WRECK OF THE PENGUIN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13836, 23 February 1909, Page 6

WRECK OF THE PENGUIN.

NAUTICAL ENQUIRY. Per-Press "Association. "WELLINGTON,' Feb. 22. v The Magisterial enquiry into the wreck of the steamer JL'enguin was resumed to-day before Dr.. McArthur, S.M., Captain W. J. Reed, of Auckland, and Captain Charles McArthur, of Wellington. The Marine Department was represented by Mr Myers, the Union Company by Mr Levi (in the absence, through illness, of Mr Wilford), and Captain Naylor and Mr Luke (second engineer) by Mr Herdman. * I'HK CaPTALVS EMDENCE. Captain Naylor, in his evidence, stated that before leaving Picton at 6.20 p.m. on February 12th, he could not tell what the weather was likelv to be outside. The average speed o*f the Penguin was 12£ knots. On coming out of Tory Channel there was very little sea, and the weather was overcast, the wind being from the south-east. The currents at the head of Tory Channel ran rapidly as a rule, from one to three knots. When the boat emerged from Tory Channel wit-' Bess set a course south-east a quarter east by east. At 8 o'clock he went south-east by east again, and stood on that course till 20 minutes to 10. The slup by that time had steamed 22 miles. He reckoned she had done 18. It. was 17f miles from the Heads to Tom's Rock. Witness in his calculations had made allowance for currents. According to his reckoning he would have.been just past Tom's Rock at -20 minutes to 10. At 9 o'clock it was raining heavily and squalls continued. Between 9.15 and 9.30 it hecame very dark. He did not alter his course till 20 minutes to 10. Nor did he take any soundings. He -noticed that the tides in Tory Channel were Dot according to 'book tide. They ■were running in on the south and out on the north. Witness had expected slack water. To meet this diihculty he had steered a.south-east by east course. This would keep the beacons in line, and so enable him to clear Tom's Rock. He considered he was on a, good safe course. At 20 minutes to 10 he reckoned he had passed Tom's Rock, and was a good three miles off it. At that hour he altered his course east by south, and ran for 20 minutes. This should have put him past Sinclair. He could see practically nothing in. shore. Counsel: I put 'it to you that soundings should have been "taken. Witness: To take soundings with the lead I should have been courting danger, because I would have had to stop the ship, and that would have been dangerous. For the same reason witness said he did not slow down.

Counsel: I put it to you, after you came out of Tory Channel, and lost the Brothers, you did not know where you ■were.

Witness: I set a course that would have made me absolutely safe uuder normal condition's. Continuing, he said the ship struck at two minutes past 10. At the moment he was putting the ship's head out io sea. He dia so because, if he ran on much further, he would be at Baring Head. He Lad never experienced such a "set in" in the current as lie had that night. The boats and gear were in good order, :ind four would have been ample if no damage had occurred. The last time boat drill was held on the ship was at Picton on January 13th. In reply to questions, Captain Naylor said that he was off the deck for five minutes to get his paper proof, and Le was just near the bridge when she went down. Good order prevailed, barring the excitement of two passengers and a member of the crew, who Jet- No. 3 boat out of the falls. "Witness drifted ashore on an upturned boat. Referring to the statement that masters frequently lost all lights in Cook Strait, counsel asked, "Is it the practice, under these circumstances, in going through the Straits, for masters to go on their course?" Witness: "Yes, because all masters set a safe course and continue on." Counsel here read regulation 33, which specified that should foggy weather set in when a steamer is coasting, or in the neighbourhood of land, the captain must take charge of the ship, the lead must be frequently used, and if soundings suggest the slightest doubt of the course the ship is running, her head must bo turned away from what is considered the direction of land, and her progress stayed until her exact position is ascertained.

Counsel asked witness if it v.as not Lis duty, under tlie regulations,' to put the ship away from the land after 9.15 p.m. "I did not consider it so." rr plied the witness. "The course 1 set should liave taken us clear." Mr Myers: Seeing that there was a difference between conditions and what you expected, do you still consider ifc was unnecessary to take any hearings of the' Brothers? —Witness: I lost the Brothers about 8 or shortly afterwards. Biit you knew you were going to lose the light?— Not in rain squalls. You might pick it up again.

In answer to other questions, witness said he could have taken proper bearings by altering the ship's course a point or two. On the course he was

steering he should have opened out Pencarrow light at 9.15. The light did not appear at'9.ls, because there were rain squalls over the land in that direction. Although he did not open out Pencarrow he continued at full speed.

Mr Myers: Where-did you think you were at 9.15 ?—Witness: I reckoned I was too far out to sea to see the light. When did it occur to you that you were shut in by Sinclair Heads?—lt did not occur to me at all.

Where did you think you were at 20 to 10? —I reckoned I had passed Tom's Rock, and was a good three mileo off it. Didn't it occur to you then that it was strange that you had not picked up Pencarrow light?— Not in the squally state of the weather. What did you do at 20 to 10 o'clock ? —I altered the course to east by south, and ran for 20 minutes. This should have put me past Sinclair's Heads. Do I understand you to say that at 20 minutes to 10 you were three miles otf Tom's Rock and past Tom's Rock? —Yes.

