THE KAIPARA INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 732, 3 February 1910, Page 6

THE KAIPARA INQUIRY.

; > / 'CHIEFLY ON CHARTING. SOME INTERESTING EVIDENCE. /•'/ (By Telegraph.—Press ' Association.) Auckfand, February 2 Kaipara: inquiry was;' resumed. this fiiorhing.;; • The >'; harbourmaster, \ Captain '.Buder, further examined, said the -spot 5.: ;'/wherethe -rook, was;found;;was shown as i : •' 'SJ: fathoms" -on ; the . Admiralty chart,: he;admitted. wasabsolutely '-.'misr-" .l^i?gv^;'..CwbMV'C6jkwdl's/,'e6MS6.'was- ;. .a; safe .one but for -that rock, ' but was not the safest course. •' .'/. ;V:Tho. tollector;'of.' Customs .stated that Is?- E; vthe 1 Marine:: Department.. ;hadissued in--fetrTictions for ; the t :inspection of ' the - sea. D." • bottom at the berth occupied by the fx' Kaipaira. . y j The-Court then adjourned to inspect y'the locality of the shoal oh which the '('■■■ ,- : .-.Kaipara struok. • tsiS;yffr;Qharles r Mollaer,■: lightkeeper; at Bean |jS'i,;y rltock;' ;stated in; evidence that. he: watched ?///', -the 1 Kaiparaßooming" down the. harbour. '%.; iHe had seen agreat many large .steamers yv i y : ; i .go ;'of ' Auckland, and - the, Haipara Kyyi; seemed>; to ' him to , follow the ordinary y/yy/y ■. -y . ■;= t > - i Why No Survey? secretary, of the Harbour K;'y. .Board .(recalled),,said in answer'to Mr. ||^-yl&ttW'that not like/to pin: the l; .': /.responsibility'; on any one for the delay fy. y. 'in/having a survey ":ma'de of: the channel.'' fyy-VAiter - the reported; striking of the_AVai'rtW'Harbom.jßottil' wanted, survey," and-: were.-: willing.'; topay for KfijSjit : The Penguin was in "port at the p:' l ' :y : j 'tTme, and waa engaged ;bn ; . what " was conEryiA.'aidered'iless - important work; . -.The -De-, pnvthat : occasion!' {gave no-de-: yyy ;vr..yy:,yy:iyk ; - Kettleßut the .minutes" show: that : -a .'survey by Captain' Duder and the enf. ''.-.'gineer' (Mr. Hamer)..was authorised, and' ir^Fieport.-heTe^shbws-that those ■ gentlemen ;expressed.their ability to.do it at a;cost | ; .y.' of '.0150. : Why was that'survey not car•jfS;.y;rried ,out? ' "Because the . board deferred , . 'the question,'with/a view to getting the. l<= Xw«se/of-;the ! survey-ship on the station.".. |#j.yy,.''Were;]the'; h'arbourmisi«ry,and: the/-en- ; . : ginber ; .hot' capable:of it? '1 don't, say that. The board simply; desired j~. ■ ■ to get J the. Admiralty vessel i with all apl phances." ".Mr. Brigham, m the. ooursa of further h '. . - evidence, said that Captam - Dawson, • of J;*. • Penguin, .had told him: that, they. tn:;';^^uld ; npt:tak«r soundingsXto 1 place "on the pyi/.Vidmiralty/chart ■ unless they were verily. 'fied. They could not correct- their charts [v. ' in-a loose way; Ho (Mr. -Brigham) would ty ;::., '/Tiot Gay ofEcially,' as secretary of the-Har-SS%' ; 'lKsur:: : Boaixl;:;thatVthe /Admiralty:'hydro'-: f- :y. >raphers' would not' ' accepf ; y;soundihgs : fly'.'-'frpra'the.Harbonr-Board.' •' • •• ' . .. y • ',Cros6'-questioned by ; Mr. Cotter, who jKjK? 'appeared'; for "the '.New : Zealand IShippirig .Company,,Mr.-Brigham :stated : that ho f : >-'«6nld .not recollect, itoyyconversatipnybe.'tween the chairman ,of-, tho- Harbour |?yy;y^i;Board, : harl^ufma^r.W'andyhimself j--". :/: in which harbourmaster was. given imeantime,' liecau'se' • was on cpn^rs^ions,'/andv he/thought that -» .what was said .was that if Captain Corn-, /he'had .'struck, a. shoal j.y';./it was for'him'to'prove it. t . The 'inquiry was adjourned till Mona^;;Jto/^idMgs'intimating.'thatirih; the: : shoal Jih; the, and f,.• '.fee.berthage at tho wharf would bo sur- ' y |, ' 1 The Buckled and Broken Pistes. « : : A' statement as to "the. diuioage suffered PM'y by/ the 'Kaipara by grounding in>Eahei-' s'pt!:: :-' totb was (on behalf of the • .i,"-.. New-Zealand"Shipping CompaayJ to a . V;. •; 'TBbrald". /representative on ; inquiry tothat in all 21 plates on '^i-S- : /toVrtaTb^d.i'ade':jDf;'tto ; . ! ' - ot:less,'bjicklcdj-and. require renowing or '"training'' into- position.. . The. 1 damaged ' ftj .•../- plates 'start at the keel platers, ; : and,'- while' - limning'out: and. up; &/the:;siith/row;; 0 r f,:6trake, extend along a .'total - leogth of. (5 y! 130 ft. • from sunder "tho forehold • to. the . «; y . ;'..'after-part ,of .No.'; 2 -hold, 'where the roll- | : com'inenoes. : The-rolling-chock jytt-K 66veral ; : feet.' r''-. ; V Owing to. the stoving in' of .the-plates ■in E®^t';'^estMh,"C:tto:yoorresp6iiding , i : '"flodrs''at . t>,e back hiiw becn ; [Uicctcd, and: conse- : renewg"; or.,straighten-

