MARINE INQUIRY

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12009, 11 December 1924, Page 2

MARINE INQUIRY

WHO WAS TO BLAME ? i RECENT ACCIDENT TO S.S. ADMIRAL? TOM'S ROCK OR ANOTHER? A marine inquiry as to the cause of an accidont to the s.s. Admiral near Sinclair Head, on the voyage from Picton to Wellington on November 24th last,was held before Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., Captain F. W. Barron, and Captain W. H. Smith, ’t the Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon, Mr J. Prondeville and Mr S. S. Stringer (superintendent of mercantile marine) appeared for the department; Mr D. M. Findlay for the owner, Mr J. W. Perano; and Mr B. K. Kirkealdie for the master. Captain Charles Croucher. Tho question at issue was whether the accident, which caused the vessel to leak, was due to, or contributed to by, any wrongful act or default on the part of the master, or officers, or any of the crew. “WAS HIS OWN FAULT." John William Perano said that tho Admiral, a wooden steamer of 82 tons gross; left Picton for Wellington,’ calling at Okukiri for wool before 9 o’clock on the day in question With the captain and crew, there were five aboard altogether. Witness was at Wellington when the vessel arrived, and hearing that qhe had been damaged, he went down to her. He saw the master, who said he was' sorry; ; it was all his own fault. He made no other remark and did not get no off the hatch on which he was lying. The next day the vossel had to go on the slip, when it was found that her bow had besn smashed right on the stem. The bottom of tho stem was smashed in altogether; and, about 20ft along, the false keel Was orushed and three planks damaged, It would cost some .£3OO to repair. The first blow must have been a headron blow, and there was a second blow 20ft along the false keel. "MUST HAVE BEEN A ROOK." There were two wooden frames broken, so it must have been a rock that she struck. No floating wreckage could have eaused.that damage. He dispensed with the captain and put the engineer in ichargo.. ! Replying to Mr Kirkealdie, witness said that/the captain did not say that the vessel had struck anything; but he knew thAt already. He did not say that he was on duty all the time the Admiral was coming across; but witnesse. supposed that would be the case. The Admiral 'was last surveyed in July of this year, bho waaon:the slip at Picton in August last. The A 309 represented nothing but the cost of repairing the damage caused by the accident. The slip and The 10152£ 1 52£ etc.—cost nearly ; Th© leak was kept down by the vessel 6 ownstoam ejector, without pumping, andl the cargo was not damaged. Sho was not insured on the trip.. He put the engineer—not- the chief engineer, but the engineer-foreman—in charge of the vessel, because he wanted some responsible person in charge. 7 EXTENT OF DAMAGE.

Thontes Alfred Cooper (Government surveyor) gave evidence as to the damako. About two feet either way of the £”T°'t d ToqmTe to be replaced, also two planks, partially, and two rivets. 1 recaulking, too. He i ' ve “o estimate of the cost of the Kirk ?aldie; The' damage was enfficmntiy serious. He could not say JKMO.to .9°rt the whole of the ■£i»o-to -rapoir if. One or two butts accident. The sckr on the false keel was n new one, not an old one. tokjT Mr 1 H the Admiral had il ° Relieved that ishe still have .floated after the. m-ci- _ THE MASTER’S EVIDENCE. Omries Voucher (master, mariner) said 1 teat he had been m charge of the Adfro^’pi >r f a Y 6e fe- , durin «' which she ran v”™ 1 to Nelson, and from Nelson down to/ Devil s Island, picked no sheep there and back to Picton. She left Picton about 8 a clock on v the morning of a «l c?l]ed at a bav near ,lpry ; and picked up 112 balfee of wool. She left Tory Channel about 4 p.m. and steered south-east for just south Of -&arori . Rock. He was at the wheal himself all the way to Wellington. When he got off Karori jßock, abernt 5.50, he steered a bit south till he”mened up Pencarrow dear of Sinclair Head. Hewas about a mile of Karori Rock before he turned south. It would be about-half an 'hour before he opened up Pencarrow Clear of Sinclair Head, and he then steered straight for Pencarrow.

“AS IF SHE HAD HURDLED SOMETHING." After proceeding on that course about 15 minute© 6he struck something. He thought he-had then cleared Tom’s Sock by about half a mile. GaroriJßock was then, abaft the beam .on • the port aide. Hie could net sav just (how far away. Sho never stopped. The feeling was as if she had hurdled something. It >7as >nat a solid blow. It shook' her, hut she went straight on. 'He saw no rocks nor anything. He thought they had passod Tom's Bock by about . half a mile, or Tather more. - He could sen the two or three rocks above water beyond, but. inR'irfo Tom’s Rock. It was quite clear. Sinclair Head was then ahtod, about a point, on-the port bow. Ho nut tho helm over to, port a bit. and asked the engineer of the vestol wasi making any water, and ho reported that she was not. When they got alongside the wharf, the, engineer eajfd that the ejieotor was'keeping the water down all right, and she waa mating no water. They arrived - about 8.15 pjn., the usual time; The wool was not wot. Ho did not see the ship on the slip at all. TWENTY YEARS' EXPERIENCE OF STRAITS. By Mr Kirkealdie: He had had about twenty years’ experience of this part of ■the coast—three years, straight on end for tho Patea Shipping Co., and three and a half years as master of the schoouer Falcon. He had had many opportunities of studying Tom’s Roclc and Karori Rock, as if tho wind failed when il:e schooner' had jj°t just outside the heads, she would drift round Sinclair Head, sometimes within a hundred yards of,it, and inside Tom’s Bock. Karori Rock, and Lunar Rock, and right (past Terawhiti. They would hove to gqt out the sweeps to dear the rocks at timhs, He was auite familiar with theip. If he had Terawhiti i:o the westward of Karori Rock, well open, he must be clear of Tom’s Hook on a epubh-cast course. He oould not see how on that 1 course he could have struck Tom’s Rook, "NOT UNCHARTED ROCK." By Mr Riddell: He did hot think he had struck an unoharted sunken rook. If there was ope there, ho must have struck it long ago- But thefle was something there. He held that he was well dear of Tom’s Hock. 1 By Mr Kirkealdie: It might have been a Snag or a log that he struck. The blow did not feel as if the vessel struck a'rook. It felt like hurdling something There was no swell. It was quite culm. On arrival be went to the Tolls Office and asked if they could give him a berth 30 that he could nut the wool ashore, if necessary- Tbo officer in charge pointed but tho shed where the wool was to go, and got permission from the wharfinger for him toput the woolontho wharf, if need be. The engineer Said that sho was unite oF right for the night, the ejector was kSening the water down, and she was not leaking much, so bo Turned in He knew of no reason why Mr Perano should have put the engineer' in charge when he game down. There was no liquor aboard, and witness had had no 61 8.40 the inquiry was adjourned till 2 e’dock this afternoon-