INDRABARAH INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1799, 11 July 1913, Page 7

INDRABARAH INQUIRY.

COASt CURRENTS. • SOME INTERESTING EVIDENCE! CAPTAIN'S OPINION. \ A marine inquiry into thi) circumstances of the stranding of the Indrabarali on Rangitikei Beach on May 10 was held last evening. Dr. M'ArtKur, S.M., presided, and the assessors were Captains Gillespie and Scott. Mr. P. S. IC. MacasSey represented the Murine Department; Mr. M. Myers appeared for Captain Hollingsworth, of the Indrabarali; Mr. A. Gray, K.C., and Mr. P. if. Putnam for Chief Officer Stafford of the lndrabarnii; and Captaiii Rniney for the owners of the vessel. The Captain's JEvidence. The captain of the Indrabarah, Arthur E. Hollingsworth,'stated that Ilb had been trading between England and New Zealand for about nine years. He described the attempt .on tile night in question to pick up Wangajiui Light. Mr. Macassey: Would it not have been more prudent to have kept out to Sea till daylight? Captain Holliigswdrth: It might have been,-but you must come to land to see your light or the port you are making for. Don't you consider it imprudent to keep close to land ?—"I didn't consider it so at that time." Don't you think it ivould have been prudent to have taken soundings?—" From what I know now it would have been'. ... I had intended to uso the lead at 5 o'clock." Coming back you had an ebb tido taking you towards the coast?—"l did not know that the ebb tide was taking me towards the coast. According to the chart it goes southerly." But you hive read the "N.Z, Pilot." Thrtt says that the ebb tide sets eastward. —"No." Mr.-Macassey read an eitract froin the "Pilot." Captain Hollingsivorth: I say that that dogs not refer to the'place where the ship was. . ■ t Mr. Maoasaev resumed his seat. Mr. Myers: Have you finished? Mr. Maoassey: Yes. ' fer. M'Arthuf:.BUt the ship is still folng. Mr. Myers: I will bring her ashore. iJr. M'Arthur: All right. Captain Hollingsworth: I hope you will bring lier off. Mr. MacSSsey: Oh, well, I may As well ask the question. What time did the vessel go ashore? Captain Hollingsworth replied that the vessel straiuled at 4.37 a.m. on May 10 about six and a half .miles above the Rangitikei River.

Observing the "SSt" 'Whiltf Strarided. In reply to Mr. Myers, Captain Hollingswortii said that he had been 5* years at Sea, and gave other particulars of his-.career. He Had never liad a mishap prior to this.. Jir. Myers; Coming up the coast was (here anything to indicate to. you a current or set to the east.

Captain Hollingsworth: Nothing whatever;'

You camo up partly on the flood and partly on the ebb?—" Yes." After other questions, Mr. My era asked; I suppose you know mora about the currents now thaii you knew then. Captain Hollingsworth: Yes—had quite an experience. Did you, (luring the eight weeks in which you were stranded there, make a study of the currents?—"Ycsy and I found that the currents set with .the twiqdfiir-j: respective of tide." '■ -rC Is■ that a surprising thing to you?—

"Ai-ost surprising." • Did y«u notice anything in. regard to the" rate" of the "eurrent, after ' ti heavy-north-westerly or westerly?—'"l-. noticed that the current rau from 3$ to 5 knots during these winds, and for some little time afterwards.

How do you account, now, in tho light of what 'you know, for your having gono ashore ileal- Ra-ngitikei, when you expected to make Wanganui ?—"I account for it as.througn having encountered a current which is not marked on the' chart, ami not mentioned in the 'Pilot.'"

At 1.30 you went on the bridge?—" Yes, I felt a heavy sea istrike the snip." What did yon do?—"X put her helm hard to starboard, and put the engines full speed ahead to slew her round. . . . Then I felt her bump, and I put the engines full speed astern." Was that the first indication you had of the bottom ?—Yes. I had' ordered a cast of the lead to be taken, but the 6hip struck before that could be done." Was that while you were slewing?— "Yes."

I suppose the ship bumped again?—"A good many times." I suppose you manipulated tho .engines with a*view to getting her off? "I did."

Well, then, you were on the beach for about eight weeks? "Fifty-eight days." I suppose you and those with you hnd e. pretty arduous time? "Wo did; work" ing as hard as we could, and worrying." Officers' Evidence. - The chief officer of the Indrabarah, William Stafford, gave evidence, and, inter elia, corroborated whaf Captain Hollingsworth said' with,reference to the peculiarity observed in the currents. Similar evidence was also given by Alfred Adcock, second officer, in respect to currents. Coastal Captains on the "Set." Arthur Henry Fisk, captain' of the coastal steamer Aorere, said that ho had been engaged in the coastal trade for about 10 years. When ho sailed from Patea at about .10.45 on the morning of May S there was a westerly wind "strong to gale" blowing. The wind had been blowing in the same direction for some days then, though not at gale strength'.' His experience was that a spell of westerly wind produced a "set/' or current, going in an easterly direction. On this particular day he fotand a stronger "set to the eastward than he had expected, and when he picked up The Brothers light he was not in the position he had reckoned he would be. This, notwithstanding that he had allowed for a "set."

"What," asked Mt. Myers, "do you think the velocity of the current would be?"

Captain Pisk: About three ' denots, T should imagine. Replying to a (juestion by Mr. Maeassey, Captain Fi.sk said:—Local knowledge has a great deal to do with things on that run. I would not go by tho chart; 1 would go by my own knowledge of the coast. I would keep myself well to tho windward in westerly weather.

Mr. Macassey asked the witness if, after "going his distance" and failing to pick up the expeoted light or landmark, he would bave used the lend?

Witness: I don't know. Tho lead would not be much use on that coast; the foundings are so erratic.

Arthur Percy Gibson, captain of • tho Mana, who had been about five years on the coast, corroborated Captain Fisk's evidence as to the westerly wind blowing on May 9 and for a few days previously.

At 10.13 p.m. the inquiry was adjourned till 7 o'clock this evening.

CARGO DEADLOCK

Apparently the deadlock between tho Tyser Ijine and the harbourmaster nt ■Wellington concerning the transhipping of the Indrabarah's cargo continues. Further correspondence on the matter has passed between the local agents for the line and the Harbour Board, and the harbourmaster remains firm regal-ding his decision not to berth nnother of the- Tyser Line's steamers alongside the Indrabarah. The Wharves and Accounts Committee of the Ilarbou.r Board will meet on Tuesday, Juiy 15 and nt that meeting the whole matter 'will be discussed, and the result of the deliberations will be transmitted to the board as a whole.