WRECK OF THE PENGUIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14457, 25 February 1909, Page 5

WRECK OF THE PENGUIN

MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY. EVIDENCE AS TO THE TIDES, JPie United Pp.kss Association.) WELLINGTON, February 24. Tho inquiry into the cause of tho wreck of the Penguin on the night, of Friday, 12th inst., was continued to-day. Captain Frank L. Viekonnaii. master of the s.s. Kennedy, staled that hn had had 25 years' experience of the navigation of Cook Strait. On the night of February 12 he left Wellington at 6.20 for Nelson". The Kennedy reached the Brothers at 11.17 p.m. Witness found there a terrific current, at least seven knots. He had experienced a similar current before when far better weather prevailed. A seven-knot current was not unprecedented in his ex|x>rience.

Mr Myers: Is a strong current like that a thing to watch for and guard against?— Witness: You cannot, guard against it. You don't know until it; has " happened." Witness said ho passed the Penguin about 9.35 p.m. He lirst saw her lights about. 9.15 o'clock. Previous to tin's witness had altered his course. He did not see any land after he passed the Penguin. It would be impossible to say where he met the full force of the current, but he got. its full strength about the Brothers. When navigating tho Straits and when in the neighbourhood of Terawhiti without being able to pick up a light he had frequently stood away lo (lie north.

Counsel: Why did you do that?— Witness: When in a small boat you do not know where the current may be taking yon. I think if I had a full-powered boat I would trust to my course.

Even where you had lost all lights and did you know your position--what would you "do?—Tt is hard to say. You always imagine you know your course. If I only had a few .miles lo go I would continue on in the hoi* of picking up the light._ Do you ever know what strength of curront you uie going to get?—No; you never know. Even in going lo Wanganui I would not risk a shilling that. I would get to the samo place twice running. Witness said, in reply lo further questions, that, there was a certain risk in keeping on

when all lights wore lost. It was a matter of judgment largely, and all the circumstances had to be taken into account.

To Mr Herdman: Witness linil been at sea for 40 years. There '.vere strong currents in other places as well as Cook Strait. It had never been a practice when lights were lost to go to tea ami Wvo a set, course. The course set by Captain Naylor was a safe conn*. If ho had hd the Tory Channel lights opened up to the south at 8.30 after leaving the channel at 10 minutes to 8 o'clock ho would have been absolutely confident, of the safety of his course.

Mr Herdman: Would you consider that, tiavellinjr on that S.E. by K. course from 3.30 to 9.30 or 9.45 you would have lost vonr bearings?— Witness: No. * That course would take a ship 6£ miles off Tom's Rock?-Yes. You consider that a good allowance to make for the tide?— Yes. To Mr Levi: Witness knew nothing of the patent sounding apparatus. Dr M'Arthur asked the witness what lie would have done on a similar course to thai sot in the case of the Penguin. Would he have continued on after he had lost all li.rhte'—Witness renlied that if he felt satisfied he had mado'ZO miles he would. In a, boat, like the Penguin he would" have stood on. You would have,stood on your course :- ARhongh yen saw no lights?— Yes. I would' hone to pick up Pent-arrow. Mr Myers stated that lie proposed to let all the six questions submitted to the court, stand with the exception of No. 2. After hearing the evidence he did not, that 'it was not safe to sail from Tory (-iiiume] on the night of the wreck. Accordingly he proposed to substitute tJie following':— "(2) Whether, under the existing wcal.her conditions, at any time after 9.15 p.m.. shelter should have been sought cr tho vessel's head put out to eca till morning instead of cantijminp _ lon the course to AVcllmgton. The following additional question-, would also be added: (7) Whether, under tha circumstances shown by the evidence, soundings should have been taken, and, if so, after what time? (8i Whether it is accessary or desirable that coastal vessel--, should lx> fitted with patent sounding gear?" Counsel said lie did propose to put some form of general question, hut he recojnijed that there would be a groa* deal of difficulty. He felt that he could not go beyond the particular cate. but the court was entitled to make any general recommendation it, thought fit.

Captain C. Post, of tb« Government sk-iinor Tulanokai, eallix! by the courf, said ha had bad -considerable experience iu Cook Strait while cable laying.

