WRECK OF THE PENGUIN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13838, 25 February 1909, Page 6

WRECK OF THE PENGUIN.

THU. NAUTICAL ENQLHU*. Per Press"Associativa WELLINGTON, Feb. 24. The enquiry into the cuuse of the wreck of the Penguin was continued to-day. Captain Frank L. Vickennan, master :of the s.s. Kennedy, stated that he had 28 years' experience of the navigation .of Cook Strait. On the 12th February "he left Wellington at 6.20 for Nelson. The Kennedy reached the . Brothers at 11.17 p.m. "Witness found that there was a terrific deast seven knots. He had experienced a similar current before when far better weather prevailed. A seven-knot current was not unprecedented in his experience. Mr Myers: Is a strong current like that a thing to watch for and guard against ? Witness: You cannot guard against it; you don't know until it has happened. .Witness added that he passed •the Penguin about 9.35 p'.m. He first saw her lights 1 about -9.15.- Previous to this witness had altered his course. He did "not see any land after he passed the Penguin. It- would be im-! possible to say where he met the full force of the current, but he got its full strength about the Brothers. When navigating the Straits, and when in the neighbourhood of Terawhiti, without, being able to pick up a light, lie had frequently stood away to the north.

Counsel: ; Why did you do that?

"Witness: "'When in a small boat you do not knqw where the current may be taking you. I think if I had a fullpowered boat I' -would trust to my course. •

Even where you had lost- all lights 'and did not know your position; what would you do?—lt is hard to say; you always imagine-' you know your course. If I only had * a few 'miles to go I would continue on in the hope of picking up the lights. Do you ever know what strength of current you are going to get? —No; you never know. Even in going _to Wanganui I would not risk a shilling that I would get to the same place twice running. "Witness said in reply to further questions, that there was a certain risk in keeping on when all lights were lost. It was a matter of judgment largely, and all the circumstances had to be taken into account.

To Mr Herdman witness said he had been at sea for 40 years. There were strong currents in other places as , well as Cook Strait. It had never been a practice when lights were lost to go to sea and leave a set course. The course set by Captain Naylor was a wide safe course. If he had had. the Tory Channel lights opened up to the south at 8.30, after leaving t*he channel at ten minutes to 8 o'clock, he would have been absolutely confident o£ the safety of his course. Mr Herdman: Would you consider that travelling on that "S.E. by E. course from 8.30 to 9.30 or 9.45, you would have lost your bearings?—" Witness: No.

That course would take a ship 6J miles off Tom's Rock? —Yes. You consider that a good allowance to make for the tide? —Yes. To Mr Levi witness said that he knew nothing of the patent sounding apparatus. Dr. McArthur asked the witness what he would have done on a similar r-ourse to that set in the case of the Penguin; would he have continued on after he had lost all lights? Witness replied that»if he felt satisfied he had made 20 miles, he would in a boat like the Penguin, have stood "on.

Although you saw no lights?— Yes; I would hope to pick up Pencarrow. Mr Myers stated that he proposed to let all the six questions submitted to the Court stand with the exception of No. 2. After hearing the evidence lie did not suggest that it was not safe to sail from Tory Channel on the night of the wreck. Accordingly he proposed to substitute the following: — " (2) Whether, under the existing conditions at any time after 9.15 p.m., shelter should have been sought, or the vessel's head pirt out to sea till morning, instead of continuing on the course to Wellington." The following additional questions would also be added: '■ (7) Whether, under the circumstances shown by the evidence, soundings should have been taken, and if so, after what time?

" (8) AVhether it is necessary or desirable that coasting vessels, should be fitted with patent sounding gear?" Counsel said he did propose to putsome form of general question, but he recognised that there would be a great deal of difficulty. He felt lie could not go beyond the particular case, but the Court was entitled to make any general recommendation it thought fit. * Captain C. Post, of the" Government steamer Tutanekai, called bv the Court, snid he had had considerable experience of Cook Strait while cable laying. TV McArtlni'-: Bv virtup* o'f th.H '-v »*"Wence you know something of the tides.

Witness: I reckoned I did once, but I don't now. The tides should have been one way, but 1 found them frequently another. The tides vary considerably. I have repaired two cables in one day and have had 20 hours ebb tide. The strength of the tides varied vonsiderably. One day I found the tide running seven knots off Terawliiti and none at all the next day. Witness had two patent sounding appliances. He had used them frequently; most decidedly the patent apparatus was superior to the.lead. To Mr Herdman: He had used the patent sounding apparatus under all sorts of conditions. If the captain of the Penguin had taken soundings on the night of the 12th inst. in thick weather they would have been of little use to Mm. The course set by Captain Naylor on the night of the wreck under normal conditions was a very safe one. Counsel put the Penguin case to this witness and asked him, taking all the circumstances into account whether he would.have gone on. .

Witness: A man who has confidence in Jiis ship and his compasses would do so. You would?— Yes. Mr Herdman: To what do you attribute the wreck ?

Witness: I can only say one thing, the "act of God."

- To Mr Levi: If the patent sounding pear had been used on the Penguin on the night of the wreck, while going full speed, he was afraid the rocky' bottom would have torn it out of the ship. Re-examined by Mr Myers: "Witness was confident the vessel was wrecked on Tom's Rock and that the captain was mistaken as to his position at 9.30. Ernest Robert Stuart, master of the Kaituna, said he came . through the straits on the 12th February, and passed the Brothers at 1.50 a.m. on the 13th. The. speed of the Kaituna was 9} knots and he travelled (aided by the current) from Cape Campbell to the Brothers at the rate of fourteen knots. The fastest trip the ship had previously made from Cape Campbell to the Brothers was 12 knots.

