the weather was tbid?. Mr Myers; Was there anything in the nature of insobriety on tho part of anyone?—Not that night.

What fin you inonn ?— -There had bfH>n no insobriety at all. Dr MoArlhnr: Was there any inrohrictv in Blenheim?—No, sir.

Mr Myers: What do yon moan when yon say there wn.s none that night?— iTlinie was some a week before, hut nano the day-before or that night. It was on the part of Jhe crew. There had been none on the part of the mate Bincn lie had been in the ship. Witness, continuing. said the only reason he could assign for the accident was that a sharp look-out had not been kept. To Mr Gray: Brown had been with witness ns mate for eighteen months. A sailor named Dodds was at the wheel on the night of the accident. Tiro mate had been working from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m., and had been called nt midnight to keep watch. He had kopfc three hours’ watch going from Wellington to Blenheim the previous night, from 2 a.m. to 5 p.m , and had commenced work the sameday at 8 a.m. Tho mate’s hours wore irregular and long. Ho had loft it to the mate’s judgment how long ho should stcor north-east be/ore taking the vessel ox*er to tho usual course. They practically steered by the land on the trip. Ho had never been north of Karon rock before. They had to chance what point of hind they picked up in thick weather. Kinco the occurrence ho had on one occasion steered a course for Sinclair Head, and when he picked up land ho found ho was about five miles south til it.

To Mr Herdman : Having regard to tho weather lie thought tho land should have boon soon in time to prevent tho vessel striking. On tho day in question ho had gone on watch from 5 a.m., worked till 10. had an hour and a half’s rest, wont ashore, saw the agents, and then took tho vessel down tho river and was working from thon onwards until midnight. There was a weather screen set that evening on the land side, and if a person stood in the corner of it he wduld not bo able to see any land. John Kydd, surveyor in Marine Department, described tho injury the Vermel sustained by her compact with Iho rock, -which would probably cost CIOO to make good.

HOW THE STEAMER STRUCK. George Buckhnm Brown, until reJontly mate of the Wajhi. said he had i homo trading master's Now Zealand ;ortificato. Ho had been in the racr* chant service as an officer for about two years. When ho relieved tho captain tho latter said the vessel was going north-east, and witness was to call him at three o’clock. Ho did not *ay anything about altering the course. Kent the course the captain gave him until such time as ho pub the wheel down in order to try to avoid the vessel going ashore- When on the bridge previously at night ho had altered the course on his own authority. Ho did not notice ho was in a dangerous position until it was too late to get out of it. He could see tho rocks, which appeared to bo a quarter of a mile away, and immediately after the land at tho back. Ho ported his holm and tried to steer the vessel round under full steam, thinking this was the best chance ho had of getting nut. of tho difficulty. She struck, tho were put astern, and the captain was called. Tho rocks could not have been so far away as he thought when lie first saw them. The weather was clear. They had boon running through a hazo~a deceiving light—which prevented him from seeing tho land, but it was not tin thick ns to warrant him calling the captain or reducing speed. Ho could not expect to have got anywhere else than he did, as tho course was a point higher than it should have been to take the vessel to Sinclair Head. Ho was aware of this, but did not consider it necessary to nlt'jr the course until lie saw tho land. He thought that circumstances proved that ho should, have placed another man on watch or called tho captain. When tho captain «poke to witness, witness said, 'Tt must be Karori Rock,” ,but be had no recollection of saying ho ought not to have boon there. Ho had not soon Pcncarrow light, but there was nothing unusual in that. If it had boon a thick night he would have taken every precaution to alter his pourse south of Sinclair Head.

Air Myers: But it was a thick night. —lt was a deceiving night, but not tt thick night. Seeing tho haze extended so far, Might you not to have taken the pro caution to alter your course to clear Sinclair Head?—l was not keeping an accurate enough position to work it out that way. I reckoned tho night Was one of those ordinary nights when wo generally come over without seeing anything until wc get within o fair distance of tho land, and thero would be any amount of time to keep tho vessel well clear. In fact, to tell tho honest truth, I could not toll the time tho vessel crossed the Wairau bar if 1 were asked.

To Mx H’ordman: Only knew vp

proxiinatdy nhit lime die vessel crossed the liar. On previous trips he had to call the captain, but did not thin!: there was any necessity to do so on Hus occasion. Tho captain did nob say bo witness ‘‘Take her over as usual,” hut hr* understood ho was to fellow the usual custom in going across. He was standing on tho lee side of the wheel and the starboard side of the boat. To Mr Cray: The morning before be went on watch at 2 a.m. until b rt.m.. went to bed. was called at 7.1 d 1 for breakfast and worked cargo al l day. lin was on duty until 10. Id p.m., when be went below, going on watch again ai midnight. i To Mr Myers; He was not off duty : from J. 30 to d on the afternoon pro- \ ious to the accident. , To Captain Gray: Ho was positive ' be lid not fall asleep on tho way i James Wishnrt, firrmon on thr i Waihi, who went on duty at 2 o’clock ■ mi the morning of tho accident, said (bo sea was calm, but he could not ; say what the atmosphere was like. I Alter be reversed the engine be went and called tho captain on his own initiative. MOIMd ABOUT THIC HAZE. Thomas Dodds, A. 8., who was at tho wheel when the vessel struck, said the weather was hazy when be took the wheel. It would be possible to see about a mile ahead. Tho haze was lifting when day was breaking, hub it was a hit hazy when they struck. Witness did not know they were in a dangerous jyxdtion until tho ship struck. Saw the mainland just before the vessel struck. Janies Garner, A. 8., also gave evidence. Mr My ora said the questions submitted to the court were; (1) Whether the mate should not have called tiro captain earlier and got rid of his own responsibility by placing it upon the proper person, and (2) Having regard to the circumstance* which existed—according to the mates own evidence—whether ho should not have altered his course in order to endeavour to open up Pen carrow light. ' Tim Court ‘intimated that its finding would bo delivered this mornini;.