WRECK OF THE KAPONGA

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1932, Page 7

WRECK OF THE KAPONGA

ADJOURNMENT OF INQUIRY KALINGO’S EVIDENCE REQUIRED. I NO SUGGESTION OF NEGLIGENCE. DISCUSSION OF THE SOUNDINGS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. When the inquiry into the wreck of tho Kaponga was continued to-day Captain Cox, harbourmaster at Greymouth, said that according to the reading on tho gauge and the previous sounding there should have been at least 21 feet 3 inches of water on the bar at the time of the mishap. He was swinging the Kaponga when the Kalingo went down the river, but he watched the Kalingo go across the bar. The Kalingo made no signal, but he saw some steam around her funnel.

Asked if he thought the Kalingo touched, witness said he thought nothing at all, because he knew that if she had he would be advised in a moment or two from the flagstaff.

Witness said that he did not remember any conversation with Gibson, second officer of the Kaponga, but it was quite possible that if the matter had been brought up he might have said he thought the Kalingo had touched. He watched the Kaponga go right down to the bar, and she made a very good course down the river. He thought she was clear. On being notified that she had stuck he gave orders immediately for the tug to be got ready. It was put to Captain Cox that the only conclusion that could be come to was That the soundings were incorrect. Witness replied: “Not at all.” Counsel: Did not the Ngahera strand when she expected ,to have five or six feet of water under her?—The Ngahera never went near the bar. Counsel: Never mind about that; but did she not strand when she expected to have that water under her?—Yes. METHOD OF SOUNDING. Witness said he still considered that sounding by the lead was the best method, adding that after this affair he would never be easy. He had not the slightest suspicion or reason to doubt tho accuracy of the soundings taken the day the Kaponga sailed. David Croll Milne, assistant engineer to the Greymouth Harbour Board, gave the results of some calculations he had made concerning the Kalingo. He showed that from the figures furnished by the captain os to the vessel’s speed and draught and the swell experienced in crossing the bar it could be worked out that the limit of the depth reached by the bottom of the vessel at the lowest point in. ascending was 21ft. 2in. Milne showed also that from the soundings taken by Captain Cox the depth of water on the bar at the time the Kalingo passed over and touched it could be worked out to an identical figure, 21ft. 2in. Milne accounted for the Kaponga stranding as the result of a local shoaling on the bar. Captain James Rankine, of the. Komata, which touched the bar the following Tuesday morning when drawing 16 feet in water that should have been more than 20 feet deep, gave it as his opinion ti.at the stranding of the Kaponga must have been due to some sort of ridge that was missed by the soundings. The Crown Solicitor appearing for the Marine Department asked the Court the following questions: (1) What was the cause of the stranding? (2) What further precautions could have been taken to avoid it?

“I think,” eaid counsel, “the evidence .discloses that all the parties took precautions, so I don’t suggest any wrongful act has been, performed.” DUTIES OF MASTERS. Counsel for Captain Gray said that in view of the way in which the Crown had shaped the case there was really little for him to say, but as far as Captain Gray was concerned he was mainly interested in having it proved that the stranding had been in no way his fault. No allegation of negligence or failure in duty had been made. Nevertheless it was a little disturbing and perhaps a little new for masters to feel that they were responsible for the data in connection with the port and the safety of navigation. Counsel for the owners of the Kaponga said that in his opinion a very large are of the shallow part of the bar had been missed by the soundings. Counsel for the Harbour Board said that it was quite possible the soundings of 19 feet taken on Friday from the tug had been on each side of the tract of shoaled ground revealed by Captain Gray’s soundings next morning after the stranding had occurred. Counsel made it clear that the board did not ask the masters of vessels to come out to check the board’s soundings but simply had adopted the practice of taking the masters out on the tug in order that they might see the soundings and conditions for themselves. In regard to the blowing of the whistle as an indication that a vessel had touched the bar, counsel thought the position was unsatisfactory. Possibly some uniform regulation for the -whole of New Zealand, consisting of a distinctive whistle .or visual signal, for vessels to use when they had touched the bottom could be brought into force. After conferring briefly with the assessors the president said the Court felt that it should hear the evidence of the master of the Kalingo before arriving at a finding. The inquiry was adjourned until the Kalingo returned to New Zealand from Australia.