Mr Herdman also put the Penguin case to this witness, and asked him, if in a! ship doing 12 knots and allowing two knots for the set of the tide and travelling 18 miles on the course set for the Penguin, would he continue on if he could not see any lights?

Witness: I would have continued on my course till I thought I was • about five miles off Pencarrow.

And if you could not then pick up Pencarrow? —I would put out to sea. To Mr Myers: He knew that the tides in Cook Straits were erratic. He would not say -it was generally known that the tides were very erratic; it was known that they varied, but there was a limit.

Mr Myers. Do you consider, knowing this, that an allowance of two knots when you have lost your lights, is sufficient.

Witness: Yes; I consider it is an ample allowance. Captain Henry Fisk, harbourmaster and pilot at \\ airau. stated that he knew the Straits well. On the 12th and 13th he noticed unusual conditions. The s.s. Kini was anchored in Cloudy Bay and .swung to a flood tide from Friday at 2 p.m. till Saturday evening.. On Sunday she swung to the ebb tide. In the.river a tremendous current was running, - more than he iiad seen during the five years he had been at Wairau.

Captain. Fisk was recalled by Mr Herdman. He said he saw the Opawa on the Saturday morning after the wreck. She appeared to be a long way out of her course. Witness had never known such a tide as he experienced that day. Captain J. J. Pennington, master of the Kittawa who steamed from Lyttelr ton to Wellington on the 12th, said he Was off Cape Campbell at l.oSTa.m. on the 13th. He was steering N.E. half E. and altered his course to N.E. quarter E. magnetic, for the entrance to Wellington harbour. Tin's course brought him to Terawhiti at 4.3-5. He could just see the loom of the land and got a bearing with Karori Rock right ahead. He was about G.V miles out of his course and attributed the fact to si strong N.AV. set in the tide. In all his experience ou the coast he had never experienced such a set in tide.

Captain W. J. Carey, master of the Blenheim, said he left Wellington on the 12th inst. at 4.15 p.m. for Wairau. From the Pencarrow Heads he steered S.S.W., that was in a straight line for Sinclair Head. He next steered S.W. by AV., which gave him a straight line for the white bluff or five miles south-..-..r(J „f t!>~ Wr-'rau b;"- Witness anticipated that ho would make land about 11 p.m., but was called at 9 p.m. when land was reported a mile away. He saw the. Opawa's lights about the same time. The land he first saw must have been the Geordie Rock. Mr Herdman: What distance is that from your original destination?— Witness : About 10 miles from the line of mv course.

The tide drove you out of your course about 13J miles altogether? Yes.

Continuing, he said that he had had a lengthy experience in the straits. The course usually steered from Tory Channel for "Wellington was E.S.E. A course S.E. hy E. would he an exceptionally safe course under normal conditions.

To i\lr Levi: A steer jar was better than a rudder in a heavy sea, hut he did not think an inexperienced Tiand could make proper use of a steer oar. He thought most of the sailors and the officers in the Union Company's service would be able to manage a steer oar. V ft.eer our could be used on a boat loaded with passengers. He could not say whether an anchor would be preamble to a steer oar.

Mr Myers: Did you speak the Opawa? Witness: No. Captain Eckford, of the Opawa, said he took soundings that and got 23 fathoms. Can you find 23 fathoms on the chart in the vicinty of Geordie Rocks? No.

Mr Myers: Perhaps we can get the time. There is something peculiar about this. Captain Eckford says he was much further south. Dr McArthur: Does Captain Eckford not say that he was never near Geordie Rocks.

Mr Myers: Yes. Mr Herdman said lie could see 25 fathoms marked at different places on the chart. Captain Macdonald informed him that the nearest soundings in some places were eight or nine miles from the shore.

In reply to Mr Myers witness persisted that his statement as to the locality in which he found himself was correct.

Counsel pointed out that Captain Eckford, according to his evidence had taken soundings at 10.30 on the Friday night. Captain Drewette gave evidence to having been driven out of his course in Cook Strait. He considered Captain Naylor's course an unusually safe one. The following telegram was read from Captain Edwin, of the Rosamond:— "Coming north, passing the entrance of Cook Straits, the day, after the Penguin disaster the Rosamond -was set to the westward about ten miles, owing to the exceptionally strong set. I think this information' may he useful in view of the Penguin enquiry." Mr Herdman addressed the Court on behalf of Captain Naylor. He said that not-one witness had suggested that the course pursued by Captain Naylor was wrong. He complained that the Admiralty charts were ' erroneous and misleading, and the Nautical Almanac was at fault. On the night of the disaster the evidence showed that there had been an unprecedented and phenomenal tide. The conditions on both sides .of the straits showed that an extraordinary current had flowed that night. Captain Naylor should be completely exonerated. Dr McArthur announced that the Court was satisfied that the Penguin .was well founded and properly equipped. Mr Myers, for the Marine Department, in the course of his reply, urged that coastal vessels should carry patent, sounding apparatus. If it was impossible to take sounding and a captain •did not know where he was, he should put out to sea. Dr McArthur intimated that the inquest on the bodies of those drowned would commence to-morrrow, and it would be absolutely unfair to give any decision till a verdict had been arrived at by the jurors. The Court would probably arrive at its decision by tomorrow, but it would ( i>ot be announced until the inquest was concluded. If the jury finished to-morrow, the Court's decision would be ready by Fridav afternoon. ' WELLINGTON, Feb. 24. The' Government has decided to subscribe £IOOO towards the Penguin Relief Fund. The Mayor states that a meeting of subscribers to the relief fund will be; held on Monday night; meantime temporary relief is being given' where needed. The Government has decided.to extend the telephone from Makara to Mr McM°namin's station near the scene of the disaster.