THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3084, 16 May 1881, Page 4

THE TARARUA DISASTER.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

[by telegraph.]

Dttxedin, May 16. The Tararua inquiry was resumed on Saturday.

The first witnoss was Antonio Michaeliff, the cook, who gave a statement of what took place on board after the boats left. It was fuller than his statement; previously published, but differed little in facts.

William Hill, steerage passenger, who went in the second mate's boat to sea, said : —The second mate said to me, the first time we stood off from the ship, when we were about sixty yards off, "I think we had better stand out in the offing for a time to save the boat." At that time we had just seen the first mate lose his boat in the surf. I said to him, " Dear me, then what are our hopes," referring to the ship. ' he second mate said to me, " We must trust in Providence. I have no doubt we shall soon have help down, either from tho Bluff or Port Chalmers, and then if we save the boat we shall have her to work with." The second mate was quite cool. He said also that if the sea moderated we should have her to work with. After keeping on and off three times a heavy sea set in. Then he pulled in the offing so as to clear the reefs. In my opinion the first mate did not act with judgment in going so near the br akers with his boat. I have had ten years' experience at sea, and have been in the P. and O. service and other services. It is fifteen years since I left sea. When I formed this opinion I was in the second mate's boat, between the ship and the shore. The ship was about a mile from the shore, the second mate's boat was about thirty or forty yards from the shore. I saw the mate's boat among tbe breakers with the men in the boat. Without a doubt, to my mind, the mate backed his boat too close into the breakers. It was spoken of in our boat, and I expressed an opinion to the same effect I have now, bub perhaps not so strongly. The second mate also expressed the opinion that the mate had gone too neai\ This opinion was expressed as the boat was turning over and over. I had asked the captain if he would allow me to go on the reef and try to effect a landing. I did not tell him I was a seaman. I can swim. He said " Will you do so ?" I said I would, and I would hold up my hat if it was prudent. He replied " Not only your hat but your hands.' We watched for a landing, and saw we could not land. The second mate asked me if I would land, and I said "No." I asked the captain to send me in the second mate's boat, and arranged with him that if I could get a landing he would send the ladies first. Mr Smith (counsel for the first end second maces) : I have one or two questions to ask. You say you noticed the capsizing of the first mate's boat. Witness: 1 did. Mr Smith: Will you swear that the second mate spoke at that time ? Witness: Yesj as often as you wish, sir. Mr Smith : Can you say whether he had his face or his back to the boats ? Witness: I called his attention to the boat, and then he looked. Mr Smith : Why did you not tell us this before ? Witness: I did, sir. I said that I sang out that she was in the breakers. Mr Smith: Yon have said it was a moment of great excitement. Witness : I have. Mr Smith : Why P Witness: The loss of the boat was the cause of the excitement. Mr Smith : In what sense do you use the word "excitement " —who was excited ? The witness hesitating, Mr Simpson explained to hira that he should understand that what he had said had a serious bearing upon certain individuals. He should he very careful to answer Mr Smith correctly. Mr Smith: Who displayed the excitement? Witness : I don't know; perhaps I may take it to myself, and say that it was I who was excited. I felt excited when I saw the boat capsizing. Ido not know how other people felt. . Mr Smith : Now, can you take upon yourself to say positively that anyone spoke besides yourself ? Witness: I have told you that others

spoke. By tho Court.: In my opinion a small steamer could have lived, between the ship and the shore up to 2 o'clock—that is, so far as the state of the sea was concerned. I should have no doubt about a vessel drawing 6 feet of water. I would not say she could have lived in there without risk; there would have been a great risk.

By Mr Smith : I remember that when the second mate's boat came from the reef, after taking Maher off, she was nearly capsized. I consider the second mate handled his boat particularly well under the circumstances. I know that although a boat may be handled with the greatest skill she may capsize. I have been in a worse sea in a boat than I was in that day. One occasion, I remember, was when I was in the North of England off Sunderland, when I was in a collier.

Gustave Quiltan, George Bobbins, Davies, John Chatterton, Henry Deely, Toker Nicholson, and Frank Tahel were each called, and asked whether they had any statement which they wished to make, or anything special to speak about. They all replied in the negative, and were not sworn.

Louis Matheson, master of the schooner Pioneer, deposed: I was lying with my vessel at Fortrose jetty at the time of the wreck. I heard about it a quarter or 20 minutes past nine on Friday morning from Charles Gibbs. Fortrose is between eight and oine miles from the scene of the wreck. When I heard the news I borrowed a horse, and reached the beach about 11 o'clock. I saw the steamer she was then lying low on to the beach. The sea seemed to break over the stern, and sweep along the deck forward. A heavy ground swell was coming in to the beach. From the beach we did not see the water breaking over until about 12 o'clock. At that time a boat might have got near enough to tho ship to embark passengers from the yard arm. A small steamer could not have lain with safety nearer than threequarters of a mile. The ship did not seem to be in danger. There was a light wind from the sea, and tho swell was heavier than usual, but it had been heavy all the week. I don't think boats could could go near enough to sling people after twelve. I question whether a boat could have got within half a mile of her with safety after 12 o'clock. I don't think the southerly swell running would make such a difference to a steamer travelling ten knots an hour. 1 question whether the Kakanui could have done very much good if sho had arrived before dark. I think a light on Waipapa or Slope Point would have saved the ship. Slope Point would be the best. I don't think a line could have been floated to the Tararua from another vessel. I have been 18 years on the coast.

