INQUIRY INTO THE WRECK OF THE CITY OF CASHMERE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2755, 21 January 1882, Page 2

INQUIRY INTO THE WRECK OF THE CITY OF CASHMERE.

'Before J. Beswick, Esq. R.M., and B. Woollcombe, Esqr., Nautical As•sessor.]

Mr C. Cooper, Collector of Customs, conducted the inquiry ; Mr White, Crown Solicitor, appeared on behalf of the Government, instructed by the Collector of Customs; Mr Tennant, Secretary to the Harbor Board, attended on behalf of the Board.

Mr Spalding, manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company, watched the case as Lloyd’s agent. Daniel Ross, master of the City, of Cashmere, produced his certificate of competency as a master, No. 6733, dnd examined by Mr Cooper, deposed—Have been 22 years a master, commanding vessels'> of l all classes, small and large. Arrived at Timaru in the City of Cashmere on Dec. 23. The vessel was brought up by the Harbormaster about a mile from the end of the Breakwater, in about four fathoms of water. The bottom, seemed to bo a very good holding ground. The vessel was drawing about 13ft. She was well found in all respects. She had three anchors ready for use. She rode easily generally, but the send was heavy and she felt the seas sometimes. About a week after arrival she was taken to the ballast ground to discharge her ballast, and brought back by the Harbormaster. This time she was brought up, a little north of her first position, but in a perfectly safe anchorage. In returning from the ballast ground the. win! was too strong for us to kedge up again. She was not shifted afterwards, We had a kedge ready but the wind was too fresh, and there was no tug available,. ; ilt was not intended to take her inside. On Saturday last we took in two boat loads of cargo, but the stevedore’s men were not there to stow it away. I came ashore about - '! o’clock to ascertain the reason of,their absence. Saw the men, and then went to the Hospital for medical advice for one of my men, and while there was informed that' the ' ship ' was adrift,' I saw that the ship had drifted a long way into' the bight—about a mile as near as I could- judge.- --! at once ,secured the services of the tug boat Lillie Denham. The ship was close to the breakers, aind I thought the tug would be sufficiently powerful to take her out. I had heard , that she was very powerful, 90 horse power I think, and so I supposed she would be powerful enough. I went on board as soon as the tug got steam up, in about 15 or 20 minutes. The ship was at. this time (about 5 p,m.) brought up, but was bumping on the bottom. I got a hawser fast to the steamer. When! all was ready the steamer : went ahead, the vessel being still fast to the anchor. The steamer towed the ship up to her anchor, and the Harbor Master and myself were then satisfied that tfie steamer could tow. us out.. We then : weighed the anchor,, and the steamer, commenced towing and was going pretty well. Shortly afterwards the captain: of the tug said his steam was getting; 'short, and he would have to - stop to get it up again ; we cast the anchor again; To the Bench—We were originally anchored by the starboard anchor ; when I went on board she was riding by the port anchor. She dragged after the anchor was let go. , , Examination continued-—We waited sometime, till steam was again got up on the tug, during which we held our ground. When steam was got up We made fast to the steamer again, weighed, anchor, and set the fore and aft sails;' The steamer succeeded in pulling us out some way, but at the same .time we drifted northward, towards the beach ; the tug was taking us along very well, but the steam ran down again. The master of the'tag said her machinery 'was "-out of order and he Could do no more for us.- We cast off: the hawser, and let go the anchor. It was dark by this time.so I could not say how much; we' ’ had drifted since.the second time. J found the ship was dragging and let go another anchor, to which the cable of the star board'anchor had been shackl ed. This was a: patent bower anchor. I had two bowers of about 30 cwt each, and a stream anchor of equal size. We had twb chain cables of full length, and a bower ready for use. The chains Were of full size and of very good quality, and had been tested in • the' Usual- way. I did not see them tested but I had; a, certificate that they were so. The hawser was aioout 14-incb, ship dragged both anchors, and soon after the tug left her she began to bump heavily. T •am. of opinibnithat if the, steamer -had not broken down shb .would have bad power to.. take ,us .out.. It was a Very, dark night. T.he ,Rocket, Brigade began to take the crew off.' At this time the ship was? head: on to the sea; stern, to-the beach. There r were 19/of the crew including myself and the Harbor Master and another person on board. We all. left her, expecting the masts to go. About midnight she struck on the beach.. and the crew were at once taken off. The fore and main masts went over the side on Sunday afternoon and the mizzen on Monday morning. The City of Cashmere was. of 980 tons, and belonged to George Smith and Sons of Glasgow. She was classed Al at Lloyd’s for ever, subject to periodical surveys. She was an iron ship, very strongly built, with three watertight compartments.- She was built in 1863; It was about ohb hour ebb tide when the vessel first got... adrift. The weather was hazy. /'There was very little 'Wind at the ' time, light and variable. No. ' 2 on Standard' scale.There -was a heavy swell, running from the south-east.- The vessel Ibbks like a. total loss. I think she was insured, but lam not sure. She had on board 480 odd bales of wool, and about 600 tons , of wheat and,flour. "I do .not .think'it would have been safer to try warping, the ship instead of trusting to tlpei steamer; there was too much,sea to warp, and when we tried the steamer and found she brought the ship up to, her anchor, we had no doubt ‘ she could', tow us of. I can say nothing as to the cause of the ship getting adrift'Athe first, time. I know that the chain that caipe up had a big link at the end, where a shackle had been; To know what happened to the shackleithe anchor and the ‘rest of the chain must be recovered, and that has not been Rone yet. : To'.the Beneh-rThe cables were oxr. amined on nearing the port, being, brought on fleck and overhauled by my orders. I know Timaru pretty well,, though I’ never brought a ship here before-. I have resided.here. . , , Mr Malcolm, • chief officer of the City of Caab mere, examined by Mr White, stated that Captain Ross went ashore about 1 p.m. on Saturday last, and he, was left in'charge.’ The Bench’ —Was there an anchor watch set bn board ? "

