Nautical Enquiry.

Manawatu Herald, 29 September 1904, Page 2

Nautical Enquiry.

THE SCOW SURPRISE. An enquiry was held at the Foxton Courthouse on Tuesday morning (before Messrs G. A. Simpson and T. Bennett, J-’sP., and Captain Post, assessor) into the stranding of the scow Surprise at South Spit, .and ,the loss of the lite of Nixon. Scott. The enquiry was conducted by Mr Johnson, Collector of Customs (Wellington), 'H; The following evidence was taken Arthur Haines Fletcher, sworn, said: I am master of the Surprise owned by the Mitchelson Timber Co, Left Kaipara for Wanganui on 14th August last laden with All went well till the 17th at 12 a gale commenced from N.E. We were then off Cape Egmont. We remained: there till 6 p.m., and hauled into the north. From there I shaped a course for Wanganui. About n p.m. I;was oft Patea. The wind then changed to N.W., and a heavy sea coming from the westward. There was too much sea to cross Wanganui bar. ■ I started for Kapiti for shelter about 11 a.m. on the 18th. Wednesday the wind hauled in to westward. We were thirty miles from Patea and about 25 miles from shore. The weather got so bad I could not keep the vessel on her course, wind and sea increasing from westward, and the sea breaking over the vessel and washing a little deck cargo overboard. I then hauled her on to the wind to keep her head to it. There was no improvent. The sea still broke over it. The weather got So bad we could not keep at the wheel. The vessel became unmanageable. I watched a chance and ran before the wind. I thought I might pick up the Manawatu Bar. I got lines ready, to steer in with, tow lines. We had not been long running when I sighted the Stormbird. I did not then signal that I was in distress. A few seconds after as the man who was below came on deck and stood by the cabin door, a sea came over us and washed him over. His name was Nixon Scott. He was entered on the articles as a boy. This would be eight or nine miles off the Coast. As soon as. he went over I hoisted the ensign reversed as a distress signal. No notice was taken of it. The steamer went on. The weather was very thick. I could not see the Coast line when Scott was washed over. I did not go dowm

below or send anyone for a life belt. We had seven life belts in the cabin and foxle. The last I saw of Scott was when a Hfe-buOy was close to him. We were then running for Manawatu river, but the weather was so thick I could not see the land. The result was instead of rutfning into the river I ran on to the besch two miles south of the bar. 1 hold a Masters certificate (produced and handed to the Court). The beach is sandy, no rocks. I ran the ship on shore to save life and property. The ship has sustained very little damage. We lost a little of the deck load coming through the breakers. The ship is now laying in the river. When the vessel was heading to westward we had the mainsail, foresail, staysail, and inner jib set, mainsail and foresail double-reefed. The sea was too heavy for the vessel to head reach. I did not call Scott on deck. One of the men aloft saw a steamer and called out. That was what brought Scott up. I did not see the heavy sea till it had broke over us. I did not see Scott come on deck. I do not know what he came on deck for, unless to look at the steamer which was about half a mile to leeward. We made no attempt to save Scott, as there was no chance to do so. The mate was the first to tell me Scott was overboard. We were all on good terras with Scott. By the Court: Scott was ig years old, and had not been to sea before. By Captain Post: We were going about eight knots at the time. It would 1 be impossible to round the vessel too, without sweeping the rest of the men overboard. I decided then to run on shore. No one was washed off while beaching her. We all took to the ' rigging. By Mr Read (who appeared on behalf ot Captain Fletcher): I previously told Scott to remain in the cabin. Had he done so he would not have been drowned. He was in a very nervous condition. By Collector of Customs : The life buoys were hung on the toprail, one on each side close -to where I was standing at the wheel. I saved myself from being washed over by holding on to the wheel and the main sheet. Joseph Clark, sworn, said : I am an A.B. on the scow Surprise. I remember the 17th August being off Cape Egmont. The weather was moderate early in the morning, but gradually came on to blow from the east in the afternoon. At 4.30 p m. the vessel was reefed down. The wind freshening from due east we dodged to southward of Cape Egmont till 6 p.m. The wind then changed to N.E., blowing a gale. At 11 p.m. the wind changed to north, enabling the captain to shape a coarse to Wanganui. We arrived off Patea at 11 p.m. on the 17th. As the tide did not suit till 2 p.m. next day, the vessel was hove-to till daylight on the ißth, when the weather was still worse. There was too much sea to cross the Wanganui bar. I was at the wheel and ordered bv the Master to steer tor Kapiti for shelter, which I did, when all went till about 11.3° pm., the wind and sea hauled to westward and sea increasing it was impossible to keep the vessel on her course, About 12.30 to 1 a.m. on the xßth the vessel was brought head to wind, which was westerly, with a very heavy sea running and still increasing, the sea washing right over us. The captain said he would run before the wind, the weather being so bad. We made for the Manawatu river, or to beach the vessel, with the result that we were stranded about two miles south of the Manawatu bar. We had a boy named Nixon Scott on board. He was washed overboard and drowned about nine inifes from the shore, about 2.30 pm., when a sea came on board and washed him over, I saw him just as he was in the water. He was just about going down. I was not near him. I was in the starboard main-rigging. I did not notice a life-buoy near him when he was in the water. I noticed that the life-buoys were washed over by the same sea which washed Scott. It also took part of the pipe-rail they were lashed to. When I saw him in the water, it would have been useless to throw him a life-buoy or belt as he | could not have got hold of it. /I he j see was too heavy. In my opinion, nothing could have been done to save him. It was impossible to bring the vessel up to the wind. When I first saw Scott he was at the cabin door, where he was washed over from. 1 hat is about four feet from the wheel. When the sea broke over us, I took to the rigging. The vessel was not overloaded. She was running before the wind when Scott was washed over. The sea was exceptionally heavy at the time, the heaviest I have seen on the Coast for 27 years. By Captain Post: I do not know how the tide was. It was a fair roll \ sea. The rush ot water was right up on the beach. It was about 3.30 p.m. on the xßth when we ran on the beach. It would be the top of the sea that came on top of Scott and smothered hl By the Court: I don’t think Scott could come up without me seeing him. Edward Russell, 0.5., sworn, said : Remembered the 17th. We were off Cape Egmont. There was a light easterly wind in the morning, but in the evening at 6 p.m, when I took the wheel it was blowing hard. We were Still off Cape Egmont to the South. The weather continued bad till the |Bth. At 4 a.m. when I came on deck the ship was hove to, a strong gale and heavy sea running from N.N.E. The ship was run before the wind. Shortly after 8 a.m. the man at the was told to steer for Kapiti. At

to a.in. the vessel was run before the wind. We could not see the land, the weather being so thick. The vessel stranded about two or three miles South of the Manawatu river. Nixon Scott was on board. I last saw him down below with me in the cabin, when a man sang out “ There is a steamer in sight.” I then went on deck, leaving Scott below. I just got to the main-rigging, when a heavy sea came over, I did not see Scott come on deck. As I was walking forward to the main rigging, I heard the mate call out “ Poor Nick (meaning Scott) is Overboard.” I noticed the life-buoys were gone. The same sea that washed Scott overboard took the life-buoys. THE COURT’S FINDING. After due consideration of the evidence adduced, “ The Court is ot opinion that no blame is attached to the Master, as under the circumstances he seems to have done all that was possible to save the vessel and those on board of her. Had the boy obeyed orders and stayed below, the accident would not have occurred. The weather was so bad and the sea so heavy that the vessel became unmanageable, and that the only chance of saving her and the lives of those on board was to beach her. The Masters certificate is returned and no order made for costs.”