LATER PARTICULARS.

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 135, 14 June 1888, Page 3

LATER PARTICULARS.

New Plymouth, June 13. The Hawea shows no signs of having moved. She is upright, and has not bumped in the least. The opiniions are that she can easily be floated, as she is in no way strained. The inquiry is now going on. Captain Hansby says that he anchored off the breakwater at about 1 1 on Monday night. The weather was squally, with ■a choppy sea. At 5.30 on Tuesday morning he was prepared to go into -the harbor, and hove in about fifteen fathoms of cable. The Gairlock was -close by, and just before entering he stopped the vessel, and reversed her •engines to let the Gairloch go in first. He then came in with the leading lights a little, open to westward. W"hen he saw breakers on the bank off the, end of the breakwater, he starboarded the helm. When abreast of -the bank he put the helm hard to port to haul up to the wharf, and put -the engines at half speed. Saw she -was not answering her helm on account of the fresh breeze on her broadside. Stopped the engines and let go the starboard anchor, and went ahead slow with helm hard aport, thinking the anchor would check her bow to windward. - She came round a couple of points, when he felt the vessel touch in her heel lightly aft. He went half speed as he thought ehe touched the bank. Immediately after he felt her «tnke heavily a second time, and saw her way had been stopped. Sounded the; wells, and found she was not making water. About 8.30 the cable of starboard anchor parted, and the vessel drifted to where she now is, and got aground. At high water the forehold, filled with water. He got the passengers and crew ashore. The captain- and chief mate were the last to leave the vessel. Khe cost £35,000, and was built in 1875. He had been in before in the same itate of the tide, . «which was two-quarters flood. He did not his anchor. The evidence of the chief mate (W. m Waller) was similar to the captain's. "*- The cabins and engine rooms are full of water. Some think serious injury has been done to the vessel's bottom' by. the way she has struck since stranded. . .

The other witnesses examined were James Mclror Wilkinson and the Har burmaiiter. The preliminary inquiry then closed. .

Some of the crew went off to the vessel this morning, but could get nothing belonging to them.