WRECK OF THE IDA ZEIGLER.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 664, 15 March 1869, Page 3

WRECK OF THE IDA ZEIGLER.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

(Before 11. S. Tiifen, Esq., J.P., J. A. Smith, Esq., J.i\, unci J. Johnson, Esq., Aautical Assessor.)

THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1869

An inquiry into the wreck of the ship Ida commenced at 11 a.m. The following evidence was adduced : Captain George Sellavs, on being asked for his certificate, according to the usual form, stated that it had been lost in the ehip. lie deposed as follows : The number of my certificate was 23,01)7. I took charge of the Ida Zeigler on the 15th of July, in London. The vessel was then in good order. The cables were in order and had been passed by the Emigration Surveyor. No alterations nor additions had been made to them. I had three bowers, each about 40 cwt. I cannot swear to the lengths of the cables. The first starboard cable was about 45 fathoms in length, and an inch and 15-lGths in diameter, —the remainder throughout of x£ in- I bad a certificate to the effect that the cables had been examined previous to my joining the ship, but it was lost with everything else. The ship was also examined by the French Lloyd's where she wasinsur-d. We left Loudon Docks and Gravesend on the game day (the 3rd of August), bound for Kapier via Auckland. We arrived at Auckland on the 7th November. We did not anchor anywhere, except at the Nore, between London and Auckland. In Auckland the ship was anchored for a short time to her own moorings before going to the wharf. The weather was fine all the time of our stay. We left Auckland on the 23rd December, and arrived at Napier on the 26th. The weather at Napier was fine after our arrival, with smart breezes from the westward. Th- pilot did not come off on the morning of our arrival, possibly because the wind was blowing fresh. The harbor-master, when he came off, said our position was not a good one on account of the currents, and moored the ship to a better berth, where she rode very comfortably all the time we laid there. He moored us with two of our own anchors. We anchored at first in fathom 3; second mooring, 6k at low water. The harbormaster instructed me that if it came on to blow I was to give more cable, and pay attention to the ship. The topgallant yards and masts were struck down before the harbor-master came on board. A few (lays after the barque Excelsior left the harbor-master moved us to the Government moorings. The first breeze after our arrival was a south-easter, in which the wind did not blow home ; the force was about 5 ; a heavy tumbling sea came in, and it avus the heaviest gale we had previous to the one which sent us ashore. I was on board at the time. Each.time 1 gaw breakers heavy on the Pania rock, as Well as on a reef about a quarter of a mile ell'the Bluff. I observed no other breakers to seaward. In the first place where the harbor-master moored us, 1 believe we had GO fathoms on the starboard anchor, and 50 on the port. I considered her well and properly moored. I considered that when moved *the ship was in charge of the authorities. I thought the ship would be safe enough at the Government moorings, but as I considered her comfortable where she was, I had no wish for her to be moved. I consider the ship was under control o£the authorities immediately the anchor was let go in the Bay. A copy of the Harbor Regulations was given to me by ihe harbormaster, I b.lieve when he first went on hoard to moor the vessel. Captain Cellem told me the buoy was laid down in - athoms—l suppose to the best of his belief. Some time after, seeing dirty water round the ship, I sounded, and found 4| fathoms. Ihe ship at this time drew 18 feet 2 inches '—fully laden she would draw about 3 inches more. In the event of a gale rising from seaward, it would certainly be jm-

