THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3080, 11 May 1881, Page 3

THE TARARUA DISASTER.

OFFICIAL 'INQUIRY,

[BY TELE.BAPH. i

Dtwedin, May 11. The Court of Inquiry appointed to investigate the matter of the wreck of the Tararua met yesterday morning, the members being Mr Simpson, R.M.; - Captain Thompson, Habor Master of Port Chalmers; and Captain M'Gowan, master of the ship Benvenue. Mr Denniston, instructed by the Crown Solioifcor, oonducfced the inquiry on behalf of the Collector of Customs, who was present. Mr Allan Holmes appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of the first and second mates, and Mr T. B. Chapman appeared to watoh the proceedings on behalf of the representatives of the late Captain Garrard.

The certificates of the first and second mates have been handed in, the Court proceeded to take evidence. Until the adjournment afc 5 p.m. the first officer was the only witness examined. The following are the most important portions of his evidence, omitting facts previously brought fco light. Robert Lindsay deposed: I hold a master's certificate. We left Port Chalmers at 5 p.m. on the 28th. The steamer had five boats. They were all, with the exception of the dingy, on chocks in davits. The two foremost boats wore under the bridge. They were both life-boats, with cork round the inside, They were supposed to carry from 20 to 30 persons each. We bad two boats of a similar build before the after gangway, aft of the other boats. These latter were life-boats in build, but without corks. They would also carry from 20 to 30 persons each. Then there was the dingy. Going along the coast we carry her on the deck, and she was so carried on the 28th ulfc. At 1.30 we were supposed to be off Long Point, and I called the captain. I saw the land aboufc four to five miles off Long Point because she had run the distance by log. We had run 15 miles frem 12 o'clock. I saw nothing in the land itself to give the position - I simply judged ifc by the distance logged. There was a haze over the land when I called the captain 1.30. He oame on deck, looked at the position of the ship, and said she was making a very good course. I gave him the order-book, and he wrote down the course afc W.S.W., and to call him afc 3.45 a.m. He then went to his cabin. He was not undressed, but was ready for calling at any time. I steered the course then given until 8.45, and then called the captain. At that time I judged we were aboufc Slope Point. I judged that by the time we had been running on the course given. I had nothing on the land to guide me. The log was not hauled after 1.30. When the captain came on deok he said, " Well, let her run on this course until 4 o'clock, and then alter the course to west." I oontinued the previous course until 4 o'clock. We were still going about 10 knots. I went below afc 4 o'olook, giving the order-book to the second officer on the bridge. I saw the course altered to due west afc that period. I only saw the haze on the land, and nothing on shore to indicate where we were. Then I went below. The log was not hauled after 1.30, and we relied entirely for our position on the rate we had run. As far as lam aware we made no allowance for tide or currents. I speak entirely for myself. There is a current marked on the chart of one to two knots. Had we been at four o'clock where we supposed we were, and continued steering due west until we sighted Dog Island light, we should have escaped the land. The weather afc four a.m. was the same as it had been all night—hazy over the land. It was as clear as possible above head j just a light haze over the land. By the Court: I had not a table of the variation of the Tararua's compasses. I knew the standard compass was correct according to the compass card I had. I did not know the error of the standard compass. The captain had the deviation table —the adjustment card. The compasses had not been adjusted since I was in the Tararua. The course that I have described is to the best pf my knowledge the course always kept by the Tararua afc that point. We lost sight of the Nuggets at 20 minutes past 1 o'clock. We did not take bearings then. The. ship only carried two officers. There waß no other officer in the watch with me. I can't say whether the error of the compasses was determined from time to time. During the voyage I never took an amplitude. I cannot say whether the captain did. We often took four-point bearings of a light as we passed, but we did not on the occasion of passing the Nuggets this time. The captain usually put an order in the book to take four-point bearings when passing a light. I did nothing except what was stated in the book.

By Mr Denniston : The captain was on deck when she passed the Nuggets and .did. not enquire the hearings. I -was awakened by the shock of the vessel striking. I heard the captain's order, as I was coming out of. my room, to call all hands ;to clear away the boats. We had no . particular stations to run to as to the boats. lam aware of no directions on board the Tararua showing the positions*of men and officers taking charge of the boats in case of accidents. I never saw boat drill on board the Tararua. I went to the foremost boat so as to take charge of my watch as they came on deck. I had received no orders to get that particular* boat out. The captain was giving orders coolly and collectedly. At the first shock of striking there -was a deal of screaming among the women. After the boats were swung out to the davit heads everything was quiet, and there was good order. Both passengers and crew were cool. I saw that all the four boats were slung out clear of the ship's side ready for lowering. That took, I think, about 20 minutes. I did not obsex-ve anything when I came on deck but the broken water round the ship. It was very dark. I was entirely occupied with ge'ting out the boats, and at that time paid no attention to the position of the ship. After an adjournment the examination of the chief officer was resumed. He corrected a previous statement by saying that the aftermost boats of the Tararua were furnished with cork. He then continued in answer to Mr Denniston : After . the boats were got ready nothing more waß done until daylight. It wa3 dawn about a quarter past six. The vessel was distant about threequarters of a mile from the shore. In my opinion a line could not have been taken from the vessel to the shore by the boat on account of the underdrift. We had no light lines of sufficient length to have reached the shore, and so a heavier line could not have been got ashore by means of a light line. I think the second mate's boat reached about 400 feet from the beach. When the boat came back back six more passengers volunteered to go in it. The second mate on his return to the vessel, informed the captain that he could get the six passengers ashore, but that tbey would have to swim. By the Court: When I got on shore the sea was washing over the after part of the vessel. The sea was not rough enough, although washing over the vessel, to do a great deal of damage. Between 11 and 12 o'clock no boats could get near the vessel, the sea having risen very rapidly. When I, left the vessel I did not think she was in danger. Towards one or two o'clock p.m. I noticed the sea begining to break over her fore and aft. I then saw the passengers being washed off the forecastle head. Ido not think that after half-past 11 o'clock in the morning any steamer or boats could have got near enough to the vessel to render any assistance. When the steamers' lights were seen tbe sea was running mountains high, making a clean breach over the ship, although it was calm overhead. After halfpast 11 o'clock, in my opinion, a boat could not get nearer the ship than a quarter of a mile. My opinion is that it must have been the southerly swell that put the Tararua ashore.

