RIPPLE ENQUIRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1924, Page 4

RIPPLE ENQUIRY.

I-TE-TIIKR EVIDENCE. WELLINGTON, September 10. The magisterial inquiry into tlie loss of the steamer Ripple was continued, Hr G. \V. Riddell. S.M.. presiding, with Captains I-’. W. Baron and W. Aloir as assessors. Further evidence was given as follows : A. 1.. I’ago. lighthouse keeper at Cape I’alliser. said he was oil duty on un-' night of August 0. The weather was boisterous, the wind being southwest with a considerable sea. On bis way to the lighthouse, a walk of about six minutes, while going up the stops to the tower he saw a vessel bearng south, lie did lint know what ship it was at the time although he could .-ee her lights distinctly, about throe miles oil' shore.

For a boat like the Rii-i-le would that lie well off or tar in ! —1 would consider it a proper ) lace.

Continuing witness said that at 12."J0 the vessel was calling out by Alor.se lamp, giving a continuation of dots mill then S.O.S. He replied to the signal and got a reply that they wanted a-si-tami*. asking lor a tug to lasent from Wellington. He asked what ship it- was. and received the reply ‘•Ripi |e.” A setonil -S.O.S. was given ami he went to the telephone, got Feather-toil Host Office exchange- and was switched on to Wellington. Tie reported his message. “Tolls” said they would ec/inmunicato w ith ( aptain Petersen. the Ripple’s manager. Captain I’eter-eu replied that la- would do all he could. Witness then went out to -ee how the vessel was 'jetting oil. Tt appeal i d to In- under ciinii'oi and was making fair headway. At I o'clock she again called out asking if be bad gol Wellington, to which he replied in the allirmative and stood by watching for further results. He received no further signal and the boat appeared to lie continuing on her way well. He then went into the tower, lie received a call from Captain IVter-.eu advising that he was sending out the tug Tcrawhiti and asking him to inform the Ripple ol the fait, lie went outside to do so. but the Ripple was nowhere in” sight, lie tried to attract their attention by showing a i ont inmms light lor lit teen to Twenty minutes, hut received no lurther result. He continued to wnl.h on and oil' until I a,m., when lie was relieved. Ilis assistant kept up the watch till daybreak, and again tried to get through to l-'eatherston. W hell lie last saw the Ripple she was about live miles offshore to the east. I lie weather during lids time was had. and the seas very heavy. He saw no other vessels that evening, hut in the morning about I a. 111., he saw a vessel ionicfrom the south-west. He took it to hi- tin- Navua. It passed about as lar north as he sa.w the Ripple. -She made all her signals'with a .Morse lamp, hut sent up no rockets. The Morse signal wes three dots, three dashes and ihrec (lots, lie did not ask her what the trouble was.

The object of ibis inquiry i.s to find out what was tlie ean.-e of the an-idi-nt. Did you form any louclu-ion as to wlmt was the matter —No. Mr .Riddell : Did she seem to lie drifting.'—l hardly think .-o. I think she was moving under her own power. Mr O' Regan : llow long have you been in the lighthouse ?■ Twelve months last August, and fifteen years with the Marine 1 lepai tmeiit. Would von inii-ider the storm on this nidit -even- Very. Roth wind ami -ea. Il was rising all 'ay and leached its maximum letweeii midnight and I a.in. on the ilh. The (lir.-eiii.il . r lie- -form w.m1.l have t.-ml-ei| t•: (airy the \ -'-cl an to Napier. The -l oin was one of tlie severest be had ever experi. ii .- I. and he Would not have expected to see a small vessel along the coast at that hour. Mr Voting: When you first saw the \ e--"l -he was l-earing soul I, thiee miles n|f. Sum" twi-ntv mi miles later she .sent out S.'.l.S. / • Yes.

When she was la-1 seen she w a.henrin*' east, live miles oil'.' Ye-, approximately. ** Were yen satisfied lliai her ina hinerv was all right ! liy the i nurse she was taking il a]'pean-l lo he so. Can von firm anv opinion why she -h :’llll send uni a di-lre-s -i -.nal it her i>i:i■ *hi!u• i*y was sldl working and the skip was nnder control ] No.

Did yon cx;:e- t the Ti-rawhiti to arrive 1.-If I’llllise: > Yes. if it were pe.ssiihle for a boat Lo get out there. Did you see the Mararoa? I saw a ship which I I. • lie veil l-i he tie N’avii.-i hut 1 laid- learned that it was the Malari a. When | re eived Captain i’eti-r-eii's ia'l al about ten niiuuli-s t i pin I had seen the Dip] le plainly, 101 l when at two o'clock I again went milside die had vanished.

Captain 11. 11.I 1 . Marlin, master of ti.f Kailua, sail that he lei I Wellington at (k lo JJ.in. on the fit!i. Ho did nut leak al I lie weather report for the day. lie eleai'ed the heads at 7.0i1. There was a tnodeiaie southerly gale and i oli.-iderahle sea. lie headed south-west from the heads and rcaehed Nine.air I lead in ah-uit lorty-live luin-uti-s. I here was no dancer in putting out to sea on that night. K. .1. Cruiiiiah. watch foreman for the Wellington llarhour lioard. said lie re.eivcd a message from the lighthouse keeper al I’alliser and immediately ran}' up Ca) tain Petoiseu and I old him that the Ripple was wanting assistance at once. The time was about ten minutes to one.

.). K. Daw son, harbourmaster, said there was a stroll*' south-westerly blowing on the afternoon of the fitli. 'I lit* weather conditions we:e very fa von rnhle for the Itipple. There was no reason until midnight lor the Ripple not to have left. Alter that the weather «rn( very I.nisi (Thus :uul sens v.vi o heavy. The Rin] I.* was an owllent so:i I mot.

in yr.nr opinion, would tlio IJipj'io niont llio worst of tlio At lho Pi.tniwo to tin* Imrlniiir. r l h»* fa<*l that -lie ivai lied Cafe Ralliser at midnight justifies the captain taking her out that dav. f would have taken her to sea. Do you moan to sav that ship made a good ]:a--ap.- when she took seven hours i„ go twenty-nine miles:-'—Yes. with a stroll": breeze blowing. Rut Captain Davoy calls it a fierce }TaIo. Mr Riddell: Tt is merely a matter of opinion. Captain Daw-oil calls it a stroll-,' breeze and Captain Davoy (alls it a fierce gale. They are the same thing expressd differently. Mr Yunus': I hope then that we will not have any more stroll}: breezes in Wellington.

The hearing was then adjourned until Saturday.