THE ACCIDENT TO THE FALCON.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 206, 4 December 1869, Page 4

THE ACCIDENT TO THE FALCON.

The ketch Falcon, Captain Morrison, sailed on Friday last at 6 p.m., for Blenheim, with a full cargo and four passengers. It was blowing a strong breeze from the N.W. at the time. She called off the pilot’s station and took a goat on board, but was only a very short lime there. She went through Chaffer’s passage about half-past 7 o’clock. On nearing Sinclair Head, the wind increased to a gale, with a high tempestous sea; and meeting with an ebb tide, and

heavy puffs of wind as she passed the valleys, it was thought advisable to keep her as close in shore as possible. About 9 o’clock, the wind still increasing, Captain Morrison thought it prudent to shorten sail, and shortly afterwards the vessel struck on Tom’s Rock. Just before she went on the rock she was caught with a heavy puff of wind, and struck very heavily ; it being with the utmost diffculty that a seaman named Grimstone, who was stowing the gaff-topsail at the time, managed to hold on. She was going through the water at the time of the accident at the rate of seven knots an hour. She remained on the rock for a few minutes, having previously scraped along and hung aft, when she slewed off.

Captain Morrison then sounded the pumps to see if she was making any water. At first he intended to cross the straits, hut the leak increased so rapidly, that he thought it most prudent to return to Wellington. All hands were then employed pumping and bailing; the passengers at the pumps, and the crew with buckets bailing the water out of the hold. The leak increased, how-

ever, notwithstanding the superhuman efforts that were being made to keep her afloat. The wind became light as the Falcon entered the heads, which prolonged the period of keeping her afloat. At 2 a.m. on Saturday morning, she was run alongside Pilcher’s wharf, and settled down immediately. All hands were quite exhausted from the exertions they had made. Great credit is due to Captain Morrison for the intrepid manner in which he behaved, under the most trying circumstances, and for bringing his vessel into port. The cargo was discharged on Saturday last, and she was placed on Thirkell’s slip in the evening tide. She has received considerable damage to her bottom. There are three small holes on the port side, just below the fore chains, the copper has been torn off to the mizen chains, and under the bilge there is a small hole, where she hung on the rock. Mr. Thirkell is busily employed in repairing her, and she will be ready for sea again in a few days. THE ENQUIRY The Resident Magistrate, J. C. Crawford, Esq., held a sitting under the Enquiry into Wrecks Act yesterday, for the purpose of enquiring into the recent accident to the ketch Falcon, by striking on a rock supposed to be the one known as Tom’s Rock, Captain Johnston sat as Nautical Assessor, and James Hackworth, Esq., Collector of Customs, also sat on the Pencil. John Morrison, master of the Falcon, on being sworn, deposed that ho sailed for Blenheim on Friday evening, the 19th inst, with a general cargo; passed Sinclair Head at 9 o’clock, distant half a mile, and then hauled to the wind, heading W. by S. i- S., under mizzen, mainsail, jib, and staysail; witness calculated that it was about the commencement of the ebb tide, which sets strongly to the S.E., and so kept up to windward to keep close in shore and avoid the tide ; about ten minutes aftei wards saw the Seal Rock ; kept the vessel away to go to leeward of it; went below for a few minutes, and returned on deck, and immediately the vessel struck; this was a little after 9 o’clock ; at first he supposed it was Tom’s Rock, but thinks now it was some outlying rock near Tom’s Rock; took no bearings, as, thinking the vessel would not float, he commenced getting the boat ready, and sent a hand to the pump ; the vessel hung on the rock for a short time; she struck on the port side abreast the main rigging; the peaks were lowered, the centreboard hauled up and the vessel came off; at first, as she was making little or no water, he thought of going on his voyage, but finding she soon began to make water, proceeded to heat back to Wellington; the pumps having got out of order, buckets were resorted to, the crew being assisted by the passengers; the vessel was beached by Pilcher's wharf; she is much damaged; the cargo is very much damaged, a good deal of it destroyed altogether; he considered the cause of the accident the vessel springing her luff in the puffs, and getting further to windward than was supposed; the rock was nearly awash ; witness had been master of the Falcon for five months; he had been to sea for thirteen years ; the vessel was well found in everything, and had one good whaleboat; the actual cost of repairs to the vessel will be £3O.

A passenger named John Morris, and one of the crew named Cleary, gave evidence confirmatory of the captain’s account of the accident. After consultation, the Court decided that the accident resulted from the vessel being too close in shore, and the direction of the New Zealand Pilot to keep Pencarrow Head light open having been neglected. In consideration, however, of the conduct of the master, John Morrison, in bringing the vessel safely into port in a disabled and leaky state, the decision of the Court is that he be only admonished to be more careful in future.— lndependent .