ENQUIRY liUTb I^HE STRANDING OF THE S;S. MULLOtfGH.

West Coast Times, Issue 2908, 27 July 1878, Page 2

ENQUIRY INTO THE STRANDING OF THE S.S. MULLOUGH.

Au r enquiry into the strandi ng of the 8.5. ( ftiiulqugh- was commenced on Tlmri-day/'and-cbptinueil on Friday, under, the Wrecks Act, before E. Patten, Esq. : , , Collector of Customs, and Captain Quanoe, )a3 Assessor. The following witnesses were examined:--Thomas Turnbull, being sworn, said—l am harbormaster of the port of Hokitika, I remember , the SOth July ; I was at the flagstaff on the evening tide, after 4 o'clock. It was high water at 2 o'clock Tu ! e first ball was lowered down about 4 p.m. • that was the outer one, that wa.s done iv order to let anyone that was bujside know that the tide whs going 'aWay, but it is not in the regulatio'na of the port. I saw the Mullough outside ; she was then alongside the Prosperity on the starboard side. I saw the tWo vessels separate ; that would be about 4.35 : p.m. ; the balls were then up, that is, the ebb tide ball and tbie Your bklls on the-yard. It was about 4.45 p.tA. when the balls were hauled down ; the s.s. Mullough was steaming towards the Bar ivhen they were hauled down, and sfte altered her course to the northward and westward and anchored ; she was too late for the .tide. During the time the Mullorfgb was steaming from the Vessel and balls were hauled down, the tide fell from sft 9in to sft 3in. I was at the flagstaff at 1.15 a.m. on Sunday morning, the 2 1st July ; the beaebns were being lit at that time. The Lioness passed the flagstaff c6ming in from the roadstead about 1.45 a.m. ; there was not mach sea oil. I asked the captain of the Lioness what water he had coming in, arid he said one cast of 7ft; j the sea was th'en making ; the lights were kept on the beacons till 4 p.m., but nothing else came in. 111 1 think it would have been safe for, the Mullough to have tried to enter the, river at that, time . with a single engine. , I expected her to come ih, or .else I should not have . kept the lights up fp£,the time we .did. I was at the flagstaff when the Mullough

came in on Sunday afternoon about 4 o'clock. There was a good deal of sea oh the bar; there wai not niUch witiil. I believe it was Sate enb'jigti if the eHgitiiii of the vessel had held good. I cinie to ttie conclueida, Mt.lle (CdbtajH VertiiizuHi), wanted to come ib, seeihg that tie did not come to the baf be'fdre. The' signals oii the flagstaff were foilr balls on the yard, and one on the riia^t ; that meant stand on, take pWs bar, THe Mulloiigh seemed to pass ttirough the heaviest of the break all right, until sbe gdHh§ide bf it; when somethitig ieemefl t(i go wrong with her. My first impresion wai that the sea had put the fires out, b t I found out afterwards that the engines had broken down: I think it was safe for her to come in at thtLi .tiHie; tUfc tfc wHulil ha^e tit'eh SttFer if she had b t™ ri twn h'dats' befbrg whilst there was ago -II tide flowing: Tne iignhls were hbiifcS'd Sbbut oßg o'dlb'ck bti thfe 21st. About 3.1^ p:ra , the' dangfer sifehal was made, in' HBp thai: the maSter , of thfe Mullough woiiia iib't cbHie be'^t the bar, but sbeirig hiiii underway; and inakifag for the bar ab'bui;. tHat time. I seiit for the signalman, ktitl told hinl tnki: thß Steahier was making for the bar; when he bbiited the rdufifa Kail.

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Jamfes THbfe,, Being sworn, said—l am signalinaH at ihe port bf . Hbkit ka. I remember the 2'dth July last. I wai kt my duty at ih'e flagstaff od that date. It waa ( high water about 2*20 pin. The sjgriiils were kept up till 5 p.m., when they were' hauled down. It iyas tbo late for the Mtill'dugh to co'ine in • she ykih ztinfik $9 sloi*, and it wßuld not have been safe her as the title was goingiast. w .,Sne turned and went out to anctiorSe'e, t waji at IHe oti Sunday afternoon wheb the Mullgligb stood in, I put the balls up at i B'clocfe md kept theni iHef'e till 3 o'clock. I ibw'ered one ball ttieri, and left the Signal, bar oangerous. t then c&me home. Tiife Muli'6o|n iH^lnen'drea wilti steam u^. %m\ 4 'o'cWctt t refeeif'e'd a rii^sage from 'Cafilaiß turnb'tllt tttkfe the Muilo-ugh wal makiHS fet tn'e b'aV, Arid he waliVeube \!6 come Mv'4 agaiH. t w'ehi and hoisted tbe ebb'-iia'e ball aria ih'e rolir bail'g. tlifere Wp a h'eayy Ye% Bn, ana tlie wind was 'ebslefly. tn'e Muttbugh Idaiiie in li6w : she pot pretly ,^'eU infoJugh tne breafe aiiu stopped. The vessel ih'en seemeu lielpless. Sail was made, but tile wina fell flp 'aD'oul tß'eri, a,nd t&e MuHo.ugji wds wasfied up dn tn'e bei'cb . t 'db nol thi'rife it was unsafe for a vessel to eßtSt the river onlne Wt J ( uly, fe'ilt it wVnVd nave be'en bet'i f e^ 8H the flood tide, \Wb is, As Vt turned 6ui. ..# ttio, wind had tiot Jalleu the r MullougD could have sailed vp 1 tne riveh