THE BARQUE THAT SANK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 675, 27 November 1909, Page 6

THE BARQUE THAT SANK.

NAUTICAL INQUIRY. TAKAPTJNA'S "RAID" QUESTIONED. - CAPTAIN STEWART UPHELD. Tho inquiry into tho sinking of tho barquo Hippalos on November 20 in Queen Charlotto Sound cowmenccd yostcrday, before Dr. A. -M'Arthur, S.M.v. Captains Gray and Vjillespie sat aa assessors. •• Mr. Myers represented the Marino Department; and Mr. Gray, tho mastor of the barque Hippalos (Captain Norris); Mr. Herdman appeared for' : Captain' Stewart; of the Takapuna. ' Captain Thomas Norris, of' the Hippalos, a British, ship registered in Sydney, stated that alio was owned by the Ijmou Box Company and Captain F. W. Wlutton. Ho was not aware if the barque was insured. She had been engaged in the- timber trade between New Zealand and Sydney, 1 and the northern rivers. The vessel left Timaru in. ballast on November 7 for Havolock for whito pine'for. Sydney. Her crew, comprised the first and second mates, four seamon,' two boys, the cook,' and the master. Cloudy Bay was reached a week later, after encountering,two nor'-west gales, in .which the ship, 'and-hor equipment sustained no damage. On Novembor 18 he opened the Brothers, the wind then being strong l and the sea high. In consequence >_of this he returned to Cloudy Bay, where Ke anchored from nightfall until 7.30 p.m. the following k day- (Friday). A strong southerly sprang up, and another start vfas made. The' bay was a rather difficult placo to work out ot in certain states of tho wind, but he got out,; making easy sail until he passed the Brothers at 12.30 a.m.. He bore up to tho westward, anxiously watching for Jackson -Head: light.; The Brothers light was then ion -the' port' quarter,, and .he' presently, picked up Stephens Island : light on - the port bow. When he "took bearings no found he was about, a,;.couple of miles, from "Walker's Rock, ;aH : :heVthen',-stood ''on' until- he- fetched the Sound. It was remarkable that, he did not Sick up Jackson Head light, but it was very ark.''He"considered' that he might-havebeen too far off or the light might have been smoky"Helm Hard Up!" ; Asked - if : it were prudent' to - go on knowing ,these- facts, witness replied that *if 'he had hauled off, he might nut have reached the 'sound. He thought he'.was in a good position. He saw nothing more until the man.on tho look-out called, "Helm hard up!" about 2.30. In the interval, both lights had been in view. He went hard up, but he- struck Walker's .Rock. -He called. all hands on deck,- the men/'to get the- boats out, and get the rockets ready.. Ho went-below .immediately, and found that:t£e water; was rushing in;'and he quickly saw, -that, there' was -nothing 'to do but run to the Gard Bank. The pumps were started and the water -was reduced well.' They, pro-' • ceeded, sounding - as they went,' and ■ presently found the barque taking, in freely, and assuming ,' : a; lid;-' -, to - starboard,', \whilo under canvas. -. When- Gard. Bank was reached (about* -;i' he let go'the: port,;anchor.; in. ten jfathoms.i -The depth'; of. water in-the ship 1 was then ift.-.6in. ' They provisioned the .boats'.and, loft for Titirangi .Bay. When' thoy ' struck they saw a steamer inside ; of Walker's Hock; The -steamer should- have seen, their/signals, but offered no assistance.. At Picton, however, the '.steamer .reported having seen a flare-up; The question of beaching the ship, occurred .to .him, ■ but, : on, account .of " the weather, that .course vwas hot possible without , the aid-'of a' steamboat. . Ho complained about 1 the Takapuna's taking tho ship. It was true thb-t he had Heft no ono. on board, but that wasHe,cause he would not saenhee any-life'to save a ship. Ho saw, the Hippalos go away with the ,lakapuna,;and that- was the last he saw ofher. _To Mr. Gray:\He. had; often seen .JaoksonHead; but a smolqy light could only be. seen .when" fairly close. " He had Ino : reason"'to"6up; pose:;,on .-this occasion .'that the light .was out.' ; ..Ashley Thoirp; mate; .of; the' Hippalbs, 'gave corroborative;evidence!' 'On''the',night''■■of - • the 1 accidont, he, added,,.the; vessel was steerme: very badly."' ■

