THE EASBY INQUIRY.

Evening Star, Issue 3620, 29 September 1874, Page 2

THE EASBY INQUIRY.

The inquiry into the circumstances attend* ing the stranding of tbes.B. Easby off Waipapa Point on September 17 was continued yesterdiy before Mr J. Bathgate, R M., and Capt. Thomson, nautical assessor. Mr Haggitt conducted the case on behalf of the Customs’ authorities, and Mr Smith watched the pro* ceedings on behalf of Captain Shand, of the Easby. The following additional evidence was given:—

Alfred Lancelot Watson, second officer of the Easby, said he had been on the vessel ever since she left Melbourne. He had be»n on the coast of New Zealand twice before the occasion on which the casualty occurred; both times in the Easby. The vessel arrived off the coast of New Zealand on Wednesday, the 16th inst. They came through the Straits, and were ahead of Dog Island light about a quarter past 7 pm. They were steering N. E. by E. by the pole compass. This is a standard compass on a pole above the bridge. Witness received instructions from the captain how to steer by the compass and was told not to go too near the land, in the afternoon there was about a point of difference between the binnacle compass and the pole compass ; bntewitness had not observed the binnacle the evening. He received the instructions be had mentioned from the captain about half-past 7p. m. They were then two miles to the eastward of Dog Island. Witness remained on deck till eight o'clock, steering the coarse given to him, He knew that his compasses were never right; but there was

nothing unusually wrong on the voyage. He had the - same watch on the former trip. When steering E.N.E by the pole compass in the afternoon, be knew that the true - compass was about east. There was ■' no' * reason to believe that the alteration in the ship’s course affected the deviation of the compass Wit* ness tried the an instrument in* dicating the deviation of the compass—every hour up to five o’clock. With 1,700 tons of cargo ©n board, the Easby would draw about 17ft 6in of water. The rate ol speed at the time was seven knots. When witness was relieved by the chief officer at eight o’clock, they would be about six to six and a-half miles east of Dog Island h.ht. He gave the steering directions to the chief officer, as he had received them from the captain. Up to that time the course given to him had been steered. Witness then went below to bed. Witness west to sleep when the ship struck. The striking lifted him in his bed. His bunk was ou the starboard side of the ship. He felt three shocks, but did not think the Ship was stripped at all. The vessel was going slightly ahead, but afterwards went astern. ' The engine was th*en stopped and the ship went ahead at full speed" again. 1 When he went below, Wilson, an able-sea-man, was oa the look-out; aud a mao named Lyon at the wheel. The bridge was never deserted. Robert Croll, chief officer of the Easby, held a master’s certificate. He relieved the second mate at eight o’clock on the night of the 17th. The night was cloudy, with moderate breezes The wind was about east or nortb*east. The moon was in her first quarter. The vessel was about five miles to the east of Dog Island lighthouse. Ho could see the land at the Bluff; but could not see the lowland. He had only been through Foveanx Straits twice he joined the Eieby • op efx times m all, including 'the trip ip question; On taking charge on the night of the 17th the second officer gave him as a steering \*? U p S6 i. by E. by the pole compass, or N.JS. by the binnacle compass. He men* tioned that after the ship passed the point (witness understanding him to mean Wai* papa Point), that the captain intended him to keep the vessel nearer the land. He steered the course which he had received up to 9.35 o’clock. He then made out the loom ®f the land for the first time. The sky was cloudy all over ; passing clouds. The moon was not visible. The land was on the port bow. Although the night glass was not a very good one, he used it constantly. The land is very low about there. He had been looking for it during the whole watch. Hft gave orders to keep the ship halfo-point df to sea. As th'e land became clearer he re* peated the order, making a point in all. He told the man at the wheel to steer N.E. by E by the binnacle compass. Witness was then pn the bridge, aud his instructions were attended to. He kept' the ship off £ E. by N. fi. as the land rose. From p.m. he continued at short intervals to keen the ship tff. At about tea o’clock he saw a of land on the Starboard bow. He told the man at the wheel to port the helm, and he kept it so till he got two points oa the port bow. The land appeared to be five or six miles distant and right a-head. At this time the captain came on the bridge. He had been on the bridge at about nine ©clock, and had spoken to witness from the deck at about a quarter past eight. The cap. tain told him that the chart was on the chart-roem table. Witness, In answer to a question, told the captain he had a chart of his owp. The captain, in the course of one. of the re; marked that witness niight have to keep her (the vessel) out a little when' she came to the point. When the captain came on deck the third time he made some remark as to Dog Island light being on tye starboard quarter, vljeroas it should have lieeu right astern. Witness replied that had the veesal been so placed she would have gone right into the point, and that he had been keep, mg her off ever since half-past nine o’clock. He told witness to keep her off a little more. He passed the word to port down the speaking trumpet to the man at the wheel. The helm was put to port, and as the ship was in the act of swinging off she took the ground. Her speed was arrested, but she did not stop. “ dead still.” She seemed to touch abaft the fore-rigging, be* tween it and the bridge. The moment she touched, the captain issued instructions to reverse the engines. This was immediately done. Witness then ran down from the bridge and gave out orders for soundings, which were taken. He used the lead line and got five fathoms while the ship was going astern. The second cast was about toe same. Not more than seven or eight imputes had elapsed from the time of the ship striking. On pounding again he found water amidships. When the ship left bydney she was drawing' about 20ft Sin abaft and 19ft lin forward. The bottom when she touched felt firm, but not rock. Witness went aft, and whilst in the act of sounding, the vessel touched again at the stern. At this time her bow swung right round, until she was heading nearly back to Dog Island light, which was a little ou the starboard bow. Witness then stopped sounding, and told the captain there was teas water aft and more forward. At this time the engines had been turned ahead again, nod the ship went on. After being on the bridge a minute or two, witness noticed by the pole compass that she was heading S.B.E ishe did not touch a*y mark. Continued steering that course a few minutes, and gradually bioughtup to S.E., then to E.S.E.f then to an< L affcer that she steered E. by N. Wbeu the carpenter took soundings she By Captain Thomson : He did not know at was the state of the tide when the ship struck. The captain told him that there was a reef off Waipapa Point. Morris Williams was next called. He asked xf his expenses were to be paid, as the

