PARTICULARS OF THE LOSS OF THE OCEAN MAIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 120, 23 May 1877, Page 2

PARTICULARS OF THE LOSS OF THE OCEAN MAIL.

Wellington, Tuesday. The following are extracts from a prssengers diary:— After getting clear of Wellington Heads, the Ocean Mail overtook the Avalanche, both steering the same course.

Captain Watson invited the captain of the Avalanche on board; he declined, but invited Captain Watson, who went on board and remained several hours. The Ocean Mail's boat got stove in under the stern of the Avalanche, and a seaman nearly lost bis life. In consequence of the weather heing cloudy only one observation was taken from the 16th to the 20th. A passenger remarked . o the chief officer about the log not being hove for dead reckoning, and he said it was the captain's orders not to do so, as he did not believe it was of any use. The patent Jog was never mentioned or put over the stern once during the voyage. On the afternoon of the 20th the captain said the barometer had fallen five-tenths, aud that they were not far from the Chatham Islands, but he did not expect to sight them. The wind rose, and sail had to be shortened. Shortly before four o'clock the next morning saw someone rush into the captain's cabin saying that the ship was close on to land. The captaiu rushed on deck partly dressed and very excited, giving contradictory orders < rapidly, the ship being about three-quarters of a mile from the shore. She struck lightly aft, and continued striking with more or less violence at intervals. When morning broke, the narrator says, how the ship reached the place where she lay was almost marvellous, for a short distance astern were other rocks with the sea breaking over them, and which they must have actually grazed. After getting the boats lowered, the chief officer ordered the saloon passengers in. The third officer, who was in charge, peremptorily refused to allow any luggage to be put into the boats, alleging that he had received orders not to permit anythiug but the captain's effects. The people on shore showed them where to land to avoid the surf. The wreck is on tha north side of tha Chathams, fifteen miles eastward of Cape Young. On the 24th, the Nautical Aseessor surveyed the ship, when the water was up to the saloon floor, and the vessel was adjudged derelict and lost, and sold as she lay, with the cargo, on the 26th, for the benefit of ali concerned, for £945. The Court of Enquiry held afterwards, commenced on the 27th, and only concluded on the 3rd of April. In his evidence, the captain said he gave orders for the log to be hove, but admitted that he had not seen it done; he. had seen the patent log put into the water at 7 p.m. on the night previous fo the wreck tluough his cabin windows. Tha chief officer swore the log had uot been hove at all, and had been told by the second officer that the captain would not permit it to be hove, as he did not believe iv it. The second and third officers, who were in the same watch, deposed on oath that the log was hove every two hours in their watch, and on the night before the wreck hove it themselves, assisted by a boy. The boy corroborated these statements, but later in the day when summoned to give further evidence, confessed that his former evidence was false, and that he said it to confirm the testimony of the second officer. All t_3 hands in the second officer's watch swore the log was not hove from the time the ship left Wellington. The Court passed the following sentence :— That the master's certificate of competency be suspended for nine months; first and second mates six months; the third mate had no certificate; and that the district constable be instructed to prosecute the second and third officers and the boy for perjury. A second court was held on the 16th and 17th April at Matarakau, when the mates and boy were arraigned, and on the evidence of the crew committed to take their trial at the next practicable sittings of the Supreme Court. A letter from a resident on the Islands says no one had notice of the sale of the wreck but those who extended hospitality to the captain, and consequently only a few people were present at the auction. The writer asserts that had the people of the Island only had notice of the sale, the wreck would have realised £1500 or £2000 at the very lowest estimate. From the time the vessel struck she remained in the same position, with most of her canvas spread, until the day of the sale. The whole of the day she struck nothing at all was done, though the weather was very fine, the captain lying in his cabin the whole day. Though it was not all working weather between the day of her striking and the day of the sale, there was enough fine weather to allow of the crew saving a great deal of gear, in fact very little was brought from the ship besides what was washed ashore. For two or three miles each side of the wreck the ship's cargo is strewn about, some at high water mark and some at the edge of the water, but there is no one looking after it. It was the intention of a few of the settlers to form a company to buy the vessel and cargo, but the vessel and all pertaining to her in the shape of gear was was put up in one lot, and knocked down to Mr A. Ackerly. When the cargo was put up Ackerly, who had been surveyor of the vessel, said " Recollect lam owner of that ship, aud nobody puts his foot aboard without my permission." The auctioneer had been warned of such a contingency when allowing all the boats to go with the ship. The cargo was knocked down to Ackerley. A few days after the sale a protest against it was got up in Waitangi, and signed by a number of Europeans and natives. The Resident Magistrate is blamed for not giving notice of the sale. The constable who acted as auctioneer was asked why he did not do so, but he said it was not hi 3 place to do so. The local agents of the insurance ofices here have telegraped to their respective head offices, and are awaiting instructions previously to lodging a protest against the sale and taking legal action