» . \.l ■;Was Beaching Feasible? V chief,-officer;; of' : -tjfie stated thatr'-he./camevohrdeck'. when : the barque' was- sighted • \Vith .about a : dozen -men he left. m a ;boat and boarded the Hippalos, which .was nearly full of water; "He reported to Captain Stewart that the Hippalos could be towed, agd rgcei,vsd to make the- sails fast,., <He:'did so, and passed, a tow,Jine.;on,l^ for - Picton '.and passcd.-nJaflkscinfj H^ajd^trbut, the. water • was: piningon them. could 'have' beached .her .in Ship Cove, but it ' woiild have' beefi hard work. The reason why' she' sank was probably owing to : the; ballast 'shifting;-r'as ■those on .board her. heard ; a rumbling sound. To AMr. Herdman: looked' to tho shore for: 6iens of life before connecting with. the .Hippalos. The-anchors did not hold, 'and the vessel was drifting. Less" than three hours iwouldjiave been'ocoupied in reaching -Picton ifrom Pig Island: " ,' - ...... • Cornelius Christian, -.boatswain on the Taka. puna, and one of those who boarded the Hip. pal os,- also gavo evidence. ~ ' Harold ..Edgar ,;Badham, a seaman'■ on the ■Hippalos, Stated that the', boat .might hare turned, turtle any -moment,' and -- he' expected her to do so.

Charles Albertson,' able seaman on the :Hipilalps, '. wid .he: was •' on the look-out - when' | the. shipj struck: , He -saw .something. dark, in l the wafer, and he called out' "Hard up,'-' the I mate repeating the order. I ..Prank. 'L. ..,Vickerman, ~master- of the [ .Alexander,. said..he .rounded Capo Jackson early' on Saturday morning, .bound for Picton. Twice, about 3 a.m., he saw. a very bright light show, ■ how: far . 'away.: he' could .not say. - 'He' saw : no rocket, nor anything he took'to- be a distress signal. : He thought the, light was that of the Morso'lamp of a,vessel far'away.-'/''■! ; ».Ernest , Day, ohief'.officer of the' Alexander,also gave evidence. , Humour. • • . . .Captam Stewart, of the Takapuna, said he saw' no .signals from ■ Titirangi Bay, ' although ho; looked ' carefully.; He- had great hopes of saving the Ilippalos. ; •Mr. Myers When (lid you first 'find out,that the Hippalos was sinking?—"l was down-below looking up .the. Act for the'receiver of wrecks." JLaiightbr.) •• ' •. Mr. Gray: You wero a practical receiver. (Kenewed laughter.) ; : ? ■ George. Whitton, a seaman oh the derelict, .called by,;Mr^' Gray,'also gave evidence., : Mr. Myers,' in oildr'essing the Court, remarked that the evidence pointed to -the fact that- the entire crew'.abandoned the Hippalos. ; • •': . ■Mr. .'Gray said-that'the abandonment was of a temporary nature. The captain's intention was to run her to the bay.'•' ;•■■■ In announcing the Conrfs finding, Dr.' M'Arthur. said: "We are of opinion that throughout the whole voyage ,tho captam, far from' exhibiting, any 'neglect, was very careful ■and very attentive to his ship, although he was evidently under: some wrong-impression asto his 'distance'from land,' an error' suchas might have been made by anyone. When the vessel touched Walker's ltock, ho proceeded to' mate' ;for', ■ Gard" Bank, which, was the right course under the circumstances.,; The men took all their personal property in the boats. Such :being the case; we.are nnanimouslyxarid firmly of' the 'opinion that a total' abandonment of the barque was mado. At that time: the. ship' might have : turiied' turtle. : No one . was left .in. charge,' .which ■ would have been risking of life." .: - - , ■ '■ ' . No One to Blame. ' ' • ifter .referring humorously' to the, raid on' 'the Hippalos ;by the Takapuna, Dr. M'Aithur •remarked that the derelict : hail : evidently shifted her position, and might have became -a danger-to shipping. '. The 'captain of the Takapuna. was quite right in.trying to take the-vessel-,to Picton;'

The Court answers to the issues as follows:— . (1)' .'Whether >the striking of the barque on WalkeT'B Bock was due or contributed to by the negligence or .'carelessness of ,the master or any of the crew^.df'the. barqneP-^No. 1 . 12) Aftor. striking on Walker s: Rock, did . the master udopt.tlie best measures for the-safety of the : craw?—Yes.' .-. / (3) Should the .master .' have .beached the barque at; Titirangi or;- at any other place ?— No:. •: '■■■ ■ ■ .» (1) Was the barque abandoned by the master and .his crew?— Wholly abandoned. The master was justified under the tircumstances in so doing. . . . ." (5); Under the circumstances, was it advi«able that , tho-captain, of the Takapuna should take the Hippalos in tow?— Yes. 1 (6) Should the• captain of. the Takapuna have' beached .the- barque .. at Titirangi/* or Ship Covo or any other plabe?—No. ' \ ' (7) Generally, whether the casualty was duo or contributed to by tlit negligence or carelessness of the master and crew of the barque or the Takapuna ?—No. "Under tho, circijm stances," concluded Br M'Arthur, "no order will bo made for costs"