TARANAKI INQUIRY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5521, 6 December 1878, Page 4

TARANAKI INQUIRY.

(per press agency.)

Tauranga, Thursday. This morning the official inquiry commenced, at eleven o’clock, before Mr. Brabant, R. and Captains Clayton and Ellis, nautical assessors. Mr. McKellar, Collector of Customs, appeared for the Marine Department. Captain Malcolm, examined, deposed : The Taranaki left Auckland on the 28th November, at 4.30 p.m., with a crew of 32 and passengers, equal to 65 adults. At 10 p.m. the weather became thick. Eased the engines at 11 p.m. and cast the lead. At 11.45 anchored in 13 fathoms, the weather being very thick. At 3.30 a.m. weighed anchor and proceeded. At 4 a.m. passed the Needle, and could see Castle Rock and the Shoe and Slipper. Shaped our course by the bridge compass S.E. by S. J S. Cleared Slipper Island by a good mile and a half. Gave the mate instructions to sot the log, and he set it himself at 5.50, when he reported the weather thickening again. The north end of Slipper Island then bore S.W., and the Shoe W. and N. JN. Gave instructions to keep the vessel S.E. by S. At 8 a.m., when the log was hove, the distance then was reported to be 20 miles. I pricked our position on the chart without making allowance for the flood tide. This left us 17 miles from Tauranga Heads, 13 miles N. of Karewa, and 3 miles outside it. I gave tho chart to the second mate, and left it on the bridge with him. At 8.30 altered the course to S.E. by S. J S., fearing wo were too tar out. The weather was now very foggy. The vessel invariably made easterly courses. At 8.45 I saw a thin fringe of white water right ahead. I thought it was a sandy beach, and gave orders to put the helm to starboard and reverse the engines full speed. As the vessel forged ahead we saw the rocks close under. The vessel ran on to the rocks at a speed e£ about 2 to 2J knots an hour. She began to roll on the rocks, so I stopped the engines. Immediately afterwards the engineer reported water in the engine - room, so I turned the telegraph to slow ahead, in case the vessel should slide off. Meantime I gave orders to clear away the boats. The vessel filled very rapidly, and she began to list to port as we launched the boats. I left one man in charge of each, and gave instructions for the women and children to be landed. I sent the chief officer to try and find a lauding place on the lee side of the island, which he did, and we landed the whole of the passengers there at about 10.30. Despatched the chief officer and a boat’s crew to Tauranga for assistance ; the other boats were all engaged in landing provisions and attempting to recover the luggage and mails. Great difficulty was experienced in doing this, as the vessel leaned over at an angle of 45 degrees. Knocked down the bulkhead leading to the mail-room, and passed the bags up through the fore-cabin skylight. About 4 p.m. two cutters came out, aud afterwards the steamer Staffa, which took the passengers to Tauranga. Myself and crew stayed on the cutters all night, and saved what we could. At daylight proceeded to the wreck at 3.45 a.m,, and found the ship broken in two. The after part had sunk, and the forward part was hanging on the rooks. We could do nothing, so we proceeded to Tauranga. I was not aware at that time that there was any set of tide towards the shoal. The chief officer holds a master’s certificate, and the second officer has a mate’s. The vessel ought to have passed from two and a-half to three and a-half miles from Karewa. I can only account for the catastrophe by an indraft to the bay. I don’t attach blame to the officers. There were about three tons of iron on board. The boats were all in good order. I did not test the compasses this trip ; I had no opportunity on account of thick weather. Have had larger quantities of iron on board without it affecting the compasses. Ido not think the look-out man short-sighted. The steamer should have been swung this trip at Wellington.—J. A. Wilson, Judge of the Native Lands Court, deposed that the circulation of currents in air and sea had been one of his chief studies for years. That there was a strong current setting in where the Taranaki was lost. He visited Karewa two days after the wreck. The current was from N. and E. to the S. and W., and the wind was from the N.E. This portion of the tropical current he should think would affect vessels outside Karewa. At from a mile to a mile aud a half an hour witness had been set towards that rock himself* in a small boat, in |a calm, from the same quarter. The current would be stronger in summer than in winter. It empties itself at Cape Runaway, and at quite two knots an hour. He was also nearly wrecked off White Island by the current. He considered a master knowing other parts of the coast might be taken by surprise there. —Tho first and second officers confirmed the captain’s evidence. The chief officer's logbook shows that a precisely similar course was steered on the last trip. The Court adjourned till to-morrow at 6.45.