IN A SMOOTH SEA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19787, 10 March 1927, Page 7

IN A SMOOTH SEA

A SUDDEN SHOCK NORTHUMBERLAND’S MISHAP NAUTICAL INQUIRY OPENS SOUNDINGS FAIL TO REVEAL ROCK. f Per Press Association, Y AUCKLAND, March 9. The nautical inquiry into the acci* dent to the Federal liner Northumberland, which struck a submerged object near Gisborne on January 25, opened to-day, tho Court comprising Mr Cul--1 len, S.M., and Captains Worrall and Baron. Mr Meredith, representing the Marine Department, said that at 1.35 p.m. the ship struck a submerged rock. Tho sea was perfectly smooth, and the weather conditions perfect. Tho vessel passed Gable End at 12.24, and her position was then definitely fixed at three miles from land. As the distance thence to where she struck was only ten or eleven miles, it was not possible for the ship to be seriously off her course. If the ship was on the course set by the master it was not possible, provided tho chart was accurate, for the rock to be struck. The chart showed 29 fathoms, and tho vessel drew 21ft. 6in. When the ship reached Gisborne a considerable lump of papa rock was found to have penetrated the hull and was still lodged there. It was thus perfectly clear that a submerged rock was the object struck. A very complete search had been made of the area in which th* accident had occurred, but no trae* of the rock had been found. Taking of Bearings. Captain C. S. Broughton, master of tho Northumberland, who was the first witness, said that at 12.42 p.m. on January 25 the ship was three miles off Gable End foreland. Witness and the third officer were on the bridge, and a cadet named Broadlands at the wheel. Bearings were taken by the third officer, and the course set was south 17 west to make south 31 west true. Thero was a difference of some five degrees between tho steering and standard compasses. The course was given verbally. Witness saw the vessel swing but did not actually look at the compass. When the third officer said that the ship was three miles off Ariel Islet, he marked the position on the chart. Witness ran parallel rules down, and said, “that makes tho course 31 west true, and the error being 14 degrees gives south 17 west nett.’’ Witness was on the bridge till five minutes before the ship struck. Tho chart produced showed tho vessel on the course witness anticipated. At 12.30 Smith went to lunch, and tho fourth officer took his place. Witness then went down to the saloon. Next thing ho knew was that the vessel struck something. He did not take any bearings after the ship struck Struck Twice. The captain, answering further questions, said the examination of the bottom of the ship showed that the ship struck twice. He had no reason to think that when the course was changed thero was confusion between the true and magnetic north. Had there been, the resulting course would havo lain dangerously close to Ariel rocks, over the spot marked 2} fathoms on tho chart. While ho considered the rock on which the ship struck was 24 feet below the surface, there was nothing to approach the former degree for many miles. He examined the compass 10 minutes before the vessel struck. She was then on the correct course. Mr Moody: You know suggestions have been made that }ou failed to alter the course off Gable End! Witness indicated certain cross-bear-ings made on the chart which could not have been made had he failed to alter the course. Like the first officer, his first impression was that a rock had been struck. The third officer corroborated the evidence of the captain. Uncharted Rocks. John Bollons, master of the Tutanokai, described a search for the rock. He said he moored a boat in 30 fathoms of water to mark the conjectured site of the mishap, and used two buoys, moored afresh each day, as guides for dragging operations. The least depth he found was 27 fathoms, and most of the soundings gave 30 fathoms or more. To produce such damage as the Northumberland had received, the rock would have to be 12 to 13 feet below the surface at the time of the impact. In many years on the coast he had never seen or heaid of a break in that vicinity. In answer to Mr Moody, Captain Bollons said he had been assessor at the nautical enquiry after th? steamer Pakeha struck a rock in Bluff harbour two years ago. In this case tho master was exonerated and it was not until a year later that four rocks wer< located, all previous searching having been resultless. Asked about the Waihora rock, outside Gisborne, witness said that after two vessels had been damaged the harbourmaster spent five weeks in searching and a surveyor three weeks, but no rock was found. Later another vessel, the Waihora, struck the rock, and it was located fairly on a line of beacons marking the harbour entrance. Mr Moody: What about the Omapero rock in Doubtful Sound? Captain Bollons: Yes, tho Omape** struck that when the chart showed fathoms. In reply to other questions ho said the Kaipara rock in Rangitoto Channel had been unknown until a vessel of that name struck it. Four isolated rocks had been located off Tiritiri after being unknown for many years and other instances could be cited. At this stage the inquiry adjourned until to-morrow