LOSS OF THE SCHOONER FLORENCE.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 549, 22 March 1876, Page 2

LOSS OF THE SCHOONER FLORENCE.

An enquiry into the loss of the above vessel was held at the Custom House, Lyttelton, yesterday, at 1.30 pm, before A. Rose, Esq, Commissioner of Customs, and Captain Mclnnis, Nautical Assessor. The following evidence was taken :—Alexander Macfarlane said—l am late master of the schooner Florence; she was formerly registered in this port, and was 56 tons. I do not hold a master's certificate of any kind, but have a second mate's certificate from the Board of Trade. I left Port Chalmers on Thursday morning, 16th March, at 6 pm; had strong S.W. wind; at noon on Thursday wind, changed, and continued light till 6 p.m. on Friday night, when Akaroa bore N.W. and by W. hair W, distant 14 miles; thence had light N.W. wind till past Long Look-out Point; at midnight there was a dead calm, sky clear, sea smooth, »o indication of any wind, the barometer being 29.50. At 2 a.m. a heavy squall struck the vessel about two points abaft the beam; she heeled over; I was below at the time, it being the mate's watch on deck, hearing the noise, I rushed at once on deck, and put the helm hard up, telling the helmsman to run forward and let go the peak and throat haulyards of the mainsail. By that time masts and sails were in the water; it was then life or death to get the boat clear, there being no hope of saving the schooner. The boat was oa her keel with temporary lashings, as she had been painted that day. All but the cook got into her ; myself and three men got into the boat; the cook was trying to get an oar, and though I repeatedly called to him he persisted in endeavoring to get the oar from the wreck, ana while thus occupied the vessel went down, carrying him with it. It was too dark to see the man, but I heard him call out " Save me 1 save me 1" as the vessel went down. There was no possible means of saving the man, as I had no oars in the boat. When the vessel sunk we drifted off before a heavy gale, without any propeller in the boat, utterly helpless. We then tore up the boat's lining, and bent a portion oa to the painter to keep the boat's head to sea. At 6 a.m. on the 18th the wind began to decrease, and at 8 a.m. had gone down ; we were then just in sight of the Peninsula, and a N,E. wind sprang up and dri f ted us towards Port Cooper ; we used the lining, lashed with yarns out of the painter, as paddles, and eventually reached Lyttelton. The name of the man drowned was Charles Jackson, belonging to London ; he was between fifty and sixty years of age ; that is all I know of him. There was stone ballast in the vessel when we left Port Chalmers—-twenty-five tons ; she was not a tender vessel. I thought twenty-five tons was sufficient ballast. I paid at Dunedin for that quantity, and believe it was supplied. I have been six months master of the Florence. There were two hands on deck when the accident happened; one on the look-out, and one at the wheel. All plain sail, except the paff and jib topsails were on the vessel at the time. The square Bail was not set. I was on decs shortly before, and saw no signs of wind. Ido not believe the ballast shifted till the vessel had passed her bearings. There is no check as to the quantity of ballast put into vessels at Dunedin that I know of ; but I feel certain that the quantity was there by her draught of water. All hands were on deck immediately after the squall struck her. In my opinion everything that could be was done for the safety of the vessel. We were twenty-four hours in the boat before reaching Lyttelton, having nothing to eat or drink; nothing was saved from the vessel, the certificate of registry and also my certificate as second mate, being lost.

Charles Klein stated he was mate of the Florence and had been to sea fifteen years. He corroborated the captain's evidence. He believed that Captain Macfarlane was a careful man, and the crew were sufficient in number.

Walter Benzing, an A.B. on the coasting articles of the Florence, also stated that the evidence of the master was correct. He was helmsman at the time of the accident; had not time to let go the haulyards before she capsized. Had been at sea three years on the coast, before that was in one of the Thames Training Ships. This concluded the evidence.

The Court were of opinion that the evidence given was satisfactory, and no further investigation was recommended.