THE TARARUA DISASTER.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2253, 18 May 1881, Page 3

THE TARARUA DISASTER.

In reference to a statement in the columns of a contemporary, to the effect that the body of Mr J. Scoone had been identified by a lady at Temuka from a photograph, it is desieable, on behalf of Mr Sooone’s friends, to say that his brother, Mr W. Scoone, proceeded immediately to the scene of the wreck and, with the assistance of Mr Inspector Buckley, identified his brother’s body on the spot within a short time after it was found, and had it buried in the Tarorua acre.

The collections at St. Peter’s, Akaroa, on Sunday evening were in aid of the widows and orphans of the Wesleyan ministers lost in the ill-fated Tararua. The Bev. H. Stocker, in his sermon, alluded to the wreck, and said that perhaps some of the congregation might not agree with him in assisting the Wesleyans, but would prefer they should be left to look out for themselves. The rev. gentleman said his belief was that the best way to heal the differences existing among the various sects was first by prayer, and then by sympathy.

[press association telegram.] DUNEDIN, May 17. The following insurance companies have paid (ho amounts of the policies on the Tararua : —Colonial, £3500; Now South Wales Marino, £500; United of Sydney, -£SOO-

A correspondent telegraphs from Dunedin —The relatives of the late Captain Garrard applied to tho Government for permission to take tho body by rail from Edeudalo to Christchurch free, but were refused. Tho Union Company to-day made a second application, and the Minister agreed. Tho body will arrive in Christchurch at the end of the week. Some delay has been occasioned on account of tho difficulty experienced in getting a team of horses to drag over the bad roads from Eortrose. Eor some miles the wheels are almost axle deep. The Marine Superintendent of the Union Company is being sent down to the scene of the wreck in order to repay those who have provided provisions and given assistance since the disaster. I hear on good authority that every power was given to Mr Stewart to supply comforts for all

INYEROAR&ILL, May 16. Another meeting of the Tararua Relief Committee was held to-night, when Mr D. Stewart, agent here for the Union Company, replied to tho charges made against him by Messrs Rennie and Kingaland, who went to Otara from Invercargill to assist in burying bodies and doing any other necessary work. Mr Stewart, in the course of a lengthy statement, gave explanations that put a different construction on his remarks as detailed by Messrs Kingaland and Rennie. He asserted that ho had done all in hie power to have the dead interred, and the searchers provided for ns well as the outlying character of the district would permit. He was listened to attentively, and at the close of his remarks received a vote of thanks. There was a largo attendance of the townspeople at the meeting, considerable feeling having been excited by the statements of Messrs Kingeland and smnie.

THE INQUIRY INTO THE WRECK.

DUNEDIN, May 17.

Tho enquiry was resumed to-day, Mr Dcnniston appeared again to represent the Crown ; Mr Smith for the two mates. The Resident Magistrate, Mr Simpson, said that the Court wanted particularly to know about tho charts used by tho captain, and asked Mr Mills, who was present, whether he was able to supply them with any particulars. The Court must be in a position to answer all questions which might be put by the Board of Trade.

Mr Denniston suggested that Captain Cameron would perhaps ha in a better position than Mr Mills to supply any information of this description, and accordingly Captain Cameron was re-called.

