The Wreck of the s s. Wairarapa.

Southland Times, Issue 13061, 8 November 1894, Page 2

The Wreck of the s s. Wairarapa.

THE COURT OF ENQUIRY. (By Telegraph.) Auckland, Nov. 7. In the course of his evidence yesterday William Herbert Johnston, third officer of the Wairarapa, said : On Sunday morning I relieved the chief officer when we were just abreast of the Three Kings. I thought we ware five or six miles from the Kings. The course given me by the captain then was east half-north. The captain left orders to keep a good look-out for Cape Maria van Diemen. When I took the log it registered 62 miles. The log had not been set from the previous day. That would mean 262 miles. When I took bearings I could see the lighthouse on Cape Maria van Diemen. We were about six miles off. The captain was on the lower deck and I called his attention to the distance we passed off the cape. Thab was 10.40. The captain gave the course east-by-north a quarter north. We ran that course for the remainder of my watch. During the morning the fog came down thick. The last laud I saw was just before noon. I took it to be Spirits Bay, midway between Maria van Diemen and North Cape. It was a little abaft the beam, and according to the way we were going we ought to have been at the east end of the bay, or a little beyond it. After altering the course the captain remained on the bridge for some time. He then left, and returned just before noon .when I was relieved by the second officer. The weather was thick and foggy. I suppose a mile and a half to two miles was the most we could see through the fog. During the whole of my watch the vessel was going at full speed. I came on duty again at 5 p.m., the weather was a little clearer, but periodically it would become heavier. The chief officer gave me the distance run in his watch as either 82 or 84 miles—that would mean 114 to 116 miles from Cape Maria van Diemen. The captain remained on the bridge nearly the whole of my watch. A few minutes before 10 o’clock he went down to examine his chart. During my watch we steered E.S. E. until 10 p.m., when it was altered to S.S.E. We ran that course half an hour and (hen changed to south by east three-quarters east. We ran seven miles by the log in that half hour. That course was continued until I was relieved at midnight. I then registered 38 miles by the log—that showed 180 miles from Cape Maria van Diemen. At 10 p in. the vessel would be 214 miles from Mokohinou lighthouse, and was bearing from the island north half east. Did you have any conversation with the captain during that time: — Yes. At a quarter past 11 o’clock, more as a question, because it would not do for a junior like me to suggest, I asked when he was going to

slow down. He replied that the ship was all right; to keep a sharp look out for the tad ™ .ny conversation ’-Somewhere between 9 and 10 I asked him if he did not think we were J long way outside Poor Knights. He san wo were quite close enough to them, and Zightsee them at any minute on the starb°Whv did you ask that question ?—My reason for asking him was because there had teen a slight alteration from the usual As a rule our usual course was E S.E." from the North Cape to Cape Brett; thence to the Poor Knights the course was SE. by E., half easterly. On this course we should pass from a mile to a mile and a half off Cape Brett and about four miles off the Poor Knights. I remarked to the captain on the different course we steering from our general course. His reply was that fhe hea“v r y g north east sea which was running would drive us too much on the loor K Y^ t had a good opportunity during those four hours of observing the captains demeanour. Did you see anything strange about him’—He was, as he always was, any sign of drink upon him?— No, not the slightest. He was perfectly B °This morning Mr Johnston was examined at length as to the possibility of a raf with survivors having drifted to sea. He stated that he did not think this' P°^ lble ; ft He ££ counted for three out of four rafts, un Sunday the captain was particularly attentive duties and seldom-left the bridge. be midway between Cape Brett and tne Poor Knights. The ship was well found m sotmding apparatus, which was ready for instoat use'whenever the captain chose to take soundings. . Witness couldno.account for the alteration in the course. JJr Coughtrey was the captains medical adviser When the steamer was laid up at Port Chalmers the captain went to Lake Wakatipu, and the remark was passe d by several when he came back he J ld look so strong as he had looked, ine provisions of article 12 of the regulations were not complied with, neither was article 13 re moderation of the speed in a og. When the second officer relieved witness at midnight, he remarked, in the presence of the captain, that they must be near the Hen and Chickens. The captain replied What nonsense.” Witness did not knowr of any special instructions given to the captain to be in time for the Christchurch week. When the ship went ashore there was 48 hours to spare. The captain was a very temperate man. He had never known him to touch opium or morphia or to show the effects of liquor. He was a strong minded man, but his nerves may have been shaken by his recent illness. He had no reason to believe the captains mind had civen way under pressure of any sort. Between eleven and twelve o’clock witness wen t to the captain and told him the ship was logging fourteen knots. The captain said it was ridiculous that she should be doing it. Several more bodies were found at the Great Barrier yesterday. These are supposed to be those of Mrs Waterhouse and child, Mr Duncklcy (saloon passenger), and Mrs Baldwin. Dr Lowry and Mrs Page have gone to identify those first named. Sergeant Gamble reports that 57 bodies have been buried and accounted for, and if no more bodies are found he will leave for Auckland to morrow or Friday. The police party had a narrow escape, their boat being stove in at the wreck while getting the body of Mrs Waterhouse off to H.M.S. Royalist, which was cruising in the vicinity of the wreck, her steam launch being of great service. Mr Judd, the chief steward, was buried here to-day. . Wellington, Nov. 7. Mr Tuckett, a survivor, says that after the ship struck he made for the poop where two seamen were trying to lower a boat. A croup of women there were crying out tor the boat to be lowered, but the seamen said they were waiting ordersand these, Tuckett says, he never heard. He made to lower the boat and was ordered back. A considerable time elapsed and still the boat was not lowered. Then the seas swept the deck and carried him and the others overboard. He was repeatedly knocked under water by horses, dead bodies and wreckage, and was only taken into the boat when at hrs last Christchurch, Nov. 7. In connection with the Wairarapa disaster the Premier states that it has been decided that the evidence of Mr James Mills, managing director of the Union b.S. Lo, Captain Wheeler and Captain Cameron shall be taken by commission.