49

H.—ls

7—H. 15

Aug. 14 Hobsonville, o.e.v., Schooner 23 23 j-ears .ug. Schooner 23 Scl 23 I 2 i Drain- Stranded ; trifling pipes damage General Struck wharf; slight damage .. . Stranded ; total loss Phos- Stranded; slight phates damage General Stranded; total loss General Fire; damage, £15,000 General Foundered ; total loss Tar .. Stranded; total j loss Maloney Reef, Hauraki S.E. Gulf Dunedin .. .. S.S.W. ' Bar, Kuru River .. S.W. I Entrance, Bluff Har- E. bornGreymouth Bar .. E. Lat. 29° 23' S., long. 133° 13' W., and at Auckland 11 miles off Cape Fare- N. well Entrance, Wanganui S.E. River Strong.. The vessei stranded on the reef on a falling W. J. McMai tide, but floated off on the rise. The cause of the stranding was the strong S.E. wind, and might have been avoided had the master been on deck Light .. When vessel was swinging to get clear of Jas. Robinsi wharf her rudder struck a pile and was slightly damaged Fresh Stranded when crossing the bar, through error I. Vasta. breeze of judgment on part of signalman Moderate When entering the harbour the vessel grounded A. C. Reid. on a sand-bank, but was towed off on the rising tide, apparently undamaged Light .. The stranding of the vessel was wholly due E. A. Cox. to the parting of the steering-gear, the stretching-screw of the starboard steeringrod being defective, and parting whilst the vessel was crossing the bar. No blame could be attached to the master or any officer of the ship Fire originated in coal in starboard 'tween- G. T. Deith. deck bunker on 12th September, and was supposed to have been extinguished, but it broke out again after the vessel's arrival at Auckland on 22nd September, and was not got under before much damage was done — the vessel to the extent of £15,000 and the cargo £40,000. Fire supposed to have been caused by spontaneous combustion Light .. A terrific explosion took place in the after J. Jack, part of No. 1 lower fore hold of 'tween decks, which rent open the starboard side of the vessel abaft the fore hatch, and she immediately took a heavy list to starboard and sank within half an hour after the explosion took place. The Court was of opinion that the explosion was internal, and was due to the placing of a quantity of high explosive substance in the after hold, and that such act was deliberate and done with the intention of destroying the vessel and her crew. An enemy- mine-field has since been discovered in the vicinity, and in all probability the loss of the vessel was caused by her striking a mine Moderate When crossing the bar the vessel suddenly A. J. Holm, swerved and struck the south mole, thereafter drifting on to the south beach. The Court found that the sheering of the vessel was due to some fault in the steering not disclosed in the evidence, but for which the master must be held responsible, and he was ordered to pay- £20 towards the cost of the inquiry W. J. McManus anui „ 23 Kahika, s.s., 15 Schooner I 516 years Schooner . 516 Jas. Robinson. 19 „ 25 Jane, aux., 21 vears Cutter .. j 22 Sept. I Toromea, s.s., 12 Schooner \ 2,703 Cutter .. 22 I. Vasta. 4 Schooner 2,703 49 A. C. Reid. years „ 3 j Opouri, s.s., 6 3-ears Schooner j 218 Schooner i 218 17 E. A. Cox. ! \ G. T. Deith. ' Sept. 12 Westmoreland, s.s., Schooner 6,099 and 24 new 85 . • Sept. 18 Port Kembla, s.s., Schooner 2,990 7 years lept. 18 59 J. Jack. I 1 ,» 26 Eunice, aux., 15 years Schooner 129 10 I ! 1 J