The Wreck of the Wairarapa.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 119, 15 November 1894, Page 2

The Wreck of the Wairarapa.

CONTINUATION OF THE ENQUIRY. fPKE PKKSS ASSOCIATION ) Auckland, Nnvembnr 14< Purser Penwick, in giving eTidence, said he was not prepared at that moment to give the number of passengers shipped, but he supposed there were 186, of whom 85 were saved. He could not say how many women and children were on board. Clarke, second officer, recalled, said he knew of no sweepstakes on the steamer's passago across. He could not explain so great a mortality among the women and children as compared with the ship's company. The fourth officer, Walter Tulloch, gave evidence, but it was unimportant. It related to the boats and gear being in good condition. The second officer, Clarke, recalled, said the last boat drill was six mouths ago. It had to be entered in the log book by the chief officer. It would bo the duty of the head office, Dunedin, to see it was entered, and that the regulations were properly carried out. He thought the reason why the boat drill was not done was because the Captain was very ill. Purser Feuwick, recalled, said 94 saloon and 03 steerage passengers left Sydney. The saved were 34 saloon and 48 steerage The lost were 60 saloon and 45 steerage; of the crew 20 were lost and 45 saved —namely, 15 deck hands, engine department 16, stores department 14. Later. The inquiry into the wreck of the Wairarapa was resumed to-day. Mr Moyes, chief officer, recalled, said that when he found the fog keeping thick he was afraid to go to the captain with the second officer and protest against the ship going on at such a speed because it wonld have been presumption on witness' part to go up to the captain and dictate to him, or to offer any advice beyond what he did when he asked the captain when he was going to slow down. If they had got to Auckland all right, and he had remonstrated with the captain, they would havo been at variance afterwards. The captain would have "sat" on him, he thought. Captain Clayton : Had you sufficient confidence in yourself to know that the captain was going wrong, and that you were all rushing to death ? Witness; I had not the faintest idea we were rushing to death. All that I was afraid of was getting on the Poor Knights. Sir Moyes asked the Bench for permission to explain wnat to the Bench and the world at large might seem an act of cowardice, but was assured that ho could do so at a later stage. Continuing his evidence, the chief officer said that on Sunday morning he had a conversation with Captain McIntosh about a current which was seen off the Three Kings. Captain Mclntosh said, " Oh, that is the current that Captain Allman reported about three or four months ago, when he got 30 miles out of his position to tho nor'ard." This current would account for the Wairarapa getting further to the north than sho ought to have beon when making the Kings. Mr Cooper: Supposiug you had recollected this current, and had by deadreckoning placed the ship in an absolutely dangerous position, would you have gone up to the captain and remonstrated with him ? Witness: Most assuredly —at least I would havo advised him if I had had any intimation that we were in danger; but when there was no danger there was no fear. If I thought we were in danger I would have gone to the master and offered my views - not remonstrated, for he is still master.