THE KIA ORA WRECK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 153, 28 June 1907, Page 2

THE KIA ORA WRECK.

The nautical -inquiry into the wreck of the s.s. Kia Ora on-the-Piritoki Reef, on the West Coast, on the 13th insVwas continued yesterday afternoon before Mr C.-.C- Kettle, -S.M., assisted, by Captains' John- Grant and Schofield, nautical assessors... - - The Marine Department was repre-. sented by Mr. S. Mays; for the Crown Solicitor, Hon. J. A.- Tole; Mr. M. G. McGregor appeared for the New Zealand Shipmasters on behalf of Captain Blacklock; Mr. 8. Hesketh and Mr. U. Z. Clayton qn. behalf of the Northern &S. Co. . The chief officer, T. B. de Wolfe, recalled, stated that before setting the course the captain verified the position by means of the leading light on theWaitara flagstaff. There were three compasses on the boat, one on the bridge, one oh the sun deck, and one on the after deck. The first two "were verified, and the third was put.in after the vessel had been swung. It was easy to compare the compasses. There was nothing either in fittings or cargo to affect, the 'compasses, and they~had"worked well previously. If he thought necessary, he would check one compass with the other. Mr Kettle: In case oi '■Hick weather would you put the vessel further out?— I don't think it was necessary with the offing she had. Mr Kettle: Yes; if she were properly steered, but even if you were confident that you were all right.wouldyou in thick .weather put her out rather than run any risks ?—Yes, I would, if-in charge, rather than run on the rocks. .. • Have you done that?— Yes, when in charge of vessels I have put out in thick weather. . . . Mr McGregor: If giving this reef sis or • .eight miles of an offing, would you consider it necessary to go further out?— No. Supposing it-was. thick and you.could, not see the land', would you-consider six or eight miles be absolutely safe ? —Yes, absolutely-safe. Mr Kettle; -The point I w;ish to maks is that with the Vessel half-way up the coast, and the weather coming on thick, would you continue on your course or runl her out until the weather cleared ? —I would have kept on my coarse until 1 had run my distance to Albatross Point; and then I would have run out. Mr Kettile: Under what conditions, then, would you have run her out? —If the weather was thick-, and I could see it was setting the ship in, and'there was a gale of wind, then I would put her put. Mr Mays said that they had been taking it that the vessel would clear the reef by eight miles-when on the course she steered she would clear .it by about 5J miles; Jas. Robertson/second officer, he thought the vessel was six miles off the land when he last saw it, half-an-hour before the wreck. Asked" by Mr Kettle if, under the circumstances,, he would not have put the ship further out, witness said that he would not ha v<? done so- ..-.;■, Mr Kettle: You take the Tisk that your, course is absolutely right? Witness:- It's the only way, to make the course good. You have to pick up land points again. Unless there was some, direct set of current or gale yon would not need to alter the, course. The ■proper practice.is-to keep the-course,.un-less special circumstances arise, until the distance is ran. * ■ • C4J>TAIN NORBURY RE-GAINED, t Oapt. W. F. Sorbuxy, master '.of the' Karawa, was called by Mr Clayton. He said that the. Rarawa was qn her way to the Ma mi Ira ii the morning of- the wreck. The sea was smooth and there was no wind, a slight haze settling on the water. There was no fog till the Rarawa neared. the coast, -whetf he had to stop southward •of the M'anukau Bar. He noticed no peculiarity of the compass, no unusual current or inset, everytfiing being normal. The Rarawa's course was 16 or 18 miJes outside that of the Kia Ora. He knew the Waitara-Kawhia run well.

Mr Clayton: Can you say whether north-quarter-east was the true and prudent course';

Witness: Absolutely.

