THE WRECK OF THE OCEAN MAIL AT CHATHAM ISLANDS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 908, 23 May 1877, Page 2

THE WRECK OF THE OCEAN MAIL AT CHATHAM ISLANDS.

FURTHER PARTICULARS

[by telegraph, per press agexcy.] Welltxgtox, May Tl. The following are extracts from a passenger's diary:—

After getting clear of Wellington Heads the Ocean Mail overtook the Avalanche, both steering the same course. Captain Watson invited the captain of the Avalanche on board. He declined, but invited Captain Watson, who went on board, remaining several hours. The Ocean Mail's boat got stove in under the stern of the Avalanche, and a seaman narrowly escaped losing his leg. In consequence of the weather being cloudy only one observation was taken from the 16th to 20th. The passenger remarked to the chief mate about the log not being hove for dead reckoning, and he said it was the captain's orders not to do so, as he did not believe it was of any use. The patent log was never mentioned or put over the stern once during the voyage. On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 20th, the captain said the barometer had fallen fivetenths, and that they were not far from the Chatham Islands, but he did not expect to

sight tliem. The wind rose, and sail had to be shortened. Shortly before four next morning he saw someone rush into the captain s cabin, saying the ship was close on land. Ihc; captain rushed on deck, partly dressed and very excited, giving contradictory orders rapidly. The ship was about three-quarters of a mile from shore. She struck lightly aft, and continued striking with more or less violence at intervals. When morning broke the narrator says how they reached the place where they lay was almost marvellous, for a short distance astern were other rocks with the sea breaking over them, and which they must have actually grazed. After getting a boat lowered, the chief officer ordered the saloon passengers into the boat, but the third officer, who was in charge, peremptorily refused to allow any luggage to be put into the boat, alleging that he had received orders not to permit anything but the captain's effects. People on shore showed them where to land to avoid the surf. The wreck is on the nortli part of the Chathams, fifteen miles eastward of Cape Young. On the 24th a nautical assessor surveyed the ship when the water was up to the saloon floor, and the vessel was adjudged a derelict and lost, and was sold as she lay, with the cargo, on the 26th, for the benefit of all concerned, for £945. The Court of inquiry held afterwards commenced on the 27th, and duly concluded on the 3rd April. In his evidence the captain said he gave orders for the log to be hove, but admitted that he had not seen it done, but that he had seen the patent log, which was put in the water at 7 p.m. on the night previous to the wreck, through his cabin windows. The chief officer swore that the log had not been hove at all, and that he had been told by the second officer that the captain would not permit it to be hove, as he did not believe in it. The second and third officers, who were in the same watch, deposed on oath that the log was hove every two hours in their watch, and on the night before the wreck they hove it themselves, assisted by a boy. The boy corroborated these statements, but later in the day, when summoned to give further evidence, he confessed that his former evidence was false, and that he said it to confirm the testimony of the second officer. All the hands in the second officer's watch swore that the log was not hove from the time the ship left Wellington. The Court passed the following sentence :—" That the master's certificate of competency be suspended for nine months; those of the first and second mates for six months. The third mate had no certificate. And that the district constable be instructed to prosecute the second and third officers, with the boy, for perjury." A second court was held on the 16th and 17th April, at Matarakau, when the mates and the boy were arraigned, and, on the evidence of the crew, were committed to take their trial at the next practicable sitting of the Supreme Court. A letter, from a resident on the island, says : —No one had notice of the sale of the wreck, but those who extended hospitality to the captain, and consequently only few people were present at the auction. The writer asserts that had the people of the island only known of the sale, the wreck would have realised at least £ISOO or £2OOO at the very lowest estimate. From the time the vessel struck she remained in that position with most of her canvass spread until the day of sale. The whole of the day she struck nothing at all was done, though the weather was very fine, the captain lying in his cabin the whole day. Though it was not all working weather between day of striking and day of sale there was enough time to allow of the crew saving a great deal of the gear. In fact, every little was brought from the ship, besides what was washed ashore. For two or three miles on each side of the wreck, the ship's cargo is strewn about, some at high water mark, some at the edge of the water, but with no one looking after it. It was the intention of a few of the settlers to form a company to buy the vessel and cargo, but the vessel and all pertaining to her in the shape of gear was put up in one lot, and knocked down to Mr A. Ackerley. When the cargo was put up Ackerley, who had been surveyor of the vessel, said, " Eecollect I am owner of that ship, and nobody puts his foot aboard without my permission." The auctioneer had been warned of such a contingency when allowing all boats to go with the ship. The cargo then was knocked down to Ackerly. A few days after the sale a protest against it Avas got up in Waitangi, and signed by numbers of Europeans and natives. The Eesident Magistrate is blamed for not giving notice of the sale. The constable, who acted as auctioneer, was asked why he did not do so, but he said it was not his place to do so. The local agents of the Insurance offices here have telegraphed to their respective head offices, and are awaiting instructions previously to lodging a protest against the sale and taking legal action.