Captain Cameron—l am marine superintendent for the Union Steamship Company. I look after the general equipment of the steamers owned by the company. I was on board the Tararua on the afternoon of the 28th ult., the day on which she left Port Chalmers. She had five boats. The two forward boats were lifeboats, I think each of them, in ordinary weather, could carry thirty-three people, including the crew. The two after boats were of the same build, but wore not fitted with cork. They carried about thirty people each. I would put the difference in carrying capacity between the fore and after boats at three people. The great advantage in the cork is when the boats get full of water. The dingy would carry ten or twelve people. The other life-saving apparatus on board the ship were six life buoys and twelve life belts, which were in the bell looker forward of the steerage when I last saw them. These twelve belts were cork jackets. These were all the life-saving apparatus on board. She had the latest Admiralty charts. Ido not remember when the compasses were last adjusted. The last time they were adjusted was in Melbourne. 1 learned that from Captain Muir, who preceded Captain Garrard in command of the Tararua. It would be perhaps a year ago. The standard compass stood on the poop deck, immediately abaft the skylight. It always stood there since I knew the vessel, a period of four year*. My attention, as superintendent, was never called to any irregularities in the compasses. Captain Garrard called my attention to the foot that the standard compass was quite correct. I cannot say on what date the ship was last swung. She was last swung in Melbourne when Captain Muir was in command. Should say it was about twelve months ago, but I have this information only at second hand. I knew the particular cargo she had on board. When the Tararua left Port Chalmers on the 28th ult. I do not think the cargo would have affected the compasses. It is throe months ago since I saw the life belts. I was not present when Mr Nancarrow made a survey of her in Wellington three months ago, I cannot account for the absence of any mention of the life belts in the declaration dated July 1880, Mr Simpson—lt has been given in evidence that the Tararua had 151 persons on board. Had she boats to carry all the persons on board. Taking your carrying capabilities and everything into account, your figures make 136. What is your answer to that ? Witness —According to the carrying capabilities that I have given of the boats on board the ship and the number of them, the boats would not have carried all the people on board at the time of the accident. Witness continued —The masts and sails and rigging were in good order when I last inspected the vessel. It is my duty as superintendent to hand the company's regulations for officers to the officers. I did not hand them to the officers on the Tararua, but they had them before they joined the ship. The second mate was supplied with a copy when he was on the Eotorua, and the chief mate got a copy whan he was on the Albion. The Tararua was drawing 16ft aft and 14ft forward when leaving Port Chalmers. The news of the accident was communicated to me about twenty minutes to one on the day it occurred. The steps I took were to wire immediately to Port Chalmers to get the Hawea in readiness. She was ready at five o’clock. That was the earliest possible hour by which she could be got ready. The apparatus on the Tararua for the giving alarm were blue lights, rockets, and a gun. The Tararua ■ was a stronglybuilt vessel. She had never been lengthened. She was due at the Bluff at seven o’clock in the morning. We have an agent there who takes charge for tho company. It is the duty of our agents at the different ports to report a ) vessel when she is overdue. I would have expected to have hoard from the agent at the Bluff before eleven o’clock. Mr Mills hero stated that the vessel was so reported by their agent, who inquired what time she loft Port Chalmers, By Captain Thomson —Captain Garrard informed me that the standard compass was correct, and that there was no deviation at any of the points. Captain Garrard informed mo of tho (result of his having swung the Tararua on tho trip previous to the accident, I examined tho log book, and found the deviation of the compass stated. It is my duty to soo to tho loading of tho vessel before she loaves Port Chalmers. All tho crew were engaged loading on tho 28th. All the crew are expected to bo at work at the different points on tho coast at which our vessels load. There is an arrangement by which the men who have to work immediately on going to sea got less work than tho rest of the crew. The shore hands relieve them at one hatch. T Mr Smith —I have one remark to make. X understand your Worship to assume that there is conclusive proof that tho Tararua had 151 passengers on board. Mr Simpson —I have only mentioned it as 1 Mr Mills’ estimate.

Mr Smith—Of course Mr Mills’ evidence may be divided into two parts. Eor one part he speaks of his own certain knowledge as to the exact passengers and crew on board; * the other part is gathered from newspaper data. Mr Simpson—Mr Mills does not give his own personal knowledge, but has founded his statement partially on the newspapers, the particulars he got from the company’s different agents and letters. That I understand is the foundation of his evidence. Mr Smith—His own personal knowledge only amounts to 130, the excess beyond that is gathered from data, newspaper paragraphs, which be looked upon as reliable. Mr Simpson—Of course Mr Mills cannot tell us the exact number. Mr Mills interposed that he had separate lists. Those he knew for certain were on board, and those ho had been informed of. Mr Simpson—Then we will ascertain that. Mr Smith did not wish the Court to infer that there were 151 people on board when the vessel left Port Chalmers. Mr Simpson—l don’t think you have much to fear. Mr Smith—Hero is the Government declaration for 224 passengers, and that is one thing I wish to coll the Government attention to. You aro a long way under that. Mr James Mills, recalled, said—Captain Cameron gave the proper hour at which the steamer was due at the Bluff, During the forenoon the agent wired to us that she had not arrived. I produce the telegram sent to us by Captain Garrard in reference to the chief oflicer. The telegram was sent by our Bluff agent at 10 36 a.m. on the Friday. Our reply, stating when she had loft, was sent at XI a.m. 1 was not alarmed at all about the matter, as I could not judge of the weather, and steamers aro sometimes as much as twenty-four hours over due in bad weather. Mr Simpson said there would be no more witnesses called, and the only point now was in reference to Mr Smith’s position, whether he wished to consider the evidence that had been laid before the Court. If Mr Smith thought that it might be suggested that a charge might be laid against any person he should be given on opportunity in accordance with the Act of making an explanation. Mr Smith—Before 1 decide whether it is advisable to address the Court or not, I submit it is reasonable to ask what the Court’s real powers are. The Act is ambiguous in its terms. The sections which relate to the jurisdiction of this Court are as ambiguous as Acts of Parliament. It is obvious that there is a very great difficulty, and I think I am reasonable in asking the Court to deliberately say first of all whether they feel they can assume the power of dealing with the first and second officers, and calling them to answer a charge which is not yet made. When the Court oomes to that definite conclusion then it will be for me to sea whether I shall address the Court on the evidence or not.

