WRECK OF THE DEVON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15858, 2 September 1913, Page 6

WRECK OF THE DEVON.

3 MARINE INQUIRY.. > !£■•: CAPTAIN OAUNCE'S EVIDENCE. I';/' TROUBLE WITH THE WATERSIDE WORKERS. 'iSv' -v (Pes United Pbess Association.) - t ' WELLINGTON. September 1. >; • The marine inquiry into the wreck of I .-' the Devon was opened to-day before a court consisting of Dr M'Arthur (president) and Captains Bollons and Black. ; i Tlie first witness, Captain Caunce, eaid j , jhat on Monday last at 4.53 p.m. he. was passing Cape Palliser, course set N. 52 y VV true. They passed Cape Palliser about i three milts : and a-half out, and passed 1 Tunkarae Heads about a mile and threeIquarters off. They kept the same course until they picked up the white sector of • Somes Island light. He then " ported " and headed straight for the white sector. Ho had picked up the Pencarrow lights a- - seven .or eight minutes previously.] He did not see the green light, but continued v on the course for Somes Island light' for ••: about 12 minutes. Then a squall of Tain ■ obscured the light. The squall lasted about • five minutes. Afterwards he picked up ' what he took to be the Ted light of Somes Island. When he found himself in the ■ red light he "ported" to get into the white sector again. Shortly after that he ; saw he was too close to the rocks oil , I'encarrow Head. He went hard to etar- ! :.board. The vessel refused to answer the ! helm,' but he thought the stern would swing round, a bit. He put the engines ■ full speed astern. The vessel struck the - - rocks heavily abaft the bridge. He cduld not- see any rocks ahead,: so put the en- ■.>' guies full speed ahead, but as he saw the rocks a minute later he stopped the engines. The lights went out a lew minutes later, attd the firemen came on deck saying that water waa coming into, the stokehold and engine-room. The speed was - about 10 knots. The night was rough, ' With squalls and a strong wind. He did : : not think it necessary when he got the red light to go out to sea again, but tried to pick up tho white sector. ' •Mr jfacassey (who appeared for the Marine Department): How did you get out of the white sector? - Witness replied that it might have been . the wind. Mr Myers, who appeared for Captain I CauJicc, objected to the suggestion that I he ever got out of the White sector. He I < suggested that it' might have been the red :.■■■ light of Falcon shoal. ' ■ Witness added that the vessel was seriously damaged, and he thought that it •' was practically a total loss. To Mr Blair, who appeared for the owners: Witness's explanation bf the disaster was he took the Falcon shoal • light to be the red sector of Somes Island, and he took what would have been iv correct course in that case—viz., to turn towards Pencarrow. -To Mr Myers : The Falcon was a fixed i./ light. If the Falcon light had been an occulting light it would not. have been possible for the wreck to occur. Witness, continuing, said the wind was S.S.E., and . if it had affected him at all it would have ; been towards the red sector of Somes Island. At this time the vessel would have.been about three miles and threej quarters off the Falcon shoal. These two fights were practically in'the same bearing. He saw only one and took it ' to be * the stronger—Somes Island light. Believing this he had no doubt that his proper ; 'course was to " port 'V to get back into ;. white sector. In view of What he snew now the light he saw must have .been the, Falcon light. He must have

■ ' been in the white sector all the time. If the Somes Island light had not been obscured he must have seen that he was in the green sector. There was nothing to indicate to him that it was imprudent to try to get in when he ported his helm. ' He could not have left thevbridge to go and take his bearings. • . Captain Black: According to the : time end chart you must have been in the green sector for a good time before you struck? Witness : I did not see tlie green li&ht until after the ship struck. ; Captain Black: Did you not see it when you picked up the white light first? /Witness: No. Witness, further said „ that it must have been >15' minutes from .the time the course was altered till the vessel struck. Moore, a member of the Devon's crew, gave evidence regarding the steering which he did in accordance with the captain's orders. ' Le llasurier, who was on duty on the look-out at 6 o'clock, said that the first light picked up was on the starboard ■ bow. Pencarrow was the next to loom ■up of tie lights on the port bow. He afterwards reported a white light) then a ■ fod, both right ahead. The next thing . reported was rocks right ahead. They' lost the white light after a time, but had the starboard lights all the while The chief officer the cap- . tain's evidence regarding the lights. Edward G. Rapiey, fourth officer, said . that he was on duty on the Monday of the ■wreck from 4 p.m., and the course that was was then, set was not altered till 7.10 p.m.. when Somes Island light was right ' ahead. Afterwards there was, a squall, and then he 6aw the red light. He noticed broken water and lie informed the captain, who immediately went hard " a-siarboard,'' but the vessel then struck. He could only account for the vessel changing her course by the current. He did not notice the white light or the green light. After seeing the red light a squall ' -went over and hid Somes Island lights. To Captain Black: He got no orders as to how the red lights should bear. There was no alteration in the bearing of the ship. He thought they would pass. Peocarrow by a quarter of a mile. • Archibald Walker, Lloyd's surveyor, said that the Devon was surrounded by rocks, except on the port beam, and a quarter of the vessel was resting practically on the bottom. He could not 6av exactly what, damage was done to the bottom, but he did not think there was any possibility of salvaging the vessel. Coming up frcim Pencarrow Head on Sunday evening in the Karaka they had exactly , the same > experience as the Devon in suddenly losing the white light on Somes Island through a squall, and then the red light on the Falcon shoal opening up. The Karaka kept on her course, Captain Jones , being quite conversant with the harbour. . . Henry Johnson, harbourmaster at Wellington, said that the sectors of the Somes . , Island light could be seen from about 14 miles outside the heads in line weather. The Falcon shoal light was inside the • blending of the red and white sectors, and an offioer navigating a steamer was expected to see this. If Somes Island light ■ was visible the light on Falcon shoal ■would be visible as well. He did not see how one would be obscured. Captain Edwin, master of the. Waliir.o, said that he left the wharf about 8.10 on Monday evening for Lyttelton. The' weather was squally, the light being partly obscured. When he got down to : ' the heads he saw the Devon, and after ; . standing by for some time he proceeded on his voyage, as it was impossible owing to the heavy sea to render assistance. The weather that evening waa good ■ enough for vessels to come in between the squalls. If he had been entering the harbtfur and had missed, the white light he would not have gone on unless he was in such a position that it was impossible for him to do anything else. He would not care to express an opinion Offhand as to whether the Ffilcon shoal light should be occulting or not. Captain Caunce was recalled by Mr Mvers in reference to a letter he had received in Auckland when he was there. Mr Myers: Did you get a letter from a pilot asking if you required his services? Witness: Yes. .Mr Macassey said that he objected i■ ■■ strongly to the evidence. Dr ll'Arthur; What has this got to do with the ,case? Was the\pilot on board, ' or what is wrong with him?, .• ' Mt Myers said that he' wanted to get the fact in as it was a very important uatter. "Mr Macassey again objected, and the Magistrate upheld his objection and ad- ' ' \iscd Mr Myers, after being informed •jil-ivut«lv what the letter referred to, that 1?a ,#d "better make representations to the 1 V.n«# Department. < ill- Myers said that lie .would do so,

Captain .Watson said that he had heard the whole of the evidence; and he had foreseen the danger of the Falcon light being mistaken for the Somes Island light, when' the latter was obscured. When Gaptain Oaunce found himself in the position he thought he was in through the Falcon light he was perfectly justified in " porting." . V- . ' After hearing Mt Myers in behalf ot Captain Caunce the court intimated that it .would give its decision on'the following day.