THE ELINGAMITE WRECK

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 701, 22 December 1902, Page 3

THE ELINGAMITE WRECK

EVIDENCE OF ME WETHEKILT. Kotorua, Friday. Tho Nautical Court hearing cvidcnco in connection with the wreck of the Elingainito sat at Itotorua Courthouso to-day to take tho evidonco of Mr Henry Wethorilt, Government Inspector of Machinery, who was a passenger on tho Elingamitc'. The full bench wus present. Tho Hon. J. A. Tolo conducted tho inquiry, and Mr Cotter reprosontod tho officers and engineers, Captain Atwood and Mr Morrison (fourth engineer) being prosont. MR WETHERILT’S STATEMENT. Henry Wethorilt suid on tho day of the wreck ho was in tho smoking-room, when he hoard tho steering gear turn and tho telegraph ring from tho bridge to tho ongino-room. He went immediately on deck and heard tho look-out man about out, '• Breakors ahead 1” Ho could see tho breakers about a ship and a-half or two ships’ lengths aboad.

THE ENGINES. By tho timo ho got to tho roil tho engines had stopped. He could not say exactly whon thoy stopped, but in six seconds from tho timo tho telegraph rang be realised thoy had stopped. Sorno seconds later witness remarked to Captain Itoid tbut tho onginos had boon a long timo in roversing. Witness then wont to tho engine-room skylight and looked down and saw that tho onginos were stopped.

Tlioro was some little eoinmotion going on below, and after a little timo thero was flogging going on, similar to a heavy hammer, for what reason ho did not know. Thero was more than ono person moving about in tho engine room, but thoy woro out of sight. The ship bad not struck at this timo, nnd the telegraph had rung again. Ho went four times botweon tho port rail and tho skylight boforo tho ship struck. Sho struck stem on, with tho stern at tho timo at loast 90ft to 100 ft off tho rocks. When tho ongincs did not reverse ho thought something might have Leon jammod. It was not an unusual thing on long voyagos to bavo tho enginos wedged up to take up the Black and prevont vibration, and when tho enginos did not go astorn it flashed through his mind that something like that had boen done ; that o wodgo had boon insorted sornowhore. Mr Tolo : Hid you form any idoa that there was commotion in tho engine room ? Witnoss: Only clattering of feet, which sounded as if some ono was anxious below. Tho hammoring ho hoard was certainly not hammoring a woodon plug in a pipo. It wus also too hoavy to bo the hammering of ono spanner upon another to undo tho food-cock. Tho sound ho hoard suggested to him tho application of force on tho taper end of a wedge. Thoro was nothing outsido tho ship, so far as ho could soo, that would have proventod tho engines going astern. Ho did not think it possiblo that tho ship had struck simul taneously with tho ring of tho tolograph. Ho did not think sho had struck whon tho tolograph rang the eccond timo. At that time ho was waiting anxiously for tho ship to go astern. It was impossible for tho ship to bo hold in a grip so as to jam tho propollcr without thoso on board feeling tho seusation, nor did he think it posbiblo for tho engines to bo stopped from any external causo without him fooling tho sensation. When sho struck witness said to Captain Reid, “ If ho (meaning the man in tho enginoroom) gets his engines it will bo all right even now.” He said that because he had not folt her strike before. From tho timo tho tolograph rung till she struck would bo about two minutes, but it was difficult to judge timo in suoh ciroumstanco3, nnd perhaps three to four minutes from tho time tho telegraph rang till she was bilgo on the rocks.

LAUNCHING THE BOATS. As to tho launching of the boats, ho thought a lot of timo was wasted over launching No. 2 boat. It seemed to him tho crow woro a bit confused, some of thorn knocking about soemingly hardly knowing whoro to go. He would not describe it as panic, but there wa3 confusion. The passengers did not obstruct; in fact some assisted. When No. 1 boat was iowored tho second inato lowered the falls, which should really have boon done by seamon. Tho forward fall had to bo out, as the disengaging gear would not work. At No. 3 boat the after fall was fast and tho forward one loose, which put tho boat at a nasty angle. Witness loosened tho after fall, and tho boat got away so readily that though ho intended to go in her ho missed his passago. The ohocka of all tho boats woro vory stiff. Two of tho lifebelts witness saw had tho tapo broken, and the result in one case was that an old man was drowned through the belt falling down.