The following is tho evidence of Mr James Mills, managing director of the Union Company : There has been no change in the equipment of the Tararua since tho issue of the sea-going certificate produced by the marine engineer in December, 1880. I produce a list of the crew as accurately as I can, which gives the number of forty. There was one man Bhipped on the day tho vessel sailed. His name is not known. I also produce a list of the passengers, compiled from the ship's papers up to the time of her arrival at Port Chalmers, with the addition of those booked here, also an additional list made up from telegrams addressed to ourselves, and to the newspapers. The total number of those in the first catalogue —that is those who were on board the ship when she came into port —was 36 men, 9 women, and 10 children. Those hooked at Port Chalmers were 23 men, 2 women, and 4 children, and the crew was ma o up of 39 men and 1 woman.

This mates the total up to 152. Twenty were saved. Tho Tararua was equipped up to statutory regulations. I cannot say of ray own knowledge whether she had lifebelts. She had six life-buoys. Some of the steamers are provided with life-belts. We took the Tararua about two years and ' four months ago. She was furnished with new engines and boilers, a new upper deck, and thoroughly overhauled in 1876. She was an exceptionally strong ship. Captain Garrard had been in our employment since 1876. He joined in May, 1876, as second officer of the Hawea. In July, 1877, he was first officer of the Wanaka ; in September, 1878, he was master of the Lady Bird ; in June, 1879, master of tho Albion ; and in March, 1881, he joined the Tararua. He was junior master in 1879, and I am not aware of any alteration having taken place. The Company had a high opinion of bis ability and attention to business. The chief mao held that position in Messrs M'Meckan and (""o.'s employment previous to November, 1878, when he entered our service, in which ho remained a= chief mate. He had been in the Albion until March, 1881. Until recently Captain Oarrard held a high opinion of the chief officer, but lately he had changed that opinion. On Mr Dennistoun proceeding to ask the witness if this had been brought before him officially, Smith objected. Mr Simpson said he thought it would be better to admit the evidence for the mate's sake, because it might explain the automaton character of the mate in the ship. He could not think of a first officer reduced to a mere automaton, as he was in this case. After argument the evidence was admitted by the Bench, and the witness continued : I received a telegram from Captain Garrard as he was coming down the Coast, asking for a change of chief officer. On arrival at Port Chalmers, when the ship arrived, I had a conversation with Captain Garrard, the result of which was that it was agreed that if he wished it the change could be made at once, but as our spare chief officer was not on the spot we preferred to postpone tbe change until his (Captain Garrard's) return from Melbourne. He was satisfied with that arrangement. Apart from the merit of the case we would make the change at the request of the master. We could not have a master and mate on such terms. The Tararua was valued on her policy at £18,000. She was insured for £14,000. I produce the ordinary instructions to officers. We do nob keep an official record of courses. I hand in a rough estimate of the cargo. The first intimation we had of the mishap to the Tararua was by a telegram from Wyndham, dated 29th April, entered there at 12.15, and placed in my hands about 12.25. The first intimation wo had that the steamer was in any clanger was when the second mate boarded the Hawea and told me that he was afraid she had not lasted during the night. By Mr Smith : Personally I know nothing against the chief officer, Mr Tindsay. By Mr Dennistoun : I always understood that the standard compass of the Tararua was absolutely correct.

By the Court: I had not the slightest idea of what steamer or steamers were in Invercargill. From the reassuring nature of the telegram it never occurred to me to think of what vessels were there or were available.

By Captain Thomson : The G-overnment send vessels very promptly to the assistance of any boats in trouble in the neighborhood of Wellington. It never occurred to the company that it was the duty of the Government to do so. That did not prevent tho company from sending assistance earlier. Nothing could have been done beyond what was done, even if the telegrams had been of an alarming character, as the Kakanui could not have left Invercargill until tho tide served. I acted under the advice of our Marine Superintendent, who went with me in the Hawea.

The other evidence taken up to the adjournment comprfsed that of the captains who knew the coast, and spoke as to its dangers. Prior to the rising of the Court the question was raised whether at the close of the evidence the lawyers who had been attending the inquiry would be permitted to address the Court. The opinion of the Court appeared to be against that course as there was no charge to which the lawyers could address themselves, but the Court agreed to consider whether a charge should be formulated with the view of giving the privilege asked for, or whether as things now stood the lawyers might, make their speeches in urging the Coui't to restore the certificates of the first and second officers.

The inquiry was adjourned until Tuesday.

Wtndham, May 16.

One more body from the Tararua was recovered on Friday afternoon, having the name Bell written upon the shirt. There is no news from the beach since early on Saturday morning" The diamond ring found upon one of the female bodies recovered early in the week has been identified by a female friend as having belonged to the late Mrs Campbell.