THE KNOWSLEY HALL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1951, 26 May 1880, Page 4

THE KNOWSLEY HALL.

[“ European Mail.”] A Board of Trade inquiry has been held in London into the loss of this vessel, which left London for Canterbury, New Zealand, early in June, 1879, and has not since been heard of. She was a “short ship,” and therefore was not visited by any of the emigration officers. She had on board four saloon passengers, two second cabin passengers, and forty-eight steerage passengers. The number of the passengers was swollen by the children of some of the families who went out, and did not amount to fifty “ statute adults,” and thus the ship was not within the purview of the Passenger Acts, which apply where there are fifty statute adults on board. The inquiry was adjourned to wait the result of the visit of the Comus, the evidence taken being directed to the possibility of the crew being too few, the load too heavy, or the vessel weak. The witnesses called were Mr Lee, foreman of the shipbuilding yard at Blackwall, at which she was repaired previous to her last voyage; Mr Bertolacci, clerk in the office of the principal secretary to the Customs, who produced the list of cargo; Mr Cummings, of the New Zealand Shipping Company, the charterers of the ship on her last voyage; Mr Martindale, of Lloyd’s ; Mr Oockhead, the stevedore who stowed her; and Mr Evans, her builder. It appeared that the cargo consisted of a small quantity of explosives, some iron, agricultural implements, bedsteads, fenders, boilers, cutlery, electro plate, chemicals (such as soda, tartaric acid, cream of tartar, copperas), cement, twine, manufactured goods, twentyone bales of jute, musical instruments, painters’ colours, spirits, wines, and beer. She had in all 2650 tons of this general cargo. Jute is liable to spontaneous combustion if shipped wet, but this liability soon terminates, and the quantity carried by the Knowsley Hall appears to have been insignificant. Under the fore hatch 22 tons of coal were stored, with the water tanks on top, and in front of the coals were paints and oils. Cases of machinery were stowed in the square of the main hatch, and secured with deals. The ’tween decks were winged with deals, and in them were stowed general cargo and cement. Under and on each side of the forehatch were stowed hay and fodder for the stock and horses. Abaft the fore-hatch cases of matches were stowed, and they were blocked off on each side with cases of fine goods. The percussion caps and other explosives were stowed right aft, in the stern of the vessel, in charge of the chief officer. The jute was in the ’tween decks. The wine, beer, and spirits were stowed in the after hold, with cement in r ront of them. All was stated to have been securely dunnaged and carefully stowed. Her freeboard was about 6ft. The crow consisted of the master, three mates, the carpenter, the boatswain, the sailmaker, the steward, the cook, 19 able seamen, three apprentices, one second-cabin steward, a passenger working his way out as steward, and two other landsmen. Counsel for the owners having said that they were desirous at as early a stage as possible to have the opinion of the Court expressed on the facts brought forward, the commissioner said the Court was clearly of opinion that in this case, so far as Ihe evidence had been placed before them, the ship was as good a ship as could well be sent to sea. She was a vessel which had an exceptionally large beam to her depth of hold. She was a very stable vessel. She appeared to have had a freeboard of 6ft., with a depth of hold of nearly 24ft., which in the opinion of the Court was a very full and ample freeboard. There was nothing in the case, so far as it had been laid before them, from which they could come to any other opinion than that the owner had taken every possible precaution to ensure safety. Among the crew they had nineteen able seamen, which, in the opinion of the assessors, was a fairly sufficient crow, for it must be remembered that with modern vessels there were appliances which saved a great deal of labour, and although formerly three men to every 100 tons was considered requisite, and this vessel had rather more than one able seaman to every 100 tons, yet looking to the circumstances, and without saying it was a very large crew, they should say it was a fair and sufficient crow. Until they heard whether there was or not further evidence to be brought before them, they would refrain from expressing any opinion as to what might or might not have Seen the cause of the disappearance of the vessel. The Court would adjourn sine die, and notice would be given to tho owners of the day appointed for its reassembling.