Second Edition CYRENA INQUIRY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LV, Issue 91, 16 June 1925, Page 6

Second Edition CYRENA INQUIRY.

WRECKED AT WANGANUI. HA BBOBMASTEB'S EVI DENCE. Waiiganui, June 15. The nautical inquiry into the wreck of the Cyrena commenced this morning before Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., and Captains Edwin and Barron (assessors). The evidence of the harbormaster (Captain Mclntyre) occupied six -hours.'- v 'This Was'"the only evidence taken, Captain Mclntyre stated that when he boarded the Cyrena for* the purpose of piloting her ill, Captain Patarson informed him that the steamer was drawing 16ft Gin. fore and aft Captain Mclntyre's soundings and measurements indicated that there' should be 18ft 6in at high tide. He also informed Captain Paterson that, the bar was composed of. mud. Cap tain Paterson and the pilot were satisfied that, with two feet under che Cyrena's bottom, it was perfectly safe to take the bar, considering :hat the sea was smooth.

•At 10.30 a.m. the'Cyrena headed for the entrance, keeping the beacons men slightly to .the south. The sea was smooth with no lift at all upon the vessel. The Cyrena grounded gently at 10,40. There was no jar, but just a ; gradual pulling up as would lie expected on a mud buttom, and a flight lift of the hows on grounding. The. engine-room telegraph was at "full speed ahead" in accordance with the pilot's instructions.

After grounding the Cyrena appeared to be afloat forward about twothirds of her length, and fast from there aft; There was, however, no noticeable cant on the vessel. Soundings were taken in the veissel and it was found that she was making n<: water. Endeavours were made foi r.ome one and a-half hours aftei grounding to work her off with the mgines, but without result. A kedgi inchor with a wire rope, was got read\ Co run out astern, but it was even tually decided not to do so, and ii message was sent ashore for lightens* cinches were taken off and the der ricks got ready. Measures were alsf taken to lift the stern by pumping li ;ons of water into the fore peak,~fill ing it up, and shifting 37 tons o fuel oil from the after to the forwan joffer dam, and pumping all the boil 3r water overboard from the afte: peak. The captain estimated that this would lift the stern by about ; j foot with the falling tide.

A i heavy swell set in from tin south at 3 p.m. The agent came of, and reported that it w as too rough for lighters to come alongside witl the swell and incoming tide, which would be high at 11.26 p.m. Tin vessel commenced bumping badly and at 8.22 it was decided to star the engines and endeavour to wort.ier off the bank. At 5.30 it was found that the vessel was making water fast in tin liter hold, and also in the forwarc told, although the engine-room wat Iry, and the ship's pumps wene unible to cope with the inflow. From i. 22 the engines were working in ar. mdeavor to shift the vessel, but she iid not move till abou 9.6.

At 0.46 the vessel began dragging towards the north mole, and had 14 feet of water in the after hold and 10 feet in the forward hold. An endeavor was made to get the steamer in between the moles, but as .shf was bumping and dragging all the time and the wind and seas were carrying her towards the north mole, it was decided to beach her to the north of the north mole, This.

manoeuvre was eventually carried out and the captain succeeded in squaring the vessel up before she took the bottom more firmly by the stern about a quarter of a mile to the northward of the north mole at 9.59. Heavy seas were breaking over the stern, and the after part of the vessel was working. An examination next morning showJed that the plates were buckled on either side of the vessel at the waterline, just forward of the mainmast, and abaft the watertight bulkhead between No. 1 and No. 2 holds, a,nc\ there was a crack on either side of the ship extending to the rail. The stanin No. 2 hold for a distance of about 20 feet, and just about opposite the cracks hi the vessel's sides, were found to be bent as if forced up from below. Tlie vessel ha s since June 11 parted in two at the line of the cracks, every endeavour being made in the meantime to bring her into the port.

Soundings were taken on the bar, after the casualty, and an obstruction was- found on the position where the vessel had grounded. This obstruction was buoyed and by means of. a spear it was thought to be a logj of wood lying on the bottom.. A southerly came up later and covered the obstruction with sand, and the dredge in an endeavour to remove thej sand fouled the buoy and carried it away, and the obstruction has not since been located. r ' SIGNALMAN S EVIDENCE. Wanganui, June 16. Tlie Cyrena inquiry was continued to-day. Captain Iv. Johnston, signalman at. the pilot station, gave evidence as to taking a gauge at high water on the day the vessel grounded, ffc was perfectly safe to have brought the Cyrena, in that day with, two feet of water under her bottom. He would have considered a foot of water as a< safe margin that day. The lowest, water on the bar at high water should, according to the gauge, have bee.ij 18 feet 7 inches. He considered thato Captain Patterson with his vessel drawing 16 feet 6 inches was perfectly justified in coming in. The evidence of Captain Patterson, of the Cyrena, will b e taken this, afternoon.