Br- M'A.rthur: By virtue 'of that experience you I;now something cf llio tides? —Winio.w: J reckoned I did onco, but 1 don't now. The titles should Inve been 0110 way, but \ found them frsquentlv .■mother. The tides vary considerably. ']. have repaired two c'ibic.s in one day," and have bad 20 hours' ebb tide. The strength of the tides varied considerably. One day lie found the titlo rumiing seven knots off Terawhiti, and none at all the next, day Witire.<K Ji.-i.d two patent wundinoappliances. Ho had used them frcqu/>nrty on the Tiita-nokai. Most decidedly the patent apparals was superior to the. 'lead. To Mr Herdman: Ho had used the patent. soiiiidinjr apparatus under aJI sorts of i conditions. If the captain of the Penffum had tatan soundings on the nHit of the 12th inst. in thick weather they would havo been of little us* to him Ihe cour.se sot by Captain Naylor on the mglit of tho wreck, tinder normal eondi-tion-s, to a verv safe one. Counsel put the Penguin case again to t"s witness, and nsked him, takinn- „u ■He circumstances into account, whether lie would have gone on. Witness: A man who has confidence in Ins ship an<l his compasses would do so. ion would?— Yes.

Mr Herdman: To what do you attribute lift v-rcckV-Witacss: I mn only say one thincj-fhe "act of God." Tot Mr Levi: If the patent soiuiduv Rear had been used on the Penguin oil the night 0 f the wreck while she was going f«ll speed ho was afraid the roekv bottom would I-ave torn it out of the ship. Re-examined |,y Mr idyois: Witness was confident the vessel was wrecked on loms Pock, and that U„ captain was mistaken a-s to las position at 9.30. kraost ltobort Stuart, master of the came through tho strait on the 12tli of Februa.ry, and passed Tho Brothers at 1 ; 50 a.m. on tho 13th. The speed of the ivaittina was % knots, and he travelled (aided by the. current) from' Cape Campbell to lhe Brothers at the rate of 14 knots. Ihe fastest trip the ship had previously made from Cape Campbell to The Brothel was 12 knots.

Mr Hordman also put the Penguin case to this witness, and asked him' if in a. ship doing 12 knots, and allowing two l ;no t s tor the set of the tide, and travelling 18 miles on the course set for the Penguin, would he continue on it if he could not sec any lights I would have continued on my course till I thoiHit 1 was about live miles oil' Pencarrow. ° And if you could not then pick up Pencarrow?--! would put out. to sea. • ' J r? 3 , lr » Myß; ' lo knpw that the tid»s m Look Strait were erratic. He would not fay it was generally known that the tides in Cool; Strait were verv erratic. It was known that thev varied, but there war, a. limit.

Mr Myers: Do yon consider, knowing this, that an allowance of two knots when yon have lost your litihts is sufficient'Witness: \es. I consider it is an ample allowance.

Captain Henry Fisk, harbourmaster and pilot at Wairau, staled that he d, e strait woll. On the 12th and 13th he noticed unusual conditions. The ?.s. Kiiii was anchored in Cloudy Bay, and swung to a Hood time from Friday'at 2 p.m. (ill Saturday evening. On Sunday she swung to the ebb tide in the river. A" tremendous eurreiit was running- more than ho had previously seen (luring the five vcara lie had be«n at Wairau.

Captain Fisl; was recalled bv Mr Herdman. Ho takl he saw tho Opawa. on tl lo .Saturday morninjr afior (ho v.-rocl;. She appeared to lie :i long way out of her usual course. Witness had never known such a fide as lie <>.\poii«iicecl that. dav. Captain J. J. Pennington, master of tlie luttawa (1246 tons), who steamed from I.yttelton to Wellington on the 12th inst.. said ho was off Cape Campbell at 1.53 a.m. on the 13th. lie was steering N.E. half K.. and altered his course to N.E.', auarter 13. magnetic, for the entrance to Wellington llarljoni-. This course brought, him to Torawhiti at 4.35. He could just ■--•' the land, and got a bearing with lyarori Rod; rijrlit ahead. Ho was about h>; miles and a-iiaH out of his course, and he attribulc<l the fact to a strong northwesterly set ill the t:<l« In all his cxperience en the coast he had never experienced such a. set in the tide. Cantain W. J. CVircv. rnr-sier of tiio Blenheim, said he left, Wellington on the 11th inst. at .4.15 p.m. for Waireu. Fiom

