THE WRECK OF THE WAITAKI.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7875, 18 May 1887, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE WRECK OF THE WAITAKI.

°? 'to 25th April the coasting steamer wu 1- H, went as' lloTe some two miles S.W of White Rock, near Napier, which port she had m / i^L was insured "» the South British omce for £4000.

S. D. Chatfield (purser), William O'Neill (second engineer), G. Fuller (third engineer), and five of the crew ofthe Waitaki arrived next day at Napier by train, having came overland from the wreck. The purser stated that he had fane weather after leaving Napier until 9 o'clock on Friday night, when the weather came on thick, with a wind from the S.E. On consulting the log it was found that the vessel must have passed Cape Palhser, and her course was accordingly altered to eastward. The weather at this time was very bad; heavy rain squalls came on, and no B ,gu of land could be seen. Very little time elapsed after altering the course until the vessel went ashore. On striking she gave a roll, bumped heavily three times, and ran up the beach. In less than five minutes all was over. The engines were put full speed astern for a few minutes, but without any effect. They then went full speed ahead until the steam was exhausted, the engines working most of the time in the water, in a quarter of an hour the stokehole and X^ 00? JW cd ' ut the fore hold md after hold did not fill until some time after striking. A large rock had penetrated the port bilge and acted as a pivot, the vessel swinging with the sea. Immediately after going ashore the boats were got out and the women and children placed in them and taken ashore. The mails were next landed after the engines stopped, and the crew and officers left the bhip and camped on the beach tdl daylight, when they went on board again and succeeded in clearing the cabin of most of its fixings and the other movable articles and stores in the ship. They returned to the shore, and during Saturday the wind freshened from the b.bs., bringing up a heavy swell, so that although the vessel was only some 20 or 30 yards off the shore, they were unable to get on board on Sunday in order to answer the signals of the s^amer Mana. The purser thinks that the Waitaki's bottom must be knocked to pieces, or at^any rate so severely injured as to give very little hope of floating her. She lies on a rocky bottom. At the time of the disaster there were two men on the look-out, and the captain and first mate were on the bridge. The passengers on board were Mesdames Mitchell and child, Coleman and child, and Mr Dean, who, together wft p rf mf I". der of the crew, were left at White Rock station

RESULT OF THE INQUIRY. The magistrate, in delivering judgment after the inquiry, said the loss of the ship was attributable to two causes—first, overconfidence m the log; second, running the ship at full speed m thick and foggy weather. He said that in thick weather it was the duty of the captain to verify the log by sounding, and if unable to do that to keep off shore. It was more than important in this case to verify the log, as it had been taken to pieces for cleaning just before it was being sent. The evidence showed that irregular northerly currents existed, and the log should not be too much relied on. lhe court considered Captain Pennal blamable tor taking no steps to verify his position, and a shipmaster who on the coastrufns his ship at full speed in thick and foggy weather was, in the opinion of the court, highly culpable. A very large proportion of the steamers wrecked on our shores have been lost from this cause. In this case the court held Captain Pennal culpable for keeping up his speed, particularly when he altered his course W. by S. They considered Captain Pennal had been a good and careful officer, but holding as they did that the loss of the ship was due to the causes mentioned above, forwhich he was responsible, the Court ordered that his certificate be suspended for three months, and that he pay £8 lis, costs of the inquiry.

The steamer Waitaki has been abandoned to the underwriters. Captain Bendall, marine surveyor, proceeded to the scene overland the day after the wreck.