Mr Clayton: Absolutely safe under any conditions?—" Under the existing conditions it was." He continued that he would consider himself justified, assuming that he believed himself on that course, in running on it even in a dense fog. There -was a strong set to the southward that night, and a piece of -wreckage was found 10 miles south of Piritoki Reef. • To Mr McGregor: He would have felt the course set absolutely safe under the circumstances. Mr Mays asked witness if heaaw anything to confirm Captain Edwin's message as to the inset? .Witness: ' No; niy course .came out right. It is possible there .might be an inset closer to the shore, but it would need to be very strong to take tie vessel in seven miles. Mr. Mays: What would you say would cause a vessel to go in seven miles off her' course?—The idea which would naturally suggest itself to mc was that it would be bad steering. What is your experience of steersmen in the Northern Company's service; are they reliable?— Yes, they have "to be. The west coast is a good school?— Yes, very good, indeed. Have you set the course from Waitara._to Ka,whia.?— Y-eSy often, -and in fine ■weather set it to two miles outside the reef.. Have you any theory as to this wreck ? —The wreck is unacccontable to.-.mc. Captain gniita, called by Mr. McGregor, said ie knew the coast well,- and in westerly weather had -found a strong ■inset In fine weather there might be none. He had never heard of the inset carrying a, vessel 7 miles off her course, the reef being .altogether inside the usual track of vessels. Mr. Mays: Did you ever know a.strong set precede a gale?— Yes, before a westerly there is a strong inset on the coastl Continuing witness said the"north-quar-ter-east course was a perfectly aafe one, ■and nothing in his knowledge of a set in would send her ashore.frorij that course. It was possible that there was a current altogether inside the Kia Oca's course. George A. Peterson, chief steward of the Kia Ora, said 31-all told got ashore, 18' being "members of the crew. There was a doubt whether one passenger besides" Messrs.' Forbes" and ' Ross was drowned. There was no doubt in his mind as to whether -there was another passenger, but he thought he counted the Mapri" boy twice, once as a child and once as an adult. ','.''. To Mr. Maye witness said he knew" the officers were perfectly sober, and he had no reason to think that any of the crew were otherwise. The bar~wai only open once, and that was for three passengers. This' concluded the evidence.

jPUEKEEDgR ; EVIDENCE; -.NEGESSAB.Y.-

~ : '- : - HELa^MAN. Upon the resinning of-the Court this morning in connection with the nauticalinquiry into;..the wreck of the "Kia: Ora, Mr. Kettle said that the Court had concluded .ihhat before, a,decision was given /sjas highly desirable under-the circumstances, that the maa who was steering during the earlier portion of the night (between 10 p.m. and- midnight)" should be called to complete the chain of evidence the steering. Mr. Mays explained that a wire had "been-sent shortly after 5 o'clock last evening .to the Superintendent of Marine at Wellington, where the witness in question was supposed to be, requesting that he should be immediately sought out and summoned to attend, and warned not to communicate with anybody concerning tie matter. They only had a very vague idea as to his whereabouts. When he was paid off he went down to Wellington" to" see his father, and he was supposed to be there stilL They hoped to get him within a Jew. days. - Mr. Kettle: We think that in cases of this kind," where the circumstances are so exceptional, the whole of the available evidence should'he procured. The second officer was then recalled to answer one or two questions respects ing. the observance -of regulations and the vessel's steering-.- In reply to thfr President he expressed the opinion that, the vessel's steering-gear -was in first rate order at the time, and that she had never steered better. Tie. vessel, he believed, was fully equipped ivith fog ■horn, syren and belL Upon the night in question, however, the -horn was not used, as-although it was foggy, the, lifting that took place every now and again made the use of the horn not .absolutely necessary. It was not usual for vessels to sound their fog horns in such circumstances. Mi". Kettle: Do you "bother - ve»y much about your couree ■on a' clear night I When you have the land to guide you, for instance, I suppose you do not take the same care? ■ ■" That makes no difference whatever. We take just as many, precautions to eiisuxe our course on a dear as on a foggy night. . ." . The Court was then adjourned until; Tuesday next at fl-oO fun.