HIMITANGI'S STRANDING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8091, 20 April 1912, Page 11

HIMITANGI'S STRANDING

CAPTAIN EXONERATED FIREMEN AS LOOK-OUTS. A MATTER OF CUSTOM. A magisterial inquiry into the stranding of the Chatham Islands Fishing Company’s steamer Himitangi, in Waitangi Bay, Chatham Islands, on the morning of February 11th, was held yesterday. Captainl Cowan (the master) was exonerated from all blame, the court holding that ho had displayed no carelessness whatever. Ur A. McArthur, S.M., was on the bench, and with him. as assessors, were Captains Post and Black. Mr C. B. Nixon appeared for the Customs Department, Mr A. Gray for Captain Cowan, master of tho vessel, and Mr F. G. Ualziell for the owners, the Chatham Islands Fishing Company. THE CAPTAIN'S STORY.

James Cairns Cowan, master of the Himitangi, said- they anchored at Waitangi with 30 fathoms of cablo at 2 a.m. on February 11th. It was calm and tho place was well sheltered. The usual watch was kept—the watch that had been kept for the twelve years of which he had knowledge. The work was nearly all surfing and was, arduous, and the dock hands got very little rest. It was tho custom to allow tho fireman to keep the anchor watch, the reason being that ho had few duties below. His hours were always regular. Witness always kept watch himself when there was any doubt as to tho weather. The mooring tackle used was more than sufficient. The cable had carried away some six or seven times to hie knowledge, but it had don© so < nly three times since' ho had been master. The last three breaks occurred on the last trip down to the Chathams. It was the anchor shackle that had carried away. He could not say for certain whether it carried away or whether the pin dropped out.

To Mr Gray: Witness became master in December last, and had, made three or four trips in that capacity. The anchorage, in his judgment, was the best in Waitangi Bay. The wind was from the S.S.W., and there was a fair sea outside, bat the ship lay in almost calm water under the lee of a high bluff. Ho had used the same tackle at "The Flower Pot," where the strain,put on it was about ten times greater than that imposed in Waitangi Bay. The chief officer had examined the tackle after the anchor was weighed at "The Flower Pot," and reported that everything was right. Every year the cables were inspected by a Government officer, the last occasion being about the end of April, 1911. He did not know if it was the custom on other ships like the Himitangi to allow the fireman to keep the anchor watch. He thought, however, it was so. It had been the custom on the Himitangi under the master who had preceded him. After the vessel struck the passengers were landed safely .without any difficulty. The ship lay on the beach for seven weeks until she was towed off by the Gertie, assisted by her own engines. Witness stood by the ship all the time and made' several attempts to kedge her off. To Captain Post: In the Chatham Islands it was his custom to keep a watch on deck himself. He never took his clothes off, and he was never away from the deck for long at a time. The fireman who was placed on duty was a trustworthy man. and he judged from the calmness of the weather that it was safe to leavo the fireman in charge. He reached the deck himself just before the vessel grounded, and he felt her rolling' in the surf. He tried to get steam on her, but was too late. He did not drop another anchor, because the only one he had would not have held her. It was only a small stream anchor —he had lost his other anchor at Glory” Bay. Captain Post; And yet, having only one anchor, you trusted to Providence and one fireman to keep your ship safe? Witness said he took no extraordinary risk. LOSS OF THE ANCHOR. Archibald Mclntyre, mate of tbe Himitangi, stated that h© was in bed when the vessel stranded. He had examined the tackle when it was last drawn up, and he found it in good order. He could not say whether it was, the practice to allow firemen to keep the anchor watch. He thought that everything that could be done was don© when the vessel struck to get her off again., When the cable was taken in there was no anchor or, shackle a,t ,tho end of it. When the anchor was afterwards picked up the shackle was missing. It must haye either given way, or the pin must have worked out—a very common occurrence. To Mr Gray: Ho had been on the Himitangi four months, and ever since he had joined it had been the custom that firemen should keep the anchor watch. If the stream anchor had been dropped in time it would have checked the vessel’s drift and turned her bow on to the sea, but it would not have held her. ■ . !