Mr Simpson—l will just say this, I give you an opportunity of doing so in case the Court do that. Mr Smith—l submit it is an unfair decision It is calling upon mo to fight with a shadow, I have no certain knowledge what these officers are charged with. Mr Simpson—l will go a step further and say it is within the bounds of possibility that these men may be implicated. Mr Smith—lmplicated in what ? Mr Simpson—l don’t know what these gentlemen’s opinions are, and yet you are asking me to give a decision, which I cannot do yet. Mr Smith wanted to know whether it was intended to charge the officers with manslaughter.

Mr Simpson—You know very well that this Court cannot make a charge of manslaughter, Mr Smith—What have Ito meet? Never in a British court of justice has such a demand been made upon a counsel representing persons. Mr Simpson said that in all previous inquiries in this colony such a course had been followed.

Mr Smith urged that two wrongs did not make a right, and the sooner a reasonable construction was put on the Act to prevent such gross injustice being perpetrated the better.

Mr Simpson—Ton decline then to take the opportunity I offer yon, because you are not charged ? Mr Smith said he did not exactly say that. That men should be called upon to answer a charge which was not made known to them he submitted was a cruel position to place them in. He submitted that he had made a reasonable request to the Court in asking them to determine first of all to say whether they took upon themselves the extraordinary jurisdiction of putting those persona upon their defence to answer a charge which was not made. If the Court came to that decision he should probably ask them to hear him on the evidence. To enable him to do this he would ask for a reasonable adjournment. Mr Simpson—The Court will grant a reasonable adjournment. Mr Smith—l require some definite charge to be made,

After some further discussion, Mr Smith said—Will your Worship oblige mo by saying what is the charge ? Mr Simpson—There has been some wrongful act or default on the part of the officers.

Mr Smith—Which caused the wreck ? Is that the charge as made by the Court ? Mr Simpson—We are going to treat the charge as made, Mr Smith—Might I ask by whom ? Mr Simpson—l have given you my answer, Mr Smith. 1 decline to answer farther.

Mr Smith—l sincerely wish to know what I have to meet. Am I to understand that the Court considers the first and second officers on their trial.

Mr Simpson—Not on their trial. Their certificates run the risk of being cancelled because they, as officers of the ship, have been guilty of a wrongful act or default. Mr Smith—Pardon me a moment. My duty is a very serious one, therefore I want to know what I have to meet. I understand that the Court considers these two men on their trial on a charge of having directly caused the loss of the Tararua.

Mr Simpson—We said before that their certificates are liable to be cancelled or suspended. They are not upon their trial. Mr Smith—What I ask the Court clearly to understand is this—whether they regard these two officers as charged with an offence — with having caused the loss of the Tararua by their wrongful act or default. Is that what you wish me to consider ? Mr Simpson—Yes. We take the responsibility of saying that, without their being formally charged, that is what I intended to intimate. Possibly I failed to make myself clear. Mr Smith—lt is the first time that I understood it. I wish an adjournment to meet that charge. Mr Simpson—Will you suggest till what time? Mr Denniston—Bay Thursday.

Mr Smith—Do I understand that my learned friend is coming here to support this charge ? Mr Denniston—ls there any reason why I should now undergo a cross-examination F I most certainly intend to be here, arid I can only say that I am very much surprised at the question. The Court, at a quarter to five, adjourned until 2 p.m, on Thursday.