Witness—A night watch was set. The Bench—ls it usual or not to Set an anchor watch ?

Witness—l was never in an openroadstead before, and do not know what the custom is. It is usual to set a night watch in harbor.

To Mr White—After the Captain left we went to dinner, and after dinner a surf boat came alongside with,a cargo of wool. This was taken in by some of our own men, and others were employed

in cleaning the decks. The wool being stowed, we put on the hatches and com-

menced to wash down the decks. This was about three o’clock. About four I

went down below, telling the second mate to hurry up and get the work finished, Soon afterwards the second mate informed me that the surf line was taut and asked me what lino he should

bend on to it. I told him. He went forward to do so, and about five

minutes afterwards he came to me again and told me,that the surf line, had got so taut that he had to cut the line and

buoy it. He thought the ship was dragging- I rushed on deck. It was now.abpiß; half past, four or. twenty

minutes to five. I called out the men

;o cockbillthe port anchor,

The anchor

had been all ready for letting go till that morning, but on account of the heavy sea it had been lifted and the shank painter passed round it. The order was obeyed and the carpenter stood by to let go. The anchor was let go, and the ship swung to it in about ten minutes from the time I was

informed that she was adrift, I veered cable to 30 fathoms outside •of .hawse,

The vessel had possibly 'drifted 500 yards from her first position before she swung tp her second anchor* I ordered

the ensign to be ran up, as a private signal to the captain. I took soundings and found four fathoms. I "took tha bearings of a white house on a little hillock, S. by W. £ W. by the deck compass, Shortly aftpr five Captain Mills and Mr White came bn hoard. We hove up the ' : 6ta'ihoar ; d J 'cham. ■ according to Captain Mill’s orders, and .found it was parted at the 60 fathom shackle, nothing of the shackle -remain- " ing in the big link. I can form no conclusion whatever as to the cause of the parting. We had 75 fathoriis t out to aloft the windlass. ' The hawser was next unbent from the spare anchor ou the port bow atid the' starboard’chain shackled on this anchor. The !; hawser was then got ready for passing ,to the steamer . The steamer came about six with Captain'Ross on/ board.,' jiThe captain and a.number, of shore people were taken on board by the waterman’s boat. This boat also ran a-new 8-inch rope to the steamer. They: wished to tow ns by that rope, but Captain' Mills Paid they were to take the’hawser'/and (his was done. The hawser being fixed the steamer went ahead, and pulled 1 the ship up to’ her anchor. We hove up the anchor, and then the captain of the steamer said he could not do. anything more just then as he had no steam. We dropped the anchor again and . veered cable to 15 fathoms outside the howse. Took bearings and soundings and found we were nearly in the same position as before, soundings 3$ fathoms, The ship was now. striking : aft; for the first time.- I could j nbt say the. distance lost between, the two anchorings. The vessel wai ’drawing about 14ft, even keel; with the range . that was on she would strike in 3£ fathoms. We had to wait a,considerable, time,heirlyait hdor/ 'foiS ’the tug, ,tb, get' up steam; •; When*jhe weht/ahead we kept: .the, ship’s hepd, NJJv.ljy compass, and . set! /idreranfiraft, rcggyas. About midnight wo, let s go j( ihe if bort anchor again, because ;jve were/making no headway and were: close J,teethe breakers.. The ship had been.drifting to the northward inshore all the time. Letting-go the anchor brought h’er head to S.E., and she bumped heavily aft. She was about 150 yards from the beach at this time’.’ ,We‘theft let tfib anchor with'ls- fathoms/ - squared the yards, and had the shacklepins all ready for knocking ;out,sq, .that they could bo slipped with the object of allowing the ship to’driftin broadside on. ' From' the time Captain Mills came on board he 1 bad charge of/ the vessel till went ashore. I received all my orders from him.; We had warping .tackle db bu t had no, steam winch. ’ There’was a donkey engine on Board. If we bad noticed, her drifting, .immediately, we 'should have dropped' 1 the * porirabchor and brought up.and so r warping would have been nece§Bary., r , To the Bench—Steamwas ftpt np in the donkey engine. If wo had: tried warping,' thb steamer could 1 * have assisted a good deal. '■ To Mr White—l do not know how long it would take the ship to drift so far as she did- before she was,brought up,, I think it was about fen minutