The Wreck of the Tasmania.

Hastings Standard, Issue 402, 18 August 1897, Page 2

The Wreck of the Tasmania.

STARTLING STATEMENT BY A SURVIVOR.

EIGHT MEN SENT ADRIFT IN A LEAKY BOAT. (By Telegraph.) (Per Press Association.) Auckland, This day. The Tasmania inquiry was resumed this morning. Mr Tole, for the Collector of Customs, said an official survey of the locality had not yet been made, but he hoped to submit it to-morrow week. Alexander Dette, a young man who was a passenger from Auckland to Gisborne by the steamer, deposed that he was one of those in the carpenter's boat which capsized while landing at Mahanga, out of which M'Nellie and a passenger named Alberton, of Whangarei, were drowned. Dette said that this boat, in which there were eight all told, including himself, Alderton, two other passengers named Jones and Hewitt, a sailor named M'Nellie, a steward named Ross, and the carpenter, was not more than 14ft long. They could only pull three oars as the place for rowlocks for the fourth oar was broken out. The boat was also

leaking owing to there being no plug. A piece of blanket was first improvised as a plug ; then one of the passengers cut off the end of an oar and fashioned it into a plug, which answered well. McNellie was steering. The carpenter, the steward, and Dette were at the oars all night. In the morning the boat made for the shore, McNellie being in charge. They tried to land at a smooth spot but when five chains from the shore a breaker capsized her. Just before this seas had washed some of the occupants out of the boat. After the capsize occurred Alderton, who could not swim, caught hold of Dette, but the sea washed him away. The boat came ashore shortly after the survivors landed. Dette could swim, but he did not know whether Alderton got as far as the rocks. Witness did not know anything about the management of a boat and could not give an opinion as to what should -Jiflfee keen done by those in the boat. ? The chief officer (Mr Wiilcock) was recalled by the court as to the bearings which he took at Gisborne. He said the bearings taken were as accu*ate as could be taken under the circumstances with the ship jumping about. He took them with a standard compass, which was fitted with a Sir Wm. Thompson azimuth mirror. He saw the captain come up to take the bearings shortly after, so he did not give his bearings to him. ' The Court then adjourned till Fri--1 day week, when the report re the surI \©y is expected to be here,