possible to beat out. The harbor-master moved the ship to the Government moorings, on which he said there were4s fathoms of cable. I was then quite sati-fied. Ourown cable was shackled on to the Government chain. We were not fist to the buoy. When we came to the buoy the harbor-master said it was dirty and contained water, and asked us if we would unshackle it, which we did. It appeared to float rather deep. It was taken on shore shortly afterwards, and no other buoy was put in its place Our starboard cable was fast by the Government shackle to the Government chain, from which the buoy had been removed. It was a good-sized shackle, but I made the remark at the time that, in my opinion, it was too wide. I should say the diameter of the iron was in. It was only the pin appearing too long that I objected to. We veered away £0 fathoms on our own chain when we moored. As soon as I found only 4£ fathoms at low water I came on shore and told Captain Cellem, at the same time telling him I was not, at all satisfied with the position of the ship. Captain Cellem seemed surprised. I did not then consider the ship safe, and I intended to move her further out at the first opportunity. No such opportunity offered, owing to the wind blowing from the eastward night and day all the week. The weather had been unsettled from the time we were there, but there had been no breakers. I feared that the ship would strike if much sea set in. I believe I told the harbor-master that I did not consider the ship safe, but I do not remember what lie said. On several occasions before the loss of the ship I had !et go my port anchor when gales had arisen. While at the former anchorage we i xpeiienced a N.E. gale, the force of which I should estimate at about 7, and the force of the gale in which the ship was lost must have been over 7. We always picked up our anchor after the gale had passed. The only breakers to be seen on these occasions were at the Pania rock. The breakers on the beacb were about a mile from the ship as she lay at her moorings. The gale which resulted in the wreck commenced on the morning of Friday, the 26th February. It was from the direction of E.N.E., weather thick with rain and heavy squalls. I went on board on Friday when the gale commenced. I went in a lighter loaded with wool. I reached the ship about 1 p.m., but found the sea so high that the lighter could not go alongside. I hailed the ship and ordered the life-boat to come and take me on board. The life-boat took me and some sheep on board, and the lighter immediately returned with the wool to the harbor. The same weather continued throughout the day and night, gradually increasing towards morning. At this time the vessel was riding to the Government moorings with about 70 fathoms on our own starboard chain. The barometer was then falling : it was 29.90. Both wind and ;-ea were then increasing. As the ship commenced to pull heavily on the starboard chain, I let go the port anchor, on which we veered away 35 fathoms. We had then 35 fathoms on the port chain, and 85 on the starboard, bho rode somo time at that, still pulling h/avily, and during a heavy squall the starboard cable parted. This must have been nearly 11 o'clock. lim mediately veered away the whole of the port chain. We at once commenced to get a spring to act as a stopper on the port chain —a nine-inch tarred Manila rope, new—to enable us to make use of the windlass, with the intention of using it to heave in the starboard chain in or'ler to bend on the starboard anchor. While doing this the ship came heavily to the ground abaft. She struck five or six times, several times severely. Previously to veering out the whole of the port chain, and afterwards, I sounded, and with the same result — 4% fathoms. Owing, I believe, to the ship striking the ground, the port cable parted. This, 1 suppose, was about 1L.45 a.m. Finding it impossible to beat out to sea, I gave orders to set the jibs, staysail, and foresail, with the intention of running her on shore. Finding that she would not wear, 1 gave orders to slip the whole of the starboard chain, which was hanging overboard, in order that she might pay off to starboard. My object was to run the ship as high and dry as I could, in order to save lifo, and, if possible, property. 1 had hex* head put directly for the shore, and she struck the ground about a quarter past 12. She shortly afterwards became a total wreck ; but with the valuable assistance of those on shore all hands were saved without any casualty. Communication was obtained with the shore by means of a line attached to a hencoop, which was thrown overboard, and was washed ashore. Everything but a few clothes belonging to the crew was lost, including log books and papers.

John Melhuish Decker, third mate, deposed ; I joined the ship Ida Zeigler a few weeks before she left London on her last trip. While in London 1 was not attached toher all the time. 1 left her for a monlh to pass my examination. There was some cargo on board when I joined her again. The lower hold was half lull, and she was bound for Auckland and Napier. While I have been in her I have never known her experience heavy weather at. anchor. I have seen the chains examined. The voyage hefore last, 18 months ago, they were hauled on deck and examined. The captain (Reynolds) and two or three other gentlemen were present. The measure ment of the cable was taken, and the chains were tested. The next time I saw them examined was in Auckland, a year ago last January. This was done by the captain and mates. 1 do not know whether or not they were examined in London before the commencement of this last voyage. Nothing, as far as I know, has been added, repaired, or taken away from the cables during the time I haye been in the