0.-.'-The-floore of-several of the .tanks have «lso'..been. buckled, Sand j, willrequire-re-slewingi mf6traightening,v whila the whole. flie/iiisulatiQii•'m-yaiiks! Nos.'; 1: and. 2. tJ'.!;:..;.mU replacing.' -In addition to y:'.. -'. been, slightly damaged . in- other 'parts. ptfp. Consequent, upon the strain she rc-ocdved j.'-.V :.-!in striking ahd/the'subsequent; raising with; the. assistance, of -.tlx© tugs, the decks S: ; !i w i'l require 'attending to, aid the: winches fond' other;'machinery• will need to be; overi/iauledi Oi:e of/the 'starbtord- propellerg,a^i:\;hlades'has;;bto :broken_, off,-!aad.;wfll-r& j qniie replacing.. •' •' .v '-/-V: .' How .-this, injury was sustained is not ft#®. 1 -' exactly. known, b.nt' it is :supposed " that, frtSw itwascauseA., when; the- vessel • struck. j;:.-'. '- . .. :.Tho:.'repaini, which will' occupy some 6evcn or eight weeks, will require to. be the 1 Vessel may 'retain her., character in tho register..' Tenders have : been ■ called'-' for : -the; repairs;/and will "be returnable at j,/,. : ./nooi\ to-morrow.' I'or this ieaam -the offip.'# vj; titd/'supplyirif'.the}nformatioh declined to pSiariv^anyiestimate^as'ito^-what-it;-would '! take. to- repair' the. damage. ■'''"/ | " Napier, February 1. Tie-Minister for Marine had informed t, - a reporter that lie has s/;< 'b . issued instrtetions-for an oflicor of the: t' Department to survey' the channel where f.' : " struck in-order to ascertain j-/-/ ''the ; exact ijjsitiori. ■". - .