[fkom: a correspondent of the press.] Wellington, May 22—5 p.m. An extract, from a private letter received to-day from Ritchie gives the following account of the wreck:—" The Ocean Mail, from your port, came ashore on 21st March. All hands were saved. She had very thick weather since she left Wellington, and could not get any sights. The night before the morning she came ashore was terrifically stormy. She came on to a reef between Matarakura and Tuapeka Point, where a Trench whaler was wrecked. She is a sad sight now. Nothing is to be seen but a little of her stern. She has gone to pieces, and the beach is strewn with loose wool three or four feet deep in places, mixed up with seaweed and broken casks of tallow. It is impossible to save one-twentieth, as it is now lying on the beach. There is more wool than all the Chatham Islands coidd grow in the next seven years. It is well for those on board that it was smooth when she struck, or not many would have been saved. I have saved just as much out of her as will pay expenses. I think there will be a lot of stuff yet come out of her, or may be got at in fine weather ; but just now the weather is so bad that I can do nothing. If she had not broken up so soon I might have made a fine thing out of it, but even now I consider myself safe." The cargo saved up to the time of the Omaha's departure consisted of sixty bales of dry wool, 500 bales of wool wet, and seventy casks of tallow. The donkey engine and fororigging also had been saved. "fhe official enquiry was held at the Court House, Matarakau, before Samuel Leighton, K.M., 11. E. Patcrson and E. R. Chudleigh, J.P.,'and Captain Robert Morgan of the A"nes as nautical assessor, lasting from 27th March to 3rd April. A large amount of evidence was adduced, the preponderance of the testimony showing that no dead reckoning by log had been kept, Captain Watson objecting to°it. It appeared that the chief, officer on

one occasion wished to heave the log, when he was informed by the second mate that the captain did not allow it, on which he pressed the matter no further. The second and third mates, Alex. Caiman and Wm. Morrison, and an apprentice named Chirles Treagellas, swore that the log was hove, but on it being clearly proved that this was not true, Treagellas admitted that lie had given untrue evidence. The Court found that the mishap was due mainly to negligence on the part of Captain Watson and officers to keep dead reckoning by log, and Captain Watson had his certificate suspended for nine months ; those of the first and second mates being suspended for six months, the Court holding the chief officer was culpable in not going direct to the captain about heaving the log instead of contenting himself with the second mate's statements. A warrant was then issued for the arrest of Caiman, Morrison, and Treagellas on a charge of perjury, and they were brought up on the 16th April before Mr Leighton, R.M., and Mr Chudleigh, J.P. Voluminous depositions were taken, which fill eighty-nine pages of foolscap, and the three prisoners were duly committed to take their trial at Wellington. A meeting of Matarakau settlers was held before the Omaha left, to protest against the alleged informality of the proceedings by which the wreck and cargo were sold to Mr T. Ritchie for £945. At the meeting some strong resolutions were passed, protesting against the sale, and they have been forwarded to the various insurance agents in New Zealand. The result is understood to be that insurance companies refuse to settle the claims until the matter is properly cleared up, and a steamer will be despatched immediately to the scene of shipwreck, conveying an agent armed with full powers to take such steps as may prove necessary.