I'enca.rrow Heads ho steered S.S.W. That was in a straight lino for .Sinclair Head. Ho next steered. S.W. by W., which gavo him a straight lino for tho Wliito Bluff, or five miles southward of the Wairan bar. Witness anticipated that ho would mako land about 11 p.m., but ho was called at 9 p.m., when land was reported a mile away. Ho saw tho Opawa's lights about tho samo time. Tho land lio lirc-t saw must have been the Goordie Rocks. Mr Hcrdman: Wliat distaneo is that from your original destination '!— Witness: About 10 miles from tho line of ray course. Tho tide drove you out of your course about 13V miles altogether?— Yes. Continuing, ho said he had had a lengthy experience in the strait. The course usually steered from Tory Channel for Wellington was K.S.E. A course S.E. by K. would be a.n exceptionally sate courseunder normal conditions. Mr Levi: A steer-oar was better than a rudder in a heavy sea, but lie did not think an inexperienced hand could make proper use of a stecr-oar. He thought most ol the sailors and the officers in tho company's service would b? able to manage- a steer-oar. A steer-oar could be used on a boat loaded v.'ith passengers. Ho could not say whether a sea anchor would be preferable to a sloer-oar. Mr Myers: Did yott speak the, Opawa?— Witness: No. Captain Eckford, of the Opawa, said ho took soundings that night, and got 23 fathoms. Can you find 23 fathoms on the clrart in the vicintj- of fieovdio Rocks?-Xo. Mi' Myers: Perhaps we can get tho time. There is something peculiar about, this. Captain Eckford pays lie was much further south. Dr M'Arthur: Dow Captain Kckford say that ho was never near tho Geordio Rocks? -Mr Avers: Yc,*. Mr Heixlman said lie could see 23 fathoms marked at different plaws on tho chart. Captain M'Donahl informed him that the nearest soundings in some places were eight or nine miles from the shore. In reply to Mr Myers, witness persisted that his statement as to the locality that lie found himself was correct. Counsel pointed out that Captain Eckford, according to his evidence, had taken soundings at 10.30 on tho Friday night. Captain Drewotte gave evidence to having been, driven out of his course in Cook Strait. Ho considered Captain Naylor'a course an unusually fafo one. Tho following telegram from Captain Edwin, of 'the Rosamond, was read:— "Coming north,, musing the ontranco of Cook Strait tho day after the Penguin disaster, the Rosamond sot to tho westward about 10 miles owing- to tho exceptionally strong set. Think this information may be useful in view of the Penguin inquiry."

Mr Herdman addressed the court on behalf of Captain Baylor. He eaid that not one witness had suggested that the courso pursued by Captain Naylor was wrong. Ho complained that the Admiralty charts were erroneous ami misleading, and that the Nautical Ajinanao was at. fault. Tho evidence, showed that on tho night of tha disaster there hail been aji unprecedented and phenomenal tide. The conditions an both sides of tho strait showed that an extraordinary current had flowed that night. Captain .Naylor should be completely exonerated.

Dr M'Arthur announced that tho court was satisfied that, the Penguin was wellfounded and properly equipped.

Mr Myers, for the Marine Department, in tho course of his reply, urged that coastal vessels should carry patent sounding apparatus. If it was impossible, to takfl soundings and the captain did not know where ho was, ho should have put out to sea.

Dr M'Arthur intimated fliat the inquest commenced to-morrow, a.nd "it would bo absolutely unfair to give any decision until a verdict, had been arrived at. by the jurors. The court would probably arrive at its decision by to-morrow, but, it would not bo announced until the inquest was concluded. If the jury finished to-morrow the court's decision would bo ready by Friday afternoon.

THE RELIEF FUND. (Per United Pkkss Association.) WELLINGTON, February 24. The Government has decided to snbscribo £1000 towards the Fonguin relief fund. Tho Mayor of Wellington states that a meeting of .subscribers to tho relief fund will be held on Monday night; meanwhile temporary relief is heing given where needed. Tin Government has decided to extend ihe telephone line from Makara to M'Monaiiwii's station, near the scene of the Penguin disaster.