H.—ls.

Return of Wrecks and Casualties to Shipping reported to the Marine Department, etc.— continued.

46

Date of Casualty. Vessel's Name, Age, and Class. Big. g i Xumber of ** g gers. Cargo. Natt Nature of ;ure of Casualty. Number of lives lost. Place where Casualty occurred. Wind. Finding of Court of Inquiry. Name of Master. Direction. Force. 1913. Aug. 20 ( Ian Macfarlane. 32 years Barque 1,466 IT Nickle Damage to rigging ; £4,000 Lat. 33° 30' S., Long. 175° 40' E. A squall struck the ship, and subsequent roll caused back stays to part and rigging carried away Fire was discovered in vessel's forecastle when she was at anchor, and cause is unknown The Court found that the cause of the stranding was that the way was not taken off the vessel so as to allow of her being handled expeditiously in narrow waters, that the master mistook the lights and the vessel was navigated too close to Pencarrow side of the entrance. The stranding was contributed to by the default of the master, who was a stranger to the port, in not making himself acquainted with the leading-lights of the port, and when these were obscured by the squally conditions of the weather at the time in not heading the vessel clear of the land to await clearer weather or daylight. The master's certificate was suspended for three months, and he was ordered to pay the cost of the inquiry, £1(>. Upon a rehearing of the inquiry the Supreme Court reversed the decision arrived at at the Magisterial inquiry and found that the master mistook the Falcon Shoal buoy light for the red sector of Somes Island light in such circumstanoes that he was not to blame for the disaster. Coming slowly to her berth a squall struck the vessel and caused her to run into the wharf When entering Waiharara Harbour a strong beam wind caused tile vessel to drift to the eastward, and she took the ground, but Boated off on rise of tide Steering-gear got out of order, and vessel grounded, but was hauled off by tug Whilst the "Comet" was beating up the channel the strong breeze caused her to collide with the " RaUiura " W. A. Makela. ore „ 22 Awanui. 22 years Schooner 85 % Fire; trifling damage Stranded ; total loss Auckland Harbour .. „ 25 Devon. s.B., 16 years Schooner 3,!»34 47 General Wellington Heads S.S.E. Gale A. H. Caunce. Sept. 2 Chelmsford, s.s., Schooner 27 years Apanui, s.s., 8 Schooner years T'.l 12 General Trifling collision with wharf Limestone Island W. Strong.. E. Keatley. :t i:i.-, 15 8 General Stranded ; trifling damage Waiharara Heads S. Moderate John Wilsoa. „ 4 Taviuni, s.s., 23 Schooner years Rakiura, s.s., 35 Schooner years Comet, 30 years Ketch .. Coal .. Stranded ; no damage Collision: no damage Collision ; slight damage Collision: no damage Collision ; slight damage Bluff Harbour E. Light .. A. R. Pryde. 974 ■2<> ,, 5 81 1(1 Near Puponga Wharf, Nelson N.W. Fresh breeze (I. M. Barr. ,. 5 20 2 S.W. H. Williams. 8 32 3 Railway Wharf, Nelson Fresh breeze The " Maid of Italy " was lying at the wharf when the " Orakei" coming to berth touched the ground, lost way, and was carried by the tide into the other vessel (G.N.Westrupp Orakei, 31 years Ketch .. „ 8 Maid of Italy.. Cutter.. 15 2 General G. M. Galland.