VICE-ADMIRALTY COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4065, 7 March 1876, Page 3

VICE-ADMIRALTY COURT.

Tuesday, March 7. 1 (Before Deputy-Judge Williams.) ACTION FOR SALVAGE. Houghton and Co., owners of the Express, v. James Galbraith and Co., owners of the Tsiaroa.—Claim 19,000, for salvage. Mr Smith, with him Messrs Stewart and Sinclair, appeared for the salvors; Mr HaggittL with him Mr Stout, for the responders. ' James Smith, assistant pilot at the. Bluff JHarbor, under, the Provincial Government, said he was well acquainted with the position of Dog Island and the Signal Station at the Bluff, and of the force of the ebb-tide. . On December 10, between eight and nine o’clock, ’he observed a steamer from the Pilot Station off Dog Island appai ently in distress. A little earlier he had noticed that she kept too close to the land. Witness communicated the fact to Captain Thomsen, harbor-master, and with him went off in one of .the boats up the Bluff Harbor towards the jetty. They pulled up at the wharf, and Captain Thomson landed. He returned to the boat in a quarter of an. hour with Captains Thomson and Logan, and with the boat’s crew they started off for Dog Island, __ arriving where, the Taiaroa was. The Taiaroa was lying afloat with anchors down about a cable’s length off the dry land at Dog Island. The sea bottom here is composed of loose boulders, and sand. The tide was past quarter flood; the tendency of the action of the tide would be to drive the Taiaroa to the northward and eastward of the island. On getting alongside the Tsiarca Caption Thomson said something to her captain about the ship being in a difficult position The captmn replied that the propeller was gone and be wanted a steamer, arid that it would be no use to attempt to go the Bluff without a steamer. He further said that she had struck the rocks, ..there was a hole in th* engine-room, and that she was in a sinking condition. She appeared' to be very deep in the water. The belting is within fifteen inches of the deck, and its after part was in the water. Captain Thomson said there was a steamer going out to her assistance. At this time we could see the smoke of the_ Express, which was leaving the wharf. Captains Thomson and Logan’went on board the Taiaroa, and witness followed shortly afterwards. Captain Thomson directed bifn to get the kedge anchor out of the forehold, but the order was afterwards countermanded. Wit-, ness took charge' of the wheel, and while he was there orders were given to get up coals. The engines were not then at work, but steam was got up. The . .coats were taken from the forehqld, the mouths of the bunkers being so submerged as to prevent, their being got from there, . The water was above the knees of the men working in the stokehole. He accompanied the Taiaroa till off Lewais Point ro'-ks; remaining at thb him all the time. Captain Thomson had ordered the engines to get turned ahead if it was possible; and witness accordingly gave the required si gnal by telegraph. He waited’for what he considered sufficient time to allow ofthls being done, but nothing was done. Witness then, left the bridge and repeated the order down the skylight, and the .reply was given that it would be done if possible.,. Lie then noticed some men in the engine-room - the water was about eight ojr nine inches abdve the platform on which they were standing. By the time he got^back to the platform hj e found the engines were turned. Captain Thomson called out, shortly afterwards to stop her, which was repeated by. telegraph in the usual way. Other orders were given, followed by "Full speed ahead.” She then webt at the rate of a knot to a ar-half .au hour. The topsail and fee foresail were beng set At this time. When the Express came up they were aboutthree-qr arters.of a-mile from the dry land at Dbg Mind. She. approached .on, the? starboard ? bow, and Captain Thomson called out to Captain Eraser ‘ to send bis tow-line aboard as quick as possible. The tow-line was made fast, and the Taiaroa was taken in tow. The wind freshened on the passage oyer, and while in the North Channel. It served to help them on the passage home. Such wind, with all sails set and no steam, would have propelled her at the rate of three knots an-hour'as far as the inside part of Lewais Point. Thik would have brought her within a mile and a-half of Bluff wharf. On December 10 the strength of the ebb tide would be about four or five knots. The ebb tide usually takes, seven hours to run • out. The Taiaroa could not have got in to the Bluff wharf that ebb with what sail and steam power she had. Captain Thomson and Captain Logan had said that if they found the Taiaroa could not be kept afloat they would put her on the beach at Bluff Harbor. He had frequently known the ebb fade to keep vessels out Irom Bluff Harbor, On that very day, about two hours after leavNSg the Taiaroa, be was unable to bring, up the Eoseneath. This barque had all her practicable sail set, and the wind was much stronger than before.. ’ ...... Cross-examiped; Had the Taiaroa been anchored, She could have got in the next flood tide. ‘

Joseph Hamilton, engineer en board the Express, deposed that on Friday, December 10, when mid-way down the wharf at Bluff Harbor he was told by Oriptain Frkser to get up steam. He was told by the pilot that a steamer, was ashore at Dog Island. ’ About. 9.45 o’clock he reported st am was ready, and they immediately left the wharf. On clearing harbor hie came on .deck, gnd taw the -Taiaroa on l.'og Island; she seemed to be ashore. _ The Taiaroa was taken in tuar, and witness found he had a very ■ _vere .. He w« nton board; and on lodkiog at the J aiaroa found she was very deep in the water* - She rolled very much, and the water was as: possible. Witness made an examination of the Taiaroa after she whs put on the beach at the Bluff. Ihthe after hold he oqndft qiuttbty of wattr, GoaU had to be

got from the deck; the water was too deep to admit of their being sot from the. furnace. Nothing but water could be seep in v the f rehold. > The propeller in the state in 'which he fouud it wc uld btde more than move a Steamer. A knot an hour might possibly be got out. Of it. Cross-examined : Witness had been employed on three steamers—the Star of the South* the Ladybird, and the Express. Mr Haggitt; You axe »n agricultural implement maker, are you not? ’ Witness: Oh, I’m anything I can make money at Cross-examination continued; It took about a*} hour to complete the towing. The Tatar oa, with the quantity of water she had in her, Was quite as heavy as a seven-hundre t ton ship. Witness saw water coming out of the injec-non-pipe of the Taiaroa when he first saw her. . y he judged that the * ngines were working. r

[Left sitting.]