The Takapuna Inquiry.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 130, 1 May 1884, Page 2

The Takapuna Inquiry.

(united pbess association.) Dunedin. A pril 2 9 . ; The inquiry re the Takapuna. was continued to-day. The second mate of the steamer, Henry Ferdinand Somner, stated ; I was second mate of the ss Takapuna from November 17th last up to March 3rd. On the 22nd November the ship left the Manukau harbor, and reached New Plymouth somewhere about midnight, leaving there about half»ap» hour later. I went on the bridge about 12.30, and the master shortly after left the bridge. He directed my attention to a point of land ahead, and told me to keep the vessel going just ns she was. I cacnofc point on the [chart w hat point it wa.«, aa it was my first trip on that coait. Seeing that this course would not take' roe clear of the land,. J a uhort time af tpr hauled her rdund. The master' aoin afterwards saag out through the speakingtube, and asked me how the light born. I told him N by W,. tie itien asked me if; I was site ering my course, and I said, ' Nb, she won't lay it.* I went ov a little while longer, steering the same coarse, and I just told' the man at the wheel to keep her out another half 'point, when the man at the look-out reported something. I could not make out what he said, but I shouted; to the man at the wheel, 'Hard over,' and gave him a hand oyer with the wheel. jV/hiie doing, this she touched for the first tune. The captain then rushed on deck' and san a out, 'Hard a- port.' I think I Baid • The wheel is hard a port,' or words to-that effect. The captain then caught hold of my arm, audi «aid, k Man, what are you trying to do V I do not think I answered him. He then took me on one aide and told me to look after her while be went below. He said he would Bee if any of the passengers were moving about. He returned about twenty minutes afterwards, aud took me on the side and told me that one of the steerage passengers had been asking if she had been on the reef* He alao told me to say nothing about it, and to deny it to every* b d . T • v asel touch d twice, and the. latter time while the master wai standing. alongside ru\ There was not a heavy striking, but it *as more like a vibration. That was my first trip on th it p >rt of the coast. Next morning at breakfast one of the passenger*, named Rich or Eitchie, asked me what was the meaning of the peculiar jerk the steamer sustained during the night. I said I did not knew, and added that I thought it might be the engines priming, stopping, and then starting again. I told the master of the conversation. My reason for telling the passenger what I did was because the master had told me to say nothing about itQuartermaster Burton, a seaman, gave the following evidence : — ' I was quartermaster on the Tiikapuna on her first trip, aud Ireleived the wheel at 9. a.m. The course I received, from the man I relieved was, ' Just as she is going.' She wna then heading S £RJ. The second

the master was down below. The second mate directed me from time to time how to steer. Between 2 and 3 o'clock the ahip f atruck. Just before then the look", out man called out^something, but 1 don't know what it wiS, except that it waa somethiog about rocks. -We were a bit off the mainland, but c!o3e to a reef. As soon as I felt her bump I put the helm hard over, and the second mate cttmc and i?ave me a hand. The ship seemed to strike three times, bumping each time, and making a sort of spring forward. The first bump was', the heaviest, and she heeled over with it. The master came up on to the bridge at the first bump, and was there when she struck the seoond and third times. He saug out, ' What the — are you doing wth the ship now, ? You're pul ting her ashore.' The second mate said he was only steering the course he got.^JThe master sent the second matu d'iwn to the other end of the bridge, .and Si'oke to him there, but 1 did not hear whtit he s.iid. He was m his singlet and drawers, and he remained on tho bridge about 20 minutes, when he went down and dre«sed himself. On coming up agaia he took the second mate down tn the other end of the bridge again. Aftfir'l bad been relieved, the master asked me what I had been snying about the ship alrilciiiLr. 1 said that 1 had simply' answered a question put to me The master told me then that the next time 1 was questioned I was to say she never did strike, or that I knew nothing about it.. On '.he next day the third engineer was. chaffing me about having put the vessel on tbe rockj«, und for a couple of voyages it was a t-cniinon topic of conversation among the craw and pas-enters. To the Court: I edged the vessel offi myself twice with ord-'rs from the second mato before she s:ruck, because I could see she was .going 100 -closa. He asked me what I was doing, and told me to keep her course. lihad not been on that coast before. I coulp 1 see the reef of rocks close alongside, aud judged it too. near for | a ship to be. A point waa running out m front of the ship. ;..-Tbis was about 10 miles from the main land, but not a quarter of a mile from the reef. I said nothing to the second mate about the distance from the reef. ' : The inquiry was then adjourned till tomorrow. '■