STRANDING OF THE MARAROA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16953, 15 March 1917, Page 6

STRANDING OF THE MARAROA

INQUIRY OPENED. . .... (Pflß ■United Press Associatioh.) \ < , WELLINGTON, March 14. •: The nautical inquiry into the stranding of. the Mararoa near Pencarrow on February 24 wa3 opened this morning, before Mr Riddell (Magistrate), Captains Johnson and Black. ..Counsel for the Crown said that at 8.30 a.m., while the steamer was going slowly in the fog, soundings were taken, which : showed 52 fathoms. The log showed 146.6 miles. Captain Reid toothe responsibility of feeling his way in, going slow. The third ■njate was just about to take another sound* .ing .when the lookout man called "Breakers ahead." '. The engines were reversed, but the vessel was stranded.

% ■ Paterson, Union Company's superintendent engineer, said that 24 of the plates were damaged on the starboard side of the Mararoa, and 12 on tho port side. The cost of the repairs would bo from £600 to £700.

r Thomae Reid (master of tho Mararoa) stated' that on February 23 he left Lyttelton at 8.23 p.m. From the time the fog ,came, on until the vessel struck witness was in charge. At midnight ho sent a wireless message to Captain Manning, on the Maori* stating that he had run into a dense fog, and his log "showed 39." Captain Manning replied, 'and later sent a message in which he stated that ho had run into a fog, Kind'his log "showed 77." Witness kept tho Maxaroa at i full speed until 8 o'clock nexS morning., Ho could then see no light or landmark from which ho could take beur•.ixigs _He slowed the ship down, and took soundings, which showed over 100 fathoms. As ; ai safeguard witness put tho vessel sis miles ahead. of dead reckoning. She continued. to go . slow until 8.20 a.m., and he changed his courso to N.E. > He kept on that course until the vessel stranded. He did so because he expected a set to tho wrest' from a strong flood tide in Cook Strait. He took another sounding at 8.30 >hich .showed 100 fathoms. , He was of opinion that the vessel was then doing about, four knots an hour. Witness could not explain why the log showed 12 miles an hour from a o'clock until 8.47.- When the' vessel struck the engines registered 5J> miles. He intended to keep the ship going slowly ahead when \he got 30 fathoms until he.reached 25 fathoms, and then if ho had sgeii nothing he would have put out to sea The first warning he had of land was from the • lookout forward, who called out: '".Rocks on the starboard bow ahead." Witness put the engines full speed astern. After the vessel struck ,ho kept the engines f ping full speed astern for a few minutes. le then ordered the engineer to get the stream anchor out to prevent the vessel from drifting broadside on to the' beach. Later the tugs came down, and the vessel was got off. . Thomas Inkster (third officer) gave evidence a.s tof the 6oundings. Two A.B.'s testified to sighting rocks aaid ns to the course steered. ; Captain Manning said that under circum■Btances similar to those detailed he would continue a little longer before expecting to pick;up the land. ■The inquiry was adjourned till to-morrow.