FOUNDERING OF SCOW

Southland Times, Issue 22917, 16 June 1936, Page 8

FOUNDERING OF SCOW

INQUIRY OPENED MINISTER DESIRES TO KNOW CAUSE CLASSIFIED AS HOME TRADE VESSEL (United Press Association.) Auckland, June 15. An inquiry into the sinking of the 35-ton auxiliary scow Kaiaia, near Mercury Bay, on March 25, was opened to-day before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., with whom were associated as assessors Captain D. Bell, Captain E. W. Norton and Mr E. R. Lane. The Crown was represented by Mr V. N. Hubble, who said that the Minister of Marine (the Hon. P. Fraser) desired to know the cause of the foundering. Captain H. S. Aspden, the master, said that the vessel, which was owned by the Aspden Shipping Company, left Auckland at 11.45 a.m. on March 24, with about 20 tons of general cargo and 85 drums of benzine, of which 30 were on the deck. Cape Colville was rounded at 6 p.m. The wind was fair and the vessel was under sail, with the engines running. He went below at midnight and was' called at 2.30 by the engineer, as the wind was blowing hard from the south-east and there was a rising sea. At 4.30 the vessel was leaking. The two deck pumps were manned and the vessel made for Mercury Bay. An hour later the ship was sinking and unmanageable, and he gave orders to abandon the ship. With the engineer and one of the crew he lowered a lifeboat. The other two members of the crew were washed overboard, but were picked up by the boat. The scow soon after sank by the head in 35 fathoms of water, about a mile and a half south of Castle Rock. Witness said that he was a shareholder in the company, and knew that the vessel was not insured. By an oversight on his part the deck cargo had not been inspected, but he had no trouble with it. Floating Logs. Replying to Mr Gould, for the owners, witness said that he knew that following a severe storm in February, there were a lot of logs floating in the Bay of Plenty. He thought that the vessel had struck a log without the shock being noticed, owing to the pounding seas. The ship was well found and fully manned. The estimated loss to the company was £l5OO. Evidence of the mishap was given by Douglas Bowie Stubbing, engineer of the Kaiaia. He said that the engine pump would normally cope with 1000 gallons of water an hour and the two hand pumps together with about 1500 gallons. The scow was fitted with two engines. This machinery was all in working order. The other three members of the crew substantiated the evidence given by the master and the engineer. Various shipwrights and surveyors who had worked on and examined the Kaiaia in December testified to the soundness of her hull and to. her full equipment of life-saving appliances. Questioning Leonard Robertson, a master mariner and marine surveyor, Mr Walsh asked whether he considered that the Kaiaia was suitable for a total engine-power of 54 horse-power and for cruising on all the coasts of the Dominion, which her classification as a home-trade vessel enabled her to do. The engines were quite suitable, said witness. The matter of the vessel’s classification was ruled as beyond the scope of the inquiry. “The classification of this type of craft,” said Mr Walsh in reviewing the evidence, “as a home-trade vessel is no more than the licensing of coffin ships. If nothing is done to protect the men sailing in these scows, there will be some terrible disasters.” Mr Wilson said that the finding of the Court would be submitted to the Minister of Marine.