WRECK OF THE CYRENA.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18412, 19 June 1925, Page 13

WRECK OF THE CYRENA.

ENQUIRY CONTINUED. (rscss ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.! WANG AX CI, j llnc is. The enquiry into the v;rw!s of the Cyrena. was continued to-day, when a pieat. deal o: the evidence was of a technical nature. TJic second officer said that, his soundings at the fi>no oi the strand:.-;.!: cculd lijvo been checked by the pilot., but. he. would not have expected that official to leave tho bridge at such a time. Andrew Donald Christie, chief engineer, who was on decjc when the steamer was coming up to the entrance, said that immediately lifter the grounding he saw the water level at the j.l feet mark on the stern, which showed that tho vessel cither cfcnted up astern or lifted up bodily. Witness eoundetl (he bilges nnU engine-room, which were OK. >"o- water was made t.ili 7 p.m. Witness was cf the opinion that sho struck a bank of scrrie.thir.g. If there wa.-, a heavy losr in tho sand bank it would increase I'iio tendency to damage durin? the bumping v.-hieh tlie steamer experienced on Monday evening''. Tho chief officer, Jtr Let, considered Iho Cyrena. was pulled up by a sloping ban.';. Ha corroborated the master's testimony that it would not have been wise to jettison, tho cargo during Sunday afternoon. Thero was no reason to think such a course was necessary. An affidavit by Captain Mathpson, of tbc Gubriclla, was nut in. He said he was * master mariner with twenty-seven years' experience in the intercolonial and Xcw Zealand coastal trade, including the bar harbours of Hokianga, Greymouth, and Westport. He liacl traded regularly to Wanganui for tho last thriteen years in command of j the Ihumata, till 1922, and since then in the Gabriella, of 1557 tons, with length I of 260 feet and a mean loaded draught jof 17 feet 1J inches. From a mariner's point of view, Wanganui harbour was a good bar harbour. The bottom was soft sand and silt, and thero was no dangerous ocean swell such as was common at Greymouth ancl West-port. From his experience, ho would not hesitate to enter with a clearance of six: inched beneath his vessel in calm weather. He considered'that with a clearance of two feet tho captain of the Cyrena had no reason to expect difficulty in entering tho harbour. He wonld be cf the same opinion if there was a fair lump on tho bar. In April last the Gabriella, drawing 16" feet 7 inches, entered the harbour withov.t any trouble. A stiff northerly gale was blcwing and tho pilot signalled tho depth as 18 feet. The enquiry adjourned. PORT OF TIMARU. Sailed, Katoa, for Lyttetton. Expected Arrivals. llolmdale, from Oamaru, to-day. Storm, from Oamaru, to-moirrow. Canadian Skirmisher, from tomorrow. Karao, from Oamaru, Tuesday. Karori, from Oamaru, Tuesday. Opihi, from Oamaru, Tuesday. Calm, from Oit'maru, Tuosdav. Takelia, from Wanganui, early. Waikouaiti, from Lyttelton, June 2jth. Gale, from Oamaru, June 25th. Kumara, from Oamaru, Juno 28th, Projected Departures. llolmdale, for Lyttelton, to-morrow. Storm, for Lyttelton, to-morrow. Canadian Skirmisher, for lHmedin, tomorrow. Calm, for Lyttelton, Tuesday. Ksmo, for Lyttelton, Tuesday. Opihi, for Lyttelton, Tuesday. ]'akeli3, for Wellington, early. (idle, for Lyttelton, June -3th. Waikouaiti, for Hobart, June 27th. Kumara, for Waugc.nui, June 29th. NOTES. The Katoa sailed yesterday for Lyttelton, Wellington, and Auckland. The .Holmdale is due from Oamaru to-night, and will sail to-morrow with cargo for Lyttelton, Wellington, ard Wanganui. 1). C. Turnbull and Co. expect the Storm from Oamaru to-morrow, to load for Lyttelton, Wellington, ana Wanganui; tho Calm will load for the same ports on Tuesday, und the Gale on Thursday, with the acidilio.'i of rioton to her itinerary. The Canadian fc-kirmishcr should arrive from Lyttelton to-morrow, with cargo for discharge from Montreal and Halifax, fcln; will load return cargo for New York, Boslon, and Montreal, anrj will sail later for Dunedin. Tho Kamo is duo from Oamaru on Tuesday to tako in cargo for Lyttelton, Wellington, Napier, and Gisborne. Tho Union Company expect the Karori from Oamaru on Tuesday, with Australian coal and timber for discharge.