VICE-ADMIRALTY COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4067, 9 March 1876, Page 2

VICE-ADMIRALTY COURT.

Wednesday, Maech 8. ' (Before Deputy-Judge William a. ) THE TAIABOA SALVAGE CASE. This following additional evidence in support of the salvo’b case was given , Thomas Farre 1 and Charles Brown gave unimportant evideuce. James Miila, man ger of the Union Company, considered the fir value of the Taiar .a —which had been under offer to witness’s company—to be L2O,OpQ. '.John Hou-ihton.one of the owners of the To£™ ,, “ er ’ present value to' be lio 700.

Tois closed the promoters’ case. For the de :ence..

Alex. Daring, mechanical engineer and, suP e . t ] n , ten efi t of ihy Union Company’s 8-eamen, 8 'id he examined the TaTaroa in.the dock.’ One bl«de of the propeller was broken right’ off, two otheis were pariial y, broken, and there was one sound blade. In 1874 ha brought the Bruce from Lyttelton to Port Chalmers, with all four blades of h«r propeller broken; The broken state of the Taiaroa’s propeller would have reduced her speed fifty per cent., but not more. ' ■ 1

Thomas Thomson, ETarbor-mastrr at the Bluff, stated that he was previously a master mariner, and had been at sea thir- j-ax years. On the 10th December saw a vessel which he knew to be the Taiaroa on shore at t>og. Island. As she passed the Old Man Bocks she heeled over a as if sbd had touched the ground* She shortly afterwards stopped, and stood in’ t w -rJs the island, bhe w s then at about the usuil anchorage at Dog" Witness saw a.boat, go off from the shore. When wit- ’ ness went into the house she was heading towards the Bluff, but when he came out—in five minute s—he saw her .beached at the landing place; Wi n s i went up to the Bluff Wharf, and th»re met Captah Logan. Be told the latter the name of the vessel, and Captain Logan said the steamer belonged to the Company he reprtsented. Witness al-o saw Captain Fraser he believed in Captain Logan’s presence and told hirir be had better get up steam and see what as {stance he could render. < 'aptain Logan statedti>at he did not know that ,t.ie L’aiaroa was ashore. When within hslf or a quaiter of a mile of the is ani ’-they observed the Ta’aroa swinging round as if she were float.ng off the rocks, and steam was blowing off When he we. t on board he was told by the captain that there was very little wat r in the fore and after holds, but she was much damaged about the stoke hole and engine room, and the propeil r was damacei. Witness took charge, of the s earner at once,. The captain s-iJ he bad been expecting witness, and had »enta boat for him;? Witness gave orde:s to kedgo the v. ssel out, to* that the Exrws coali come alongside with' 5 safety. While eudeavor'ng to get the hedge up a slight breeze sprang up, which witness thought wou'd take her out clears and the sails were then set. At this time .t was report d to witne-s that the propeller was not entirely g »ne, and witness, to test it, immediately gave orders to lo as l ern, and the steamer a; once moved. He then stopped her 1 st she. hduld • strike on a detached rock While backing but it was reported to w tness t hit if be cou:d keep hj» r go.ng ahead thu engineer could keep her clear, lie ‘ then backed her, astern u til she was clear, an I th n steamed full speed ahead. When about a cable’s length from the spot where they,tmn d ahead first, he stopped her, intending to hoist the boats up, becaas. they were lying apfo s her, and ,hj -. was afra'd they would get damaged, as a sm,ll speed would in jure them. afterwards counts,man led the o r der, rut the .bait* str ight, and towed them. They then went hill .-peed again f rthe North Channel. They wei e gping a little ov.r four, knots. After le ving the i-land witness ordered sails to be got up to stop the leak. It did not become necessary to use those sails. They met the r xpress coming from the Bluff’ when they were about a m le from the Island.' He hailed th; Expre-s to give them tin m a towrope. He nrgbt have been a little agitated put he was not in the least Jlightened, and had i ot the slightest hesitation in starting for the Bluff when he was informed the vessel was clearing herself,. The Express sent a tow-line pa boa-d. Wilness’s attention was called to [he Express immediately after he got on board ihe Taiaroa audj the reas .theu seemed, to be jvisfc Bluff w arf. [t stem d ihrer quavters of an hour after that the Express' cMe up. 'Jhe Express then tpwed them into Bluff Harbor.

menced of l the &U E^^ d l^^PttTSn thhtthe anchorWak under sixpho-, and then steeredratoad sgtofon the bsMh. cdtn* saybi? have reached the Bluff in safety wllhout.toe assist' ante of the Express, preVided-the conditions remained the same, name y, (hit the engines kept the engine-room clear of water. Witness believed the Taiaroa could have reached the place where she was beached by her own imiMdad.emsmßa>on4hftMide» ..n .If tha«lriw>ido "Kadptoved tr 0 strong' “he couHhave been kept steaming against the tide-until the and the pumja cou'd havh been khpVworldng ah the time. A s.U might have been putoyer