ship. The length of the starboard chain was 115 fathoms, and the port chain 105. It was just after parting the starboard cable, and paying away on the port, that I first felt the ship strike. From the time of parting her starboard cable to the time of striking, she was in the same position, as she had not dragged her port anchor. James Williamson, carpenter, deposed : T first joined the ship Ida Zeigler about three years since. The starboard chain was about 115 fathoms in length. The first twenty fathoms was stout chain, If in. j the next two lengths, fifteen fathoms each, were If in. There was a sho-t length of five fathoms, also If in. in diameter ; the remainder was lfin. The ship was this way all the time I was in the ship. The port cable was 105 fathoms long, in 15-fathom lengths, lfin. throughout The chains were in very good order. There were test marks on the shackles. Nothing was added or taken from them while I was in the ship, nor were any repairs made. They were last examined about a fortnight before she went ashore. They were unshackled and cleaned, and new pins put in. I do not know of their being examined in Londod. They might have been ex amined without my knowledge. The Surveyors were on board before we left England, but the cables were not all hauled up. A portion of both chains was then examined, perhaps about -±5 fathoms. On Saturday, 27ih February, when the vessel first struck, she was riding by the port anchor. She had then parted the starboard cable. I suppose it was about 9 o'clock when she struck. She struck very heavily the first time; she struck again heavily several times. I do not think she could have stood that knocking any length of. time. I think if she had continued at her anchors she would have sprung a leak. She was in danger of going to pieces. I should think the starboard chain parted about 30 fathoms outside the hawse. I think so because when it parted the end flew over the port cable. I saw her chains made fast to the Government moorings The strain came pretty equally on both chains. If both cables had been to the Government moorings I do not think they would have held her. I think if she had been at her former moorings she would have rode out the gale, because there was deeper and smoother water, and while there we had as high wind, but not so much sea. The wind, too, was blowing from the some quarter —N.E. or E.N.E. I did not sound the pumps after she struck. There was a heavy hollow sea at the anchorage, The lower hull of the ship was in good order.

Samuel Plumley, sworn, deposed : I was first mate on board the Ida Zeigler. I have been 15 years at c ea, and hold a master's certificate from the Board of Trade, num bered 22,403. I joined the ship about five or six weeks before she left London. I took account of her cargo. I do not remember the c?ble being examined by any surveyors. We left Auckland on the 23rd December, and arrived iu Napier on the 26th. From the time of leaving London till the time of our arrival we did not anchor at any place where the cable could nave been strained. The weather the day we arrived w r as fine, with a good jN.W. breeze. We anchored ourselves, as no pilot came off. After anchoring, wo sent down the top-gallant masts and yards. About two or three days after we arrived the Harbor-Master came en board. This, L believe, was immediately after his return from Auckland. He shifted us to a fresh berth, where he moored us with our own anchors. We were then in 6i fathoms. A'othii.g came up on the lead ; the bottom was hard, and I imagine it was shingle. We had variable weather, with several strong brczes, quite as strong as the one in which she went, ashore. There was not, however, so much sea. Whilst there we paid out on two or three occasions to 75 fathoms of starboard chain. She rode very well at these moorings—easier than the Excelsior, which w;.s lying at the buoy. There were no breakers to seaward. The whole of the cables were on deck ever since we came into port. After we went to the Government moorings the whole of the chains were examined, the shackles overhauled, and the pins cleaned and replaced. 1 remember the harbor-master coming on board shortly after the Excelsior left, and moving us to the Government moorings. It was a fine day, with hardly any wind. The first thing we did was to get the buoy adrift and shackle our starboard cable to the Government mooring-chain, with a Government shackle.. The buoy seemed to fljat heavily, as if it contained water. The carpenter and I examined the cables on deck, and found them in excellent condition. 1 did not look for any test-marks on the chains. There was a short length of five fathoms in the cable, I believe between 50 and 55; it was as good as the rest, and appeared to be part of the same chain, the links being the same size and shape. We had 4f fathoms at the Government moorings. Erom going there to the day previous to the loss of the vessel, the weather was fine. On Eriday the 26th there was very little sea in the morning, but a N.E. swell, which had lasted for two or three days. About 10 a.m. a moderate breeze came in from the eastward, which continued all day. The barometer at noon was at 29'95, and falling. Towards evening it came on cloudy. At 1 p.m. the captain came off in a lighter with wool and sheep. There was too much sea for her to come alongside, and after the captain had come on board she had to put back again. There was then a high sea running. The wind increased throughout the night, with squalls and rain. About 9 a.m. on Saturday we let go the port anchor, and paid out 35 fathoms on each chain, making 35 on the port chain and 85 on the starboard. I had sounded iu the morning,