ON THE RAFT. Ho got on tho big raft, which was hoavily laden, and when they got away thoro wore at least a dozon peoplo in tho water. The raft had ono rowlook, one oar, and one paddle. Thoy hailed the purser's boat, and asked him to take tho stewardess on board. The purser said tho boat was crowded, and could not tako hor. It was a small boat, but witness saw no roason why the passengors should have all boon crowded in the foropart of tho boat. Then later in tho afternoon thoy again saw the purser’s boat, and the pursor said tho captain was round to tho 100 of tho islands, and everybody was to make for thoro. Witness replied that it was all very well to say go round to tho 100 of tho island with a thing liko tho raft, which was at tho mercy of tho waves. He also shouted to the purser’s boat that they on the raft had a ropo and would pass it, and that if the bout would tow them they would hang elf r and make no attempt to got on h I the boat. Tho purser said ho could uu, do it, and went on. Then they asked him to take tho stewardess on board, but the purser replied he must go on and tell the others. Witness was sure tho purser must have heard him speak about towing, and that they had a line.

BOAT DRILL,

Thoro was fire and boat drill on the Elingamito on the Friday. Fire drill wbb done in good time, but ho could hardly understand tho boat drill. The meD mustered and then a little boat was swung out. Ho thought it would have beon tho province of tho officers to have madothom uncover tho boats, see the falls were dear, and that the equipment was correct. Altogether the boat drill did not impress him as being satisfactory. It was pretty well understood at-sea that a boat should stand by a raft on account of tho helplessness of the raft. He was quite certain it was tho pursor who answered him about tho towing. further examination.

To Mr Cotter: It was quite possible that the telegraph was answered from tho em'ino-room, though ho did not hear it. Intact, from what ho saw ho was satisfied it was promptly answered, though not fully answered. Tho bustlo ho heard in tho engine-room was just such as would havo been caused among engineers by tbo uiginos refusing to answer. Ho saw nothin,,? of a wedge in the engine-room—that V/as simply his idea. ’ Mr Cotter : Supposing tho onginoors aay positively that 'there was n 6 such tvedgo, would you eontradiot them ? ' Witness : I t? spared to back no my statement that that was my idoa. jt,. (Jotter : Supposing an enginoor to awoar that hammering of ono spanner noon another to turn a nut was the only hammering in tho engine-room, would you bo prepared to say he must bo tollmg a

{al Wt°neL' ; No ; but I would say, “ That ' ia vour statomont, old man ; I have my own opinion.” Tho only reason suggest;u„ the wedge to my mind were the blows ’t” hammer. Tho conclusion I came to was not that there wis non-attendance m the en-ineroom, but that the persons who wore there could not get tho engines to whether part ot the difficulty m netting tho boats out was not duo to the BWn 8 Wn havin" listed, witness said it was pretty late before tho ship took tho list to

went on to say : With regard , ‘conversation with the purser, lam to tho con heard everything I n °-V tat he ight to have hoard. Xam said, but ho 0 g, 1 purscr to g 0 an d and and tome bade, nor did f £ 1 k tor la •• 411 our cry was to take • -- "v take one on our raio. n rone from his, or stand by u=, the stewardess off. There was a bit 0 yea go, and the purser yaid he cguld not | jet elasc enotisb.

Witness know of no rulo that boats should stand by rafts; it was left to the judgment of people to stand by a poor, helpless raft. To Mr Tolo: I am quite positive the purser had room in his boat for the stewardess. After the hammering in tho onginerooru I heard tho instrument thrown down. It gave a thud liko a heavy hammer, not a clatter liko a sparinar. lam still of opinion that thore was a jam in tho ongineroom. I don|t believe for ono mornont thero was any jam with the propeller outsido tho ship, or she must have followed up a groove for some considerable distance before sho bilged herself, It is not a vory uncommon thing for engines to refuse to reverso. Often a very little thing will do it. I saw nothing that would suggest negligence in tho engineroom. I would not consider it an improper thing to insert a wedge ; it is the orthodox method of taking oil the slack. But whon engines wore slowed down that suggested the possibility of having to roverso, arid precaution should have been takon at tho time to remove tho obstructions.

This closed Mr Wethcrilt's evidence, and before the Court rose Mr Haseldon thanked tho witness, and said tho Court had not wasted timo in coming to Rotorua to examine him.