By Mr Denniston: In my opinion all was done that could be done for the safety of the passengers after the vessel struck. The course pursued after the wreck recommended itself to my judgment. No steamer could have got near enough, to be of any good. Ido think if a vessel had hove too to windward<of the wreck that she could have floated a small line down to her. - The broken water round the ship was for about two ship's lengths. I cannot say how many passengers we had. We had six life-buoys on board. Ido not know of any cork jackets. Two life-buoys were on the bridge, two hanging over the stern, and one on each quarter.

By the Court: I call ifc Waipapa where the vessel went ashore. We could not determine our position with accuracy when we altered our course from west south-west to west. A light on Waipapa Point would render navigation between Port Chalmers and the Bluff safe. I know of two vessels that have gone ashore in the neighborhood of Waipapa. The Gothenburg was said to have struck on Waipapa. That is the point on which a light should be placed. It is the great danger of the locality. I gave the distance between Waipapa and Slope Point as fifteen miles, but now, after measuring by the compasses on the chart, I find it is only seven and a half miles. Measuring from the actual position of the wreck, we must have been only a mile and a half off Slope Point, and only half a mile clear of the foul ground.abreast of that point. I did not when at Slope Point hear the roar of the breakers, although we were only half a mile away. It is not impossible that an error may have suddenly happened to the Tararua's compasses aboufc the time we altered the course to west. Some local attraction might cause such an error. The conclusion I come to now is that the vessel had not run her distance at the time I went below. If that was so the course was erroneously altered. The Court adjourned at 5 p.m. till 12 next day. Dttnedin, May 11. Captain Garrard's brother telegraphed to the Union Company from the scene of the wreck yesterday as follows , —" Found captain's body yesterday; also watoh with locket containing portraits of mother and intended wife." The Daily Times' correspondent telegraphs from Wyndham that twelve bodies were recovered on Sunday and thirteen more recovered on Monday. Captain Garrard's body was, identified as also that of Jones, the purser. Some of the bodies were mutilated and were otherwise unrecognisable except by their clothing or articles found on them. They will all be buried in an acre pegged off, which henoeforth will be known as the ■'- Tararua's Acre." Three more mail bags have been recovered, and also two other boxes addressed to Dr Campbell. Invfeoabgiix, May 11. Mr Steward, of Oargill Gibbs and Co., returned from Otara yesterday. He reports that \*p to 2 p.m. on Monday 58 bodies in all had been recovered, 54 of these having been found on the Otara beach, two at Waikawa, and two recovered afc sea and taken to Dunedin. Captain Garrard was buried afc Ofcara on Monday afternoon. SOCIETY AND FASHION GOSSIP. The latest, thing in shoes is the wearing of low flat heels. Flowers have been excluded from winter bonnets, and feathers have taken their places. Violets are the favourite flowers this winter in London. Fashionable ladies are never seen without a bunch, either natural or artificial, in their dress. White is the colour for evening at present in Paris. Young and old have taken to white in preference to any of the new tempting and becoming colours. Christina, Queen of Spain, is popular among her subjects. She is winning, clever, and gracious, and her education is thorough. In every way silver jewellery for day wear is considered the height of elegance and. lon ton. Both gentlemen's and ladies' watch chains are also made of silver instead of gold. Cats' heads in diamonds, with topaz eyes, a little pink coral tongue, and a blue enamelled collar around the neck, are the latest fancy in jewellery. A covetous little girl in Titusville, Pa., took a litter of puppies, which she prized highly, to a nexfc door neighbour and wished fco exchange them for a newly-arrived baby. She was greatly disappointed when her offer was politely, but firmly declined. A reason given for the long, loose, and buttonless gloves in vogue at present is the enormous size of the jewelled rings with which ladies now deck their fingers, and which can with difficulty be covered by a tight glove. Brooklyn has a girl pastor in the person of Miss Anna Oliver, who presides over the Willoughby Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church there. She has been very successful in her ministry, much more so than many young men.