NAUTICAL INQUIRY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12815, 15 July 1912, Page 6

NAUTICAL INQUIRY.

'Ihe inquiry m. reg:*. rd -to the strandinjf of the steamer •.•>tar of Canada- was continued this afternoon,, James John. Patterson, first officer^ of the Star of Canada, deposed that he held an extra master's certificate. At [MO' p.m. on Sunday, June 23, he had instructions to heave the port anchor gut clear «f the '■ -hawse pipe,, so that it would ;b3 all ready for l.tting go» He carried out the order. He remaiiKid oif watch until 8 o'clock. The vessel was then ridinj,' -quite :ea*-ily., Thor. was a fresh to strong b'reaze and a moderate sea. He . was galled Vat . 10.45 p.m. by th-e third officer, who! stat'-d the captain was going to put to sea as "".fooiv as steam.- was .raadyf '-'and he Was to go on the bridge and r.ce him before 'going forward ;to heave' up. He reached the bridge shortly aft-.r 11 o'clock. A ' heavy squall was passing over just then, with heuvy rain. He .could' not t'*c the Vhoro 'be-:irir,jß. Ha' was (old to let go the port anchor. He. went forward, but tli? vessel took; the ground before got forward. Captain Hart instructed him to hold on to tha port anchor, and heave away on the starboard cable. 'They could not heave any chain of the starboard cable, but about a quarter of an hour later got about three fathoms. Tliey had been trying all the time' to gat. m the starboard cable. iff Barton-.;' ' How .Avas.. it you oould not, get more cable-?— There was . too much Aveigh.t on it.. Did that give y on. the impression the aorchbr 'was. holding?— lt must have been , li old ing id that time; Continuing,' 'ivituess said they kept on hauling for about an hour, but did not p^t m n-ore than three ' fathoms. Some tim**? affer ''midnight he had instructions to let go the port anchor. The.A'essel w^s at thi-3 time hard and fast, When, he went on the bridge at il o'clock tha ship's head,; according to the wind, waa falling away. When he got on the bridge, the vessel's head Avas actually SAvinging. , »' Mr Barton • Lid you think she was dragging or had parted ?— She Avas not draggir,-j> it had parted! There, was no iremor. Mr Barton : Have yoiii ever had any 1 experience of «•■ vessel dragging? — Yes. You can feel the vibration. It would not be so noticeable with, a soft bottom. To Mr Xolan : Whatever happened must have occurred just as he came on dec a, or just' Hef ore. He could not say if the vessel's head was falling away faat. „ " " '" ' .; / To Mr Myers : Tiie three fathoms of chain was hauled iv Avithin . about a quarter of an hour after the \*essel struck. Two , or three days after they hauled m; from the 60-fathom mark to the 45-fat-hom mark. There did not then appear to be any grip on the •anchor.; •', the •■ chain came m quite easily." To Mr Barton:. The anchor, and 75 fathoms of cable would be 15 or 16 tons, and it would be impossible to have hauled that m m that d.pth had the- anchor been attached. It was possible the chain might .have got round some of the rocks, and accounted for their not being able to get it m just then. Subsequently, when the chain Avaa hauled iii easily, the falvor's experts were aboard. The other 45 fathoms were not hauled m because the salvors wanted' the anchor left there, if it was there, m order to increase (ho chance of saving the ship. Dp till 8 o'clock tnei'e was no occasion for anxiety as to the safety of the ship or any reascvn . fpr putting ont to sea. He. -had boon with Captain Hart about 18 months, and had been to sea for 11 years as an orHccr. He had alway3 found Captain Hart to bo a careful, cautious master, even more so than other masters he had served under. He Avas quite right m saying Captain Hart's ship wa3 .'always his first consideration. Whilst they wore m port he Avas frequently about the bridge deck, and was always alive to his responsibility. He did not think tho. starboard anchor was still on the chain. air O. B. Hoddinott, third officer, stated that he held a first mate's certificate. He went on watch at 8 p.m. There was no alteration m the vessel's land bearings from the time ho had previously been on watch. There Avas a fresh to strong breeze, moderate sea and squally, but no force m the squalls^ She was riding easily at anchor. Captain Hart was on the bridge and bridge deck until 10.30 p.m. He told him to call !]im if there was the slightest change m the weather. Finding the sea was increasing and a squall coming over the land, he called tho captain at 10-40 p.m, {Left sitting.)