MISHAP TO S.S. JOHN

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8347, 6 February 1913, Page 11

MISHAP TO S.S. JOHN

■ • ' MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY. CONFUSION ABOUT COURSES. The magisterial inquiry into the stranding of the steamer John near the mouth of the Tuki Tuki river, .Hawke’s Bay, on December 19th, during a- voyage from Gisborne to Wellington, was reopened yesterday. The inquiry had recently to be postponed owing to absence of the second officer of the vessel. Dr. A. McArthur, S.M., presided, and had with him as nautical assessors Captains Black and Gillespie. Mr S. Rose appeared for the Marine Department, Mr S.. Kirkcaldie for Captain Holm, Mr H. Buddie for the first officer (Mr William Roberts), and Mr T. M. Wilford for the second officer (Mr 0. B. Atkinson). Mr Rose said that the ship left Gisborne on December 18th for Wellington, and early in the morning of the 19th was stranded near Napier, being miles out of her course. It was apparent that where such a serious error took place tliere must have been either carelessness or something seriously wrong. From the evidence it was suggested that the captain was to blame to a certain extent; also the first and second officers. CAPTAIN’S EVIDENCE. Sydney Holm, master of the John, gave evidence that the net tonnage of the steamer was 111, and she was owned by Ferdinand Holm. The vessel was insured at Lloyds for £6OOO. She left Gisborne at 2 p.m. on December 18th, and witness was in charge till about 7 p.m., when off Portland Island. He then set the course S.W. by S., and the second mate came up. The latter was relieved at 8 p.m. by the first mate. Witness gave no special orders, as the ship was holding on her course, and kept on till ho came on deck again at 8-30. Ho told the first mate that when there was sixty on the log he was to steer S. by W.JW. Witness then went to bed, and was awakened by the telegraph ring at 2.30 a.m. The ship was aground; the engines were going astern, and there was a depth of three feet forward and twelve aft. The vessel was making no water, and the Tangaroa came to their assistance. He ascertained from both officers that they had steered S.W. by W.JW. The first and second officers had access to the chart to verify their position. To Mr Kirkcaldie: Instructions for the night were given to the first officer at 8.30, and he remained in charge till midnight. As there was a westerly wind, he wanted to get more into the land for shelter; and he gave instructions to the first mate to steer S.W. by S. till there was sixty on the log; when, if the wind did not freshen, he was to alter to S. by W.JW. If the wind did freshen, they were not to change the course for another ten miles. To Mr Buddie: The night of the mishap was clear. The vessel grounded on sand, and did not make any water. Generally, he had found the first mate a careful man. To Mr Wilford: The entry in the scrap log in first officer Roberts’s writing showed S.W. by W.JW. to be the course he had been steering. Roberts knew the coast well, and Atkinson had been there once before. AN UNUSUAL COURSE. William Henry Roberts, first mate. Said that when he went on duty at 8 p.m. he got the course S.W. by S. Later on ho got instructions from the master that when the log registered sixty he was to steer S.W. by W.JW.

That was the coarse the captain gave him to the best of his belief. At the preliminary he said he had reason to believe the captain gave him S. by W. JW. The night was so clear that bo did not think it worth while to look at the chart. It was an unnsual course, and he knew it was taking them into the ‘ land. He gave the second mate the same course as he had been steering. He never cautioned the second mate, who called him about 2.35 a.m. and said he did not know where he was. ' To Mr Buddie: He could not swear positively what course he got, from the captain; his impression was that he got S.W. by W.*W. He changed his course at 10.10 p.m., and when he gave control to the second officer at 12, he had been steering S.W. by W.fW, for an hour and fifty minutes. When he gave control to the second ofiiooc the ship would he less than half-way between the point where he changed the course and the Tnki Tuki. river. The course he gave the second officer was S.W. by W-iW. To Mr Klrkcaldie: At the preliminary inquiry he admitted having made an error in changing the course. To the Court: He know it was an unusual course; the idea was to get closer to the land so as to be sheltered from the wind. At this stage the inquiry was ad« joumed till 2.30 p.m. on Friday.