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TONGARIRO INQUIRY

EVIDENCE OF A SET

TWO MASTER MARINERS EXAMINED

'A' special sitting of the Court coil-. BWtuted to hold the inquiry into tho wreok of the New Zoaland Shipping Company's Tongariro on Bull Kock on tho evening of August 80 was held yesterday afternoon to hear the evidence of tho masters of .two vessels in port. •■■■■'. ' Mr, W. G. Riddel), S.M., presided, and the assessors sitting with him were Captain H. Johnson (Wellington), and Captain lioid (Auckland). Mr. V. K. Meredith (instructed by Captain G. G. Smit Superintendent of Mercantile Mari'ie), appeared for the Marine Department,' Mr. A. Gray, K.C., for Captain Makepeace (master of the TongariroV Mr. H. Buddie fpr Mr. P. Bal* lard (chief officer), and Mr. M. Myers for the New Zealand Shipping Company. : ' . Captain P. 'A'. Hemming, maßter of tho New Zealand Shipping Company's Rimutaka, questioned by Mr/ Gray, stated that ne had made several voyages to' New Zoalancf as master, and ho was fairly familiar with East Coast passages. He knew tho positions mentioned in Captain Makepeace's evi-. 'dence v After rounding East Cape it was his usual practice to set a course which would bring'him about 10 miles off Ariel Rocks, and then one which would enable his ship to clear Castle Point light by about 10 miles.' In'fine we&ther he considered that it would bo safe to sot a course by which a vessel would clear Ariel Rocks by 7i miles, and Castle Point by about 9 or 10 miles.' This would bring his vessel two miles off Bull Hick. In Captain Hemroing's'opinion the courses.steered by Captain] Makepeace were safe courses in daylight. It was an advantage to be near the coast in daylight when the weather was fine, because it was easier'to pick up marks to take hearings. Regarding- Castle Point light, if a course was not steered approaching it, there was a danger of getting into foul ground s in the vicin-. ity. Under tho samo xircumstances Captain Hemming said that lie would have done the same as Captain Makepeace had done when ho set the course off Ariel Rooks. Mr. Buddie: Would you consider a .course set to take a ship two miles off Bull-.Rook sufficient te allow for a set-inpv Captain Hemming: I would expect tho usual bearings to bo taken beforo I approached Bull Rock. In answer to Mr. Merediths Witness said that'the . locality of Bull Rock was dangerous, and care should bo taken ;in the vicinity. Ho knew that sets did occur, but provision was not made for ,them unless they were known. In petting a courso to go tiro miles off Bull Rock, considerable • care would ha.vo to be taken to ascertain the exact position of the ship; He would not pass two miles off Bull Rook on dead reckoning. It was a standing order to officers to take bearings. It Was .not usual; for a master to take the tearing himself, but, ho ■ would-make sure that- it was done. On a close course he tfould ask the officer of tho watch how far tho ship was going to pass Bull Rock, and then perhaps, verify it. If he oxpectcd to pick up the red sector of Portland Light over Bull Rock at a certain 1 time he would como up and see it for himself, and also make inquiries of tho officer of the watch. .. To.Mr.Gray,'witness. considered the red sector over Bull Rock a. disadvantage. If. a ship was coming from Gi'sborno she was. right into it before it was seen. "The red sector of Portland Island is a trap,"- said Captain Hemming. Continuing, witness • said that Tie had not experienced a regular set on tho East Coast. Tho currents are marked by arrows on tlie chart, and that was all masters had to go upon., In his opinion tho officers of to-day were more scientifically trained, and that was the reason why masters very seldom took bearings. The chief officer was supposed to bo as good as the master of a. vessel. Captain John Flynn, master of the Union Company's Wanaka. also gave evidence, during the courso of wTiich lio said that ho was familiar with tho part' of the East Coast in question. He thought it a prudent, safe course to clear Bull, Rock by • two miles, in fine weather: On August 29 (tho day before tho wreok) he was going north, mkl between. Portland Island arid Ariel Rocks ho experienced a strong N.N.E. wind. This affected tho currents to sucn an extent in his ease that instead of passing Bull Rock four miles off, his vessel..set in two and a half miles to the westward. He attributed these conditions to the stato of tho weather. It was not an everyday occurrence, and a master Who visited' New Zealand infrequently could not be ex-, pected to ~ .nv 'of the sot. Personally, ho wouid leave nothing to chance, out would verify lixs ship's position. . At this stage the hearing was adjourned till 10.30 a.m. to-morrow.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19160919.2.52

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2880, 19 September 1916, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
832

TONGARIRO INQUIRY Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2880, 19 September 1916, Page 7

TONGARIRO INQUIRY Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2880, 19 September 1916, Page 7

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