NO ONE TO BLAME

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12015, 18 December 1924, Page 2

NO ONE TO BLAME

FOR WRECK ®F S.S. RAMA COURT FINDS STEAMER STRUCK UNOHABTERED BOCK, CHATHAMS SHOULD BE SURVEYED. An official inquiry was conducted yesterday before Die Nautical Conrt into the -wreck of the s.s. Rama at Chatham Islands on November 17th last, as a result of which it was found that the wreck was due to misadventure, and no blame was attachable to anyone. A re* commendation was added that the Marine Department should, if possible, have a survey made of the coasts of the Chatham Islands. Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., presided, and the assessors were Captains F. W. Barron ■ and W, 11. Smith. Mr J. Frondeville represented the Marine Department, Mr S. Kirkcaldie represented Captain Gartner, of the Rama, and. Mr Whyte the owners. CAPTAIN C AETHER'S EVIDENCE. Captain Edward Cartner, who wai the first witness, said be sailed from Westport on. November 13th, and called at Kainjjaroa. Be had a oargo at ooal, 224 tons in all. The vessel was insured Ipr about ,£9500. He arrived at Kaingaroa just before noon on the 17th. There was a strong northerly wind and rough sea. The vessel was taken to the usual anchorage, the one fie always used. Soundings were taken going in, andl showed from ten fathoms at the entrance to five fathoms at the auohorge. The tide was an hour on the ebb. There was sufficient shelter to work the surf boats. Cargo, comprising '2BO oases of fish, about 10 to 12 tons, was taken in. The draught, which was 12ft 7in to 18ft Uin, was affected about one inch. This was the usual draught. Loading was finished at 5 p.rn„ and he then started for Owenga, 23 miles away. A heavy sea ontside caused a heavy roll in the harbour, making it imperative that he should get out. The anohorage was unsafe, with no lights to help in getting out at night* time. He wanted to get away to shelter before dark. While the vessel was under a port helm swinging round to avoid a broken reef, when travelling half-speed, ho felt a slight bump. He had moved three-quarters of a mile from the anchorage. He put the v «®sel full-epeod in case of the vessel sticking, and continued to sea. The bump was so slight he took no notice of it. About twenty minutes later the chief engineer advised him be had better fet book as the vessel was making water, le instructed that the pumps he got going, and intended to try and get to Okawa. whore there was smooth water. The weather was so bad it would have been dangerous to return, to Kaingaroa harbour. Off Temakara Point he saw the water up to the stokers' knees, and! told the engineer to give everything he could to get to smooth water before the vessel foundered. They anohored in four fathoms at Okawa somewhere after 7 p.m. The pumps were keeping the water down at times, but ashes and coal blocked them occasionally. He decided at daylight to try for Whangaroa, on' the other side of the island, the only safe harbour.

WATER RAPIDLY INCREASED. The wind and sea increased, and the vessel appeared to open out more. Off Owenga at 7 a.m. he got Lloyd's represeumtive off in a boat and consulted, with. him. Owing to the, conditions, he decided not to go to Whangaroa, as he would have met a heavy head sea, with the possibility of the vessel going down in deep, water; and there was no landing on that coast. He then started back to Okawa, to beach the vessel if necessary on the sand. The water increased on the way-back. An attempt was made to get tarpaulins under the vessel to check the water, but without effect. Seme woodwork came away, and, knowing the precarious position, he had'rtfie boats swung out. A hand pump was rigged. About 3 o'clock the next morning the engineer reported that he could not keep the water baok. The water was within a foot of the fires, so he decided that he must beach the vessel at once, or she would sink in deep water. The vessel was beached in 14 feet of water, 400 yards from the beaeh. Provisions and personal effects were landed by noon. There was then 12 feet of water in the stoke hold, and water was' showing in No. 1 and No. 2 holds. Up to that time there had been no water in the holds. The fish were ealvagßd the following day, when the fishing hoats arrived. A southerly came up that night, and the ship was abandoned. She was then on the bottom.

The witness said he had been four years in the Chatham Island trade. He knew the coast well. He was on his usual course when the vessel struck. The only explanation he could give for the mishap was that the vessel lifted on a heavy swell, and must have touched ?ome pinnacle on the drop down, le had often been out in a similar heavy swell, and always used the same course.

NO RECENT SURVEY. 1 "Witness said he had often sounded the harbour, and had his own records, on whioh he had worked during the pant four years. He had been at sea tor 40 years. He knew the Chathams so well that be had been consulted before H.M.S. Chatham took Lord Jellicoe to the islands. • His chart had been used. The only survey of Chatham Islands S existence, said the witness, was made l&iQ. Many points in it were false, showing rocks that did not exist, and rocks out of place. There was recently a. vary heavy tidal wave in the Chathams. This did a great deal of damage, and at Kaingaroa buret a dam. Pumice Was afterwords found on the island, washed up for the first time. A submarine disturbance may have altered the soundings, but this was purely speculation. The vessel was equipped beyond the usual pumps. Bhe had recently been overhauled, and was in good condition in every way. EVIDENCE OF OFFICERS. Thomas , Clarkson Sawyers, first mate, gave similar evidence, and said the shock waij sp light that no notice was taken of it at the time. Witness had traded in 'the Chathams for- five years. The vessel was on the usual course. The chief engineer of the Rama, Thomas Mayne Swede, said he was in the engine-room on leaving Kaingaroa., Two or three minutes after getting way on a slight bump was felt, under the stokehold. He had a look round to see if there was anything -wrong, but saw nothing, and no one reported water for five or ten minutes. All hands were then ealled down, and the pumps startedThe holes were diseevered, but nothing couldi b» done to stop them effectively. The rolling of the "ship seemed to bo making it worse. Everything that could be done to stop- the water was done, but It gained on them. The pumps were very largo, capable of pumping ten tons of water a minute, hut" the water gained all the time. The vessel had a steel hull lined with 4-inoh teak. ONLY A GENTLE BUMP. The only other witness called by the Department was John Henry Adams, a donkeyman employed on the Rama. He said the bump was just like a ship bumping on to a wharf. Ho went on deck to see what was wrong, but saw nothing unusual. The holes in the ship were under tho boilers, Everything possible was done to stop the holes, but the effect was not marked. Bogs were wedged under the boilers, and seemed to have some effeot. The captain, recalled, said the total craw was 21. He considered life first and property next. All hands were put ashore 6afely. Mr Prendeville said no suggestion of blame was made. Mr Kirkcaldie said the soundings ohowed a clearance of 10 feet whero the vessel struck. ■ Tlie insurance polloy on the vessel was put in, and showed .39250 on the Vessel. THE COURT'S FINDING. . Thg"finding of the «qurt waasdba the -s-

effect that tho mishap was due to tho striking an uncharted rock on the night of November 17th, while ©teamfang out of the part of Kaiangaroa, heavy weather conditions prevailing at the time. The vessel was found to be making water and, tho master and the crew did everyfchftg poesiblo to save the ship and to preserve the lives of those on board. It was not due to any fault of the master or of any one on board that the accident had occur^x^ *\The court would suggest, stated His Worship, "that in view of the dangerous nature of the ooast and the fact that the s.s. Rama is the second vessel which ha© met with disaster at Chatham Islands, the Marine Department consider the advisability of making a- fresh survey of tho coasts around these islands. "The master’s certificate will bo returned to him and no order made concerning cost®."