To Captain Post: By the time ho got on dock it was too late to drop the anchor. Tho only result won Id have been to swing the stern on to tho beach and spoil all possible chance of getting her off with her own steam. .> FIREMAN SUFFICIENT. Thomas Clarkson Sawyers, second mate, said tho ship had grounded before he Sit on deck. The engines were going, d attributed the breaking of tho chains to the fact that the iron in them had crystallised. To Mr Gray: A fireman on watch had always been sufficient for the safety of the ship before. 1 Oh. several 'prior occasions when the ship had dragged anchor tho fireman on watch had called up tho captain. To Captain Post: Ho had never before been on a ship on which a fireman was on anchor watch. ATTEMPT TO GET OFF, John' Henry Prendovill©, chief engineer of the Hunitangi. said he was called about 5 a.m. and told to get steam on as quickly as possible. He did so, and the engines were kept going for two hours in an endeavour to get the vessel off.

To Mr Gray: Witness gave the fireman on anchor watch instructions to report to the captain at once in the case of the weather getting bad or of anything going wrong. BAST TO KEEP WATCH. John Symons the fireman left in charge ol the first anchor watch; said everything went well till he went off watch at 4 a.m., when he was relieved by another fireman named Carey. Whatever went wrong must have occurred in Carey’s watch. To Mr Gray: It was quite easy for a fireman to keep the anchor watch on a email ship like the Himitangi. Harry Hoblyn, A.B. and lamp-trimmer, gave similar evidence to that given by previons witnesses. IN GOOD CONDITION. Arthur Calvert, surveyor of ships and inspector of machinery at Wellington, said that when he last inspected the cable chains of the Himitangi in May last, they were ample for their requirements and in good condition. He attributed the continual breaking of. the cables to the fact that a sufficient length was not paid out. He had seen the cables again recently and all of them, save a few links of one length, were in good condition. OTHER EVIDENCE. John MocFarlane Samson, manager of the Chatham Islands Fishing Company, owners of the Himitangi. said he had never, received any complaints as to the state of the gear. So far oe he knew the ship was weal found. William . Edward Fuller, shipping manager for Levin and Co., said he had the Himitangi under hie charge before

slio was sold to tli© Chatham Islands Company and had never had reports that the gear was faulty. Harold Willis Foster, second officer in the P. and O. Company's service, a passenger on the Himitangi, said everything possible was done to save the ship after the alarm was given. . , To Captain Post: He considered Captain. Cowan was justified in leaving a fireman to keep anchor watch. The deck hands had been working from daylight to dark. Archibald Walker, marine surveyor, on Lloyds Register, who went to the Chathams to superintend the salving of the Himitangi, said tho scheme be adopted and successfully earned out was suggested by Captain Cowan. VICTIM OF MISFORTUNE. Mr Gray, in. addressing the court, said it was quite clear the mishap had occurred through the chain giving way. The only breaks that had occurred while Captain Cowan was master, had occurred on the last trip. Tho cable used was a new one and the anchor was also new. The captain had no reason, to expect that anything was likely to go wrong. Ho had acted as a prudent manner in tho selection of a safe anchorage and was justified in permitting a fireman to keep watch, in place of an overworked A.B. Tho practice had held for years and tho post was not a very responsible one. The fireman Caroy. who was on watch at tho time of tho stranding, .was given & character as a reliable man. Captain. Cowan was master had occurred worthy in putting a fireman to keep watch when the deck hands had been working from daylight till dark in boating cargo in the roadsteads. Captain Cowan, h© submitted, was merely a vietim of misfortune and was not to bo blamed. THE DECISION. Dr McArthur, in giving the decision of the court, said there was. nothing in the regulations which said a seaman on deck was to be exclusively engaged as lookout. The action of the captain in following a practice that had gone on foryears had done nothing, in the opinion of tho court, that was inconsistent with the statutes or the regulations that stated what his duty should be. They were prepared to advise that the man on the look-out should be an A.B. or a man ablo to take bearings. They had come to tho conclusion that there was nothing to show carelessness in the management of the vessel. They wished to bring under the notice of the Government, however, that such a practice as that in the present instance was being carried on, and ‘the assessors were strongly of opinion that it should not' be allowed. Tho long and short of it was that the captain was absolved from any carelessness whatever. No order was made as to costs.