with 40 fathoms of chain out, and found 4j fathoms; 1 now found 4f fore and 4| aft. She ranged head and stern heavily with the sea. She did sheer, but always kept her head to sea. It is possible that having two anchors out and the tide setting under her quarter kept her steady, and prevented her from paying off. At 10 30 a.m., during a squall, the starboard chain parted, and we gave her the whole of the port chain directly. We then got to work to get a spring on it to stop the cable, while we got the windlass clear to heave the starboard cable in. The hawser was about 11 inche*. While doing this the ship bumped heavily several times, and the port chain carried away. The jib, foretopmast staysail, and f&resail were then set, the ship bumping all the time, and finding she would not wear, we slipped the starboard chain. At noon she came to the and finding it impossible to save the ship, we set about to get all hands ashore, which we succeeded in doing. She might have held better if both chains had been fast to the Government moorings, as she would have had the advantage of a greater scope of chain ; but I do not think it would have made much difference, as the strain on the two chains was as nearly as possible equal when the first one parted. If the buoy had b'en there it would have been better, as it would have acted a 9 a spring, and prevented the ship from having a direct pull on the anchor. She did net hold on to the port anchor much more than twenty minutes after the starboard cable parted. If the vessel had been at her former anchorage I know of nothing to have prevented Inn* from riding out the gale. I estimate the force of the gale in which the vessel went ashore at about 9. For two or three days previously there had been too much surf for the lighters to go out, though if they had done so they might have lain alongside. The wind did not change more than two points from the time of the commencement of the gale 1o the wreck of the vessel. I do not know that the striking of the vessel was in any way the cause of the parting of the second cable. My opinion is that the vessel must have foundered at her anchorage if the port cable had not parted, and I do not think that cutting away the masts could have saved her.

It being now nearly 5 p.m., the Court adjourned to 10 a m. the following day.

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1869. The Court resumed at 10 a.m. Thomas Davies, sworn, deposed : I was the second mate of the Ida Zeigler. 1 have been sixteen or seventeen years at sea, and my certificate was numbered 81,319. I joined the Ida Zeigler in London, about a fortnight before she sailed. She was then partially loaded. I do not know of any surveyors coming on board. The cables were not brought up for examination after I joined, but 7u or SO fathoms were hauled on deck before leaving the docks. I had charge of the watch on the voyage, and had the vessel pumped every lour hours. We used one pump, and it was generally a ten minutes' spell to pump the vessel out, though in bad weather it would lake twenty minutes. The vessel was well equipped, and had two good suits of sails. When we arrived iu papier the weather was moderate. I do not remember the pilot coming on board. We sent down the top-gallant masts and yards the morning'wo arrived; they were afterwards housed, when we were at the Government moorings, a fortnight or three weeks before the wreck. The starboard chain was 115 fathoms in length, and the port chain 95, as near as 1 can guess. The starboard chain appeared to be the same age all through, except a part which was stouter than the rest. I think that if ooth chains had been fast to the Govern-t-ient moorings the vessel would have ridden out the gale. It would have been much better if the buoy had been used, as it would have acted as a springj to |the ship's chain. William George Cellem deposed: I am Harbor-master and Pilot for the Port of .Napier. 1 was in Auckland, in charge of the fct. Kilda, at the lime the Ida Zeigler arrived. Mr Kraelt, the Assistant-pilot, was in charge of the harbor in my absence, t returned on the night of the 31st Dec. ; the Ida Zeigler was then at and I heard that she had arrived on the 26th. At my first opportunity I went on board for toe purpose of removing her from tlu-tide-way, in which she was anchored. 1 did not consider her to be in any risk, bin merely in an uncomfortable berth ; and I therefore removed to the northern anchorage, and moored her with her own anchors, about two cables' length from the Government moorings, in over 6 fathoms, with 60 fathoms on the port cable, and 50 on the starboard, N.W. and, with open hawse to seaward. She had already sent down her top-gallant yards and masts, and I gave instructions to keep a clear hawse, and veer on either cable if the wind increased. I also offered her the use of a 9-in. coir spring, if she sent for it. I consider myself, as harbor-master, responsible for the safe mooring of the ship, and I considered the place where I put her the next best place to the Government moorings. I did think the Government moorings the best place in the harbor for a ship, and 1 would have taken her to them, but the Excelsior was there at the time. Shortly after the departure of the Excelsior I took the Ida Zeigler there. I do not remember telling the captain the depth of water at the moorings at the time. I did not use the lead then, but have always found the least depth there to be five fathoms, and had had no reason to suppose it was shoaling. It may be about six months since 1 last sounded it. I secured her to the cable. The buoy was taken away because it was 'leaking. Preyioua to tjw Excelsior being

fastened to the Government moorings, the buoy was in good order and floated on its side. I had it on shore and painted 18 months ago. At that time there were only a few gallons of water in it; this time it was about one sixth full (about 200 gallons.) The leak was at the lower end of the flange of the tunnel, and was verj slight. The lower shackle was much worn through tho Excelsior lying so long. The buoy might perhaps have floated for a month or two. The leak began when the Excelsior was moored. When cast off the buoy tipped on end, showing that it had been leaking, but I could not tell the extent of the leak without bringing it on shore. I have only the one mooring buoy, and no other to put in its place. Ido not think it would have been safe to moor the Ida Zeigler to it, as I did not know the extent of the leak. The repairs were made in a few days, but the weather being easterly we could not take it out. It requires a very fine day to take the buoy out. I think 5 fathoms of water about sufficient for a ship like the Ida Zeigler, but consider it cutting it rather fine. I feH myself in duty bound to take the vessel there from the indirect blame attached to me for the loss of the ship Echunga last year. S.E. and E.KE. gales bring the heaviest sea into the harbor. Portland Island bears E.IST.E. from this port. The day the Ida Zeigler went ashore the wind was from E.N.E. The registered strength of the wind on that day was about 5. In a gale the wind guage will run 700 miles in 24 hours. On the 23rd Feb. the guage ran 560 miles during the day; and onthe 27th (the day of the wreck) showed 360 ; the sea, however, was much heavier than on tho 23rd. The ship was moored by shackling the starboard cable to the Government moorings. It was the shackle I usually use in mooring ships to the buoy. The shackle was a little wide, as the ring of the buoy is about 3tin. The iron of the shackle was about 2iins. I do not think it was more than 4£in. open-. It is not possible for a vessel to beat out of that position with an easterly wind and a high sea. I have never seen broken water come home to the buoy since I have been here. I think it quite possible that the Hoods have affected the anchorage. I did not attach both chains to the moorings, because I thought the one cable quite sufficient iu addition to a 2-ton anchor. If I had attached both chains to the Government moorings, and anything had happened to the Government chain, with both hawsers occupied, she could not have dropped anchor. Captain James Duncan, deposed : I am master and owner of the barque William Oargill, 365 tons, belonging to the Port of London, and now lying at anchor in this port. I have commanded vessels for 21 years, and hold a Board of Trade certificate. I believe my cables are each from 100 to 110 fathoms in length. Ido not remember the size. The chains are usually in 15-fathom lengths. It is very unusual to have a short length like 5 fathoms about the middle of a chain. I should consider in that case that a defective piece had been taken out and another inserted. It is not unusual for the first length to be longer than the rest of the lengths, and of stouter chain, to make up for additional wear and tear. When a cable is new, as mine is, I should not consider it necessary for my chains to be stouter than those required by the underwriters.

Henry Kraeft, deposed : I am Assistant* Pilot at the Port of Napier. lam not gazet ed Assistant Harbor-master. I remember the day the Ida Zeigler came in—tha 26th of December. I could not get on board; it was blowing so hard that no boat could get out. Sho had the signal for a pilot up. I did not go off to her at all, as Captain Cellem came back soon after, and I went on board with him either on the 2nd or 3rd of January. She was anchored in the tideway, eastward ot the mooring buoy. I consider that she was in a safe position. I think the safest place in the harbor is a little to the northward of the mooring buoy, in 6 or 7 fathoms of water. I never saw broken water in the vicinity of the buoy. I have seen it at the outer Rangatira bank, about a mile east of the buoy. I do not know the depth of water there. I assisted in laying down tha G-overnment moorings about five years ago. The chain is steel, three inches throughout, and 45 fathoms in length. The mushroom, anchor is about 3 tons in weight. The buoy has once before been brought, in about 12 months ago, as it required cleaning. There was only about a bucketful of water it. The buoy was all right when the Excelsior went to it. After she left Capt. Cellem brought it in. There was then a large quantity of water in it, but I saw no injury to the buoy. It might have floated for some time, but it would have been a great risk to have left it there any longer. When the moorings were first laid down there was a little more than 5 fathoms of water, and I never found much difference. It is about 15 months since I last suuaded.

James Williamson, recalled : I never told anybody one of the pieces of the starboard cable was newer than the others. They all appeared about the same age. One piece was stouter than the others. The Court then a-'joumed till 2.30 p.m., at which time the following decision waa given : " The decision of this Court is that the ship Ida Zeigler was lost in the roadstead at Napier on the 27th of February, 1869, owing to an error in judgment of the Har* bor-master in mooring the ship in too shallow water at the Government moorings; also, in not shackling both ship's cables to the moorings; and his neglect in not examiuing the buoy and moorings, and taking soundings previous to the wool season. Wo also consider that the ship's cables were too short, and we are not satisjfied with the state of the starboard cable."