Proceeding, witness said that a quarter to 10 it was raining heavily, and he rung "Stand by" on the engines He did not slow down.

When the ship struck witness told the chief steward to call all the passengers and provide them with lifebelts, and he did' not think there was any danger. He also- ordered soundings to be taken, and sent the third oflicer down to the engine-room, so that the pumps could be put on if the vessel was making water. Three minutes after the ship struck she was making water in the forward hold, and he rang " Slow" when he found out the water was making on the pumps. He ordered the women to be put in the lifeboats. At this time the boats had been lowered at the rails of the vessel. While the boats were being handled the chief engineer said .he could do nothing with the pumps, the water was gaining too fast. The No. 2 boat was sent away in chargp of the second engineer, with orders to keep well out to sea, and so drift round Terawhiii into smooth water. He saw No. -2 boat lowered into the water and cleared away from -the ship, but did not see No. 4 boat lowered. No. 1 boat was being lowered when a sea struck, it and overturned it. He understood that No. 4 boat got away round the stern of the ship. He did not know who was in charge of it.

Witness was asked if the vessel carried a sufficient crew to man the boats, and said the crew could have provided five oars for each boat. The men. belonging to the crew who got ashore on the rafts were those wno had stood by and given up their places. Each member of the crew was furnished with a card, setting out boat drill duty. On the occasion of the fatal trip, witness said he had allowed more tnau usual for the currents. On previous occasions he had always taken a bearing of the Brothers light, but this time it was suddenly shut out by die weather.

Captain Smith also questioned witness, who said he steered a compass course from Picton. The compasses were adjusted on December 21,1 th. There were two compasses. There was no patent deep sea sounding on board. The case had been broken ,oif years ago, when he was mate on board the vessel.

To Mr Herdman, witness said he was off the deck for five minutes to get his waterproof coat early in the mgnt, and he was just near the bridge when the ship went down. 'J.here was nothing exceptional in the weather after leaving Tory Channel. The weather on the Tory Channel side of the Straits was much finer than on the Terawhiti side. The record of tides was contained in the Government almanac and the published chart. The chart was compiled from a survey made in 1849; corrections had been made since, but. no systematic survey had been made, so far as he knew, since 1849. He had never been driven out of his course before by the current. It was a common thing, however, to be driven out of a course to the extent of a couple of miles. The tide after leaving Tory Channel was against witness, instead of being with him. When witness lost the Brothers lights he could still see the Tory Channel lights, because the squall cleared them. The Tory Channel lights were of more use to him in guidinu: his ship than a bearing by the Brothers light would ha\"e been. It was not an uncommon experience to lose all lights in the' Strait during squalls.

Mr Herdman : Do you consider there is any necessity to put out to sea, as suggested by Mr Myers, in these circumstances.

Witness: No. because you would be always piftting out to sea. In reply to questions, Captain Naylor said that he had done everything lie possibly could. The cause of the accident was the abnormal flow of the tide through Cook Strait that night. He had not to run to a time-table, lie had to consider the safety of his ship,

and notliing was said if lie were late in arrival.

Captain Naylor added that the lifeboats on the Penguin were five years old. Oil was supplied to the boats in a copper drum. He could not _ say whether any was used or not. No. 5 boat had a rudder and a steer oar; the other four boats had only a rudder. In a heavy sea there was no doubt a steer oar was the thing to guide • a boat. Personallv, he thought it would be well to have all lifeboats fitted with a steer oar as well as a rudder. There was a man named Henderson on the ship's crew. He did not know, as counsel suggested, that he was the only man in one of the boats. As far as he knew or could learn, Henderson went over the' side of the ship, aud was pulled on board again. In the first boat that got away there were five or six members of the crew. No. o boat had seven or eight men in it to manage it The deck hands of the vessel numbered eight, six A.B's., a 'bosun, and an ordinary seaman. . Dr McArtliur: Did you at any time between Tory Channel and Terawhiti put Your supposed position on the chart-Witness: No, after I left Tory Channel I ruled off a course. Did you put your position down. 1 Wien the vessel struck, where did you think you were; did you form 'vour idea after she struck?—l knew I must have struck between bmelair Head and Karori Rock. I reckoned I was past Sinclair Heads about three or four miles off it, and about seven miles off Pencarrow light. That was the idea you' had before she struck? —Yes. . , Then after she struck, what idea did. you form?—l came to the conclusion tint she must have struck Tom s Bock. Dr Me Arthur pointed out that steaming from ten minutes towght to two minutes past 10, at 12* ■ knots would have carried the ship 27 miles. The distance from Tory Channel to Tom's Rock was 175 miles; did these figures not suggest that there was something wrong ?—Witness said he allowed for two knots against the ship (current I *, and reckoned that the ship had really done 20 or 22 miles "good After hearing further evidence, the Court rose until next day. A BODY FOUND. WELLINGTON, Feb. 22. Another body was recovered at the scene of the Penguin wreck this evening. It is that of a man, and on one of the fingers is a ring in the shape of i true lovers' knot. The body has not been identified.