Tewais Point, winch-..with that weather, would have been aueltef. place than the BluffHarbor for beaching, her. Bne would havetecfi. sife:fotf in (hit po-ltioh. mA witness’s WefC' bbeyed as timckly' u poffible. 1 There Witness did nt think the Cur ire ht V°hld hiva affected the Taiavoai jn Trotoihg'the'baoy. Tim Express i icurred no risk in towing, in to 6 Ta&rfo. '* :t ,!,w ■’*> •'‘-'■‘• ■I "ft. ; ? TttpaspAY.'iikufiHjP. .v/ . Captain Thomson's examination was con tinuei, |n answer to be said that inall mattek of ImpOrtahtee He wMI Captain Logan as repesent&tiveofthe Alßuhx omppliig Company toefoie givmgmstruotionß. > As Mr Smith had not arrived the oroflSexamtoation ofrtolfnsitue^'wkffMftftd.; John Cook was\oh.ef engineer of lie wL roa on her kte V‘,y« jfe from Glasgow to Vfiis port. He was in the,engine-room on the mornmg of December .10, - when.. she struck. Alter she struck he lifted one of (he‘flooring, plates, and three or £our.xxunutcsjiftec-saw. water combing over the plates running aft. .Witness jpdt aU the < pumping ' gear connected with '.he engine room <n, called assistance, 7 and reported =to . the capiain .tM; |b* steamer was making water. Pound ilffe . gainlAgj and to; oi. ted that, pll Wet fires worn >be out.mi five minutes, Tbis;womd bs from Seven to tm. minutes aftfrt \he Ve-sd attuefc.'. After the V.ssel W bWie&ed the engines were but the donkey-pump ‘ was kept: worinniv The rfup’s band-pumps were used] The leak'did nht Increase after the beaching. They remaihed Uslibfe-oh Dog about.'two, Koura. gm.est' ; height the water. reached in. the * enginbrbdm was about ttuir feet ' v, Thiß womd * jiat opyet. tiie and no. jinotO.' i he stoke-hole is two-f* et loiver toOn ihVflfoh of the engine-ioom. The leVel uf the watef itt ton stoke-hole i>n l , fte fiie in the .. .lower .furnace was dcowipSl out while they were iSii ’the isTafid. There M flbouh. six of .watet in (he forehold ahl four feet'in thfe afteiholl. He exafnined lho ptopePer whffe bniytbe' idand, ahd atioutls&i i afi-hbtirbefore Ca ptsSn Thomson ariiVtd.Cme iof the blades' waV pattly off v and toe o'her wholly off. | ou board, Mm if be could xpove toe euginev, j (hat hj; cou d, and vet into the engiae-ropm^ ; H « immediately got an Older by 1 50 astern, lie went astitrhj'toe engines vr&s> ; iog properly. Ihe next order was to go ahlSau. and then ful ppieel. only went half speed- 'Two fLeawere'alight'at this time with a full head of. stem to supply the boiler was got from the bike.r The engines throw into the coudeoser v 24 g.llons per m nute. Water f was- also discha' ged by the blge-puncp. ■ Prom .toe time !the en?uus were staite l till meeting the Ez- , press they began to gain on the -water. Had gained throe or four inches when they mettob Exproas. The furnace was re kindled and the .fire property under way before they reached . the Bluff., The engine ! were kept going after being taken in tow. Was going about TOUT ’ knots air hour bef <ro being taken in tow. Could have gone between five and six knots after ton third fire was kiudled, abd with' the proptiUer ; m toe damaged state fa, which it Was. . V V Mr Hag c it(r; I wnnt you to tell ns whether the Taiaroa could have reached Bluff Harbor m. safety with her .propell r in'the ctato-jn which it Was without t >e assistance of the Express? .

Witness: Ym. ; The water had - decreased from nine to twelve inches by the time we bad reached the Bluff. The engines Werekej/t go ng the vwsel wai beached at Blnff .Harbor for .wojr)dDg . the puifipa, > With .the propeller in the stave in which the TaiaroaWftS after thVac.ideht, he could get.'hilf speed ,ut hrr. He was a practical engineer, broil?ht np hit Glasgow, wHei yeais in foundries. - On oxajnining- the- bottom of the vessel found Kelp tight in a hole in the fore, hold, and in the stokehole. At Bog Island: Tfhere the vessel whs lying there was kelp, Ati the Bmff'took'bff tlie broken bltides of tbj prope'ler and put on a new one.' Came Under steam to -Port Chalmers,' making' nineto urneand a quarter krourahjhour. Thfeketp wm hanging about a yard inside the hold, jammed quite close. i By Mr Smith ; He won’d swear; that he did hot report to the captain.after. that the propeller yms useless or words to that, effect. He might have said it was very much damaged;' "" t \ “ • - ' f.jt Afterthe luncheSh adjournment,. • • * a CapUin Thoms n waVbross-exumihedhy Mr Smithas follows:—The Taiarba. when Kvitnestf nfstAhW her on the: morning of December 1(S was about half-way between • the Bluff and ■Dog Island. This would be a)tot& balf-tijtsfe-BfcX® 11 6 clock. . She wou d then be about a mile and k half from the Old Man’s Bock, and She would reach there in about tea minutes suppostn^fto^wm-SJknolswhbtffrHCi^SW'-dutinctly that the spa .d of r a yessd going eight toots an hour xn a dead cun would L <,ut i t ffags. .snffioien ly to, enable then hue to be read. The Express took ib| naith cbannel in goin? to. the Taiaroa. rf~ t’aprains Fnaa r and Jftaa ~swora-fhwt;~€h>-Express teok a direct route froin the Bluff to Dog Is and across the sandi he.contradicted them. ; ' ' ; ! -

(Left sitting];