Captain told him on the summons being served, that he had no right to leave ihc ship, and that he would not be paid while away. Captain Shand said this was a mistake. The men had left the ship on Friday ni n ht and had not yet returned. They wishecTto be paid up to to-night. Mr Bathgate : The Collector of Customs will pay you. Witness was then examined as follows : He was on the look out from eight to ten • deck on the night the ship struck. None of the officers spoke to him during the time he was there, and no caution was given to him to keep a sharp look out. When he relieved the man at eight o'clock he remarked that he saw land. The man said he had reported this matter.—Mr Haggitt: What land was this?— Witness; New Zealand.— (Laughter.) It was on the forecastle side. He afterwards saw land ahead ; but did not report it, believing that it was the same land as he had formerly seen, but that the mate had altered the ship’s course. He had been et sea fourteen years. Any man on the bridge could see as well as anyone on the look-out. Ten minutes after he was relieved by nealey the ship struck. He told Healey that there was nothing in sight except the land, and that had been in sight all day. Henry Healey deposed that he was on the look-out at ten o’clock on the evening upon which the vessel struck. About a quarter of an hour elapsed from the time the vessel struck until she came off Haring this time she was swinging amidships. Another seaman deposed that the vessel struck amidships on the port side, and then lay over to the starboard. John Mills, marine diver, deposed to having examined the vessel at Port Chalmers, He found two dents from Ift ta 2ft long, and Jin in depth, amidships. The keel was cracked in two places. Allan Ford, chief engineer of the Easby, deposed that he considered the ship seaworthy, notwithstanding the injuries she had received. Mr Smith addressed the Bench, and urged that the evidence adduced was not even of such a nature as that the Court should give any opinion on the case whatever. Mr Bathgate said the Bench would give judgment in Court next day.