WRECK OF THE VENTROR.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 573, 18 November 1902, Page 3

WRECK OF THE VENTROR.

(Per Press Association). Auckland, last night. At the Ventnor inquiry, Ncwis, the

steward, said Captain Kerry had a very bad cold, and looked ill just previous to the casualty. This may' have given him the appearance of having been drinking. From .Sunday morning till the vessel foundered on Tuesday, the captain did not have an hour’s sleep, and did not conic down

to meals. tie was quite positive the captain was sober when they left Wellington. , Fraser, a fireman, deposed that he saw the captain the worse tor liquor. Me was stiaggering about the (kick when the boats were being got ready for launching. Other witnesses said that the captain seemed the worse for liquor. The

look-out man said that he saw some-

thing dark on the port side. Before he could decide what it was the steamer struck. 'file Bench stated that the certificates of the surviving officers would be returned, and their decision would be given on Monday.

MAGISTERIAL, INQUIRY.

HOME IMPORTANT EVIDENCE,

(Special to Times.) Auckland, Saturday. The magisterial inquiry into tho circumstances attending tho wreck of the steamship Ventnor, which foundered off Holdunga Heads on October 28, whilst bound from Wellington to Ilong Kong with 550 coffins, containing tho remains of disinterred Chinese, 6200 tons of coal, and other cargo, was commenced yesterday. The Collector of Customs, Mr Alexander Roso, said the circumstances of the disaster wore most peculiar. Had tho master and second officer of tho vessel been alive ho would have mado a distinct churge of negligent navigation against them. Tho other navigating officers wore bolow at tho time, and not on duty. Mr Huseldon : Do I understand that no charges are made against Mr Cameron and Air Uro ?

Mr Rose: Not at present; but, of course, if tho ovidence disclosed that they were in fault it will be quito competent for them to be called to account. CHfEF OFFICER’S STORY.

John Cameron, chief officer of the Ventuor, stated that the vessel was in good condition when she left Wellington. Witness was on watch from four to 8 p.m. on October 26th. Tho vessel was. steaming about nine knots. He was rolieved by tho third officer, and went below to bis room, Ho gave the third mato tho course. He did not coirio on deck again till about twenty minutes to one, when ho was awakened by the shock of tho vessel striking. On going on deck ho saw land ahead. The enginos wero then going full speed astern, The order was given by tho captain to get tho boats roady. So far as witness knew, tho Capo Egmont lighthouso was not visiblo at this time. Tho vessel came off tho rocks in ten or twclvo minutes. Tho engines were put slow ahead, and headed westward. Cap-

tain Ferry and tho second mate (Mr Lawson) were then on duty. Witness was on deck all tho night after the vessel struck. Tho vossol was thou going slow and half-speed. After the ship struck soundings wero taken, and it was found that water was making rapidly in No. 1 hold. There was no water in No. 2 hold. No. 3 hold had some water in it, which tho pumps kept down. The No. 4 hold was all right. They wero not able to keep down tho water in tho forebold. Pumping was kopt up all tho timo. Tho water gninod in the forehold to the levol of the water outside. On Tuesday tho course was altered, heading into tho land. The ship was then beginning to look in a dangerous condition, being much down by tho head, where tho water was awash witoiu about 3ft of the upper deck. They were still goiug half-speed. The course so far as witness remembered was not altered again. About 2 p.m. they saw land, which must have been somewhere south of Hokiauga Heads. Tho vessel continued about tho samo until 7 or 8 p.m., when she appeared in a worse state. At 9 p.m. tho captain stoppod tho engines, as tho vossel was then losing her steering power and getting unsafo for navigation. Tho boats had previously been mado ready with provisions and water. It was a cloudy and rainy night. Tho last ordor givon to witness by the captain was at about half-past nine, when he ordered the boats to bo loworod. They all got into tho boats. Witness, with 12 others, was in the port-after lifeboat. The second mato should havo boen in the fore-port boat, but ho failed to get into the boat. There was no confusion. The captain would havo charge of tho starboard-aft lifeboat. The third mato had tho star-hoard-fore boat. The crow had previously been allotted to tho boats. In a few minutes they shoved off, and when nbout 20yds or 30yds away the vessel went down altogether. Witness’s boat and the second and third mates’ boats reached Hokiauga tho following day, but nothing was seen or heard of the captain’s boat. Mr Rose: Was there any drinking on board after leaving Wellington ? Witness : Not to my knowledge. Mr Rose : Did any of the officers have too much drink ?

Witness: No. Mr Haseldcn : Was any liquor servod out after the vessel struck Witness : No ; not to my knowledge. Witness, continuing, said that when he last saw the captain tho latter was on tho bridge. He did not think the captain wouTd have time to get away from the ship before she went down. The \ eutnor was a new vessel, having boon only about 20 months at- sea. She was well found, and steered well. The second officer was a careful officer. Tho crew consisted of 31 all told; 13 men were lost. There were nine Chinese shipped at Wellington as crew, but who were really passengers. They went to look after the coffins. Mr Roso said that they were placed on tho ship's articles at Is a month to avoid conflict with the Passengers’ Act. Witness said that the charts uscq by tho Ventnor were tho Admiralty chart of Cook’s Strait and the general chart of the West Coast. They also had tho Now Zealand Mot. The load-lines wero -H- in. out of water when the vessel left Wellington. Thcro wero four compasses on board and these were adjusted at Dalny, near Port Arthur, in Juno last. By Mr Haseldcn: When the vessel struck tho land appeared to be right ahoad. They saw tho lighthouse about an hour after they had struck. He said to the captain, “ I suppose we will have to go back to Wellington > ” The captain said that would be of no use, ns there was no dock at Wellington, and that he would go round (tho North Capo to Auckland. The soundings wero regularly reported to the captain during tho Tuesday, and he appeared to think that tin boat was all i right. Witness did not apprehend any i danger.

Mr Haseldcn: Did tho carper ter report to you that the positi )Q was serious and that something must be done ov the vessel would go down ?

Witness : No, lie made no such report to me.

Mr Ilaycldon: Did any of the crew make any representation to you '! Witness: No, not to me.

Mr Haseldcn : Were you aware of representations being made to the captain ’! Witnesss : The captain called all hands together ut about ten a.in. on Tuesday and stated that he could not think of leaving the ship whilst she was afloat, and that ho hoped all would he right. Everyone seemed satisfied.

To Captain Fernandez : He could not say whether tho vessel shifted her bow when she struck hc-foro witness saw the land ahead.

To Mr Campbell : The course given by the captain was strictly followed by witness, and he checked the compasses on

trie afternoon of October -0. 'The vessel j Intel six bulkheads, ami he thought some i of these must'have given way at the last, i Ho Jiil not consider that the water in the I forcho'ul was sufficient to cause the vessel | to founder, He thought the decision of j the captain to make for Auckland was a i reasonable one. They first knew that I water had got into the other holds about lour p.m. on Tuesday. He spoke to the captain, and it was decided to get closer inshore. It would not have been possible to have got the vessel into any port after this time. As she was steering so badly. He attributed the foundering of the vessel to the water getting into No. 2 bold. 13etween -1 and 5 pan., all bands were called together, and told to keep handy in .ease anything happened. He considered that everything necessary that could be done was done. By Mr Rood : It was a clear night when the vessel struck. A man would probably be able to see a mile. He could not say how far the land was away at the time. The captain afterwards told witness lie had told tho second officer to keep a sharp look out for the low land. 'Witness did not think the vessel would have struck if a good look-out had been kept und the course had been followed, provided there was no unusual set of the current. Mr ltccd : Did you hear the second officer give any opinion as to tho cause of tho accident ! Witness : The captain told mo that the second officer said ho mistook the land for a squall coining across the water. Mr ltccd- : Did the captain tell you that tlie look-out man had reported land ahead 20 minutes beforo the vessel struck '! 'Witness : No, I was not told that. Mr ltccd : Can you say why the course was laid so close in shore when you were going to China '! "Witness : Tho captain wished to set his course from Cape Kguiont, 1 believe. THIRD MATE'S EVIDENCE.

William Simpson lire. third officer, said lie Was in charge of, Ihe waleh from eight p.m. unlit midnight "n October tlh't.h. The course was given In witness by I lie captain. He saw no light; during.' Ins watch, but he saw land at. a-qi'art.er past eleven p.m. on the starboard how. lie considered this: laud was. eight or ten mules i»IT. When he went off watch, and was relieved by the second mate, he gave tlie course to the latter, and pointed out the land to him. He did not think the captain’s boat went down with the vessel. He did not see anyone the worse for liquor, nor did lie see any drink on board. Witness, the captain, and the second officer, as well as Hie first officer, were strangers to. this coast. By Mr Campbell : When witness sighted land before the vessel <struck, he reported it to tlie captain. Hair-an-hour after this, tlie look-out man reported laud. Mr Heed : .Johansen, the look-out man. says lie reported to you at ten minutes to twelve p.m. that he could see a revolving-light- or Hash-light. Witness: No; I thought'lie said land, I saw no light. There was a lot of phosphorous on the water, and lie mav have mistaken this for a light-. Mr Reed : What, was the state of the second officer, when he came on deck ? Witness : He w,,s sober EVIDENCE 01’ ENGINEERS. Donald Raillie, second engineer, s'aid lie did not. see anyone on the ship tlie worse for liquor. He believed the decision to attempt to get lo Auckland was arrived at after a consultation between the captain, the chief mate, and the chief engineer. A similar accident happened to the Vcntuoqr at Yokohama, and site reached port safely. He considered the foundering was due to the giving way of the bulkhead between Nos... .1 and 2 holds. John Muir, third engineer, said he thought the water came through the bulkhead from No. 1 lioUl into No. 2 hold. There were four pumps on the vessel, all in lust-class order. He did not think the water in No. I hold would have caused tlie vessel to founder, and that if! it hail not got into flic other hold tlie vessel would have safely reached Auckland. I,LEGATIONS OF INSOBRIETY. lVter Deiiuitu, boa I swain, said that he saw the Cape Egmoiit lighthouse luili-an-liour or so after the ship floated off the reef. The light was perhaps a mile off. After the striking, the men had one drink each by the captain’s orders. Mr Rose : Did you see any of the officers the worse for liquor '! Witness: None of the mains were. Mr Rose ■ Was eaptaiu sober when the vessel struck •; Witness : No ; he was not solid when the vessel struck and afterwards. Mr Haselden : How did the captain appear on the day you left Welling

Willies,s : From the way bended he scented to have drink in him. lie was in the habit of drinking on leaving port. Mr lias-olden: Mow did he act V How did you notice it : Witness: lie was very Hushed in the face. (in the Sunday, when the carpenter had some trouble in putting a pipe tl-iwu a. well, the eaptaiu said : “ There must- be ghost down thenThe cat pen let said : 1 I’erliaps ;t, the ghost of one of the Chinese." ... Mr Rose: What .was the condition of the captain on the night the vessel foundered ? Witness: He was in the same condition—he had been drinking. Mr Reed : Was it well known among Inc cr-.-w that the captain was drinking ''

Witness : Yes. Theodore Kricxon. A. 11.. said lie did not notice the captain or anyone the worse for liquor before Uie vessel struck. Afterwards, on the day the shiit foundered, the captain was under the inlliience of liquor. Witness had seen the captain the worse for liquor on previous voyages. Mr Campbell : What made you think the captain was not- sober on the day the vessel rotindered Witness : I could see it in his face, and front the way lie talked ami spoke. 1 could aNo smell it. as he pursed me. .John Douglas. liremau. said that Captain Kerry showed signs of drink on the day after the striking, but lie seemed all".right on the dtith. In the afternoon of tlie dsth. wlien the captai.i called all hands together, lie seemed to have been drinking. ■John Carl .Johansen. was look-out man on the night of the Jlitii said he saw a light at ten minutes to twelve on the ’starboard how.. The light was like a mast-head light ; it seemed to he a shore light. He reported it to the third officer, who said. Ali r.giit 1" No action was taken, and flic vessel's beau was not

altered. Mr Rose : Was the captain drinking? Witness : The captain was drunk when the ship went down. lie was not- the worse for drink when the vessel struck. The inquiry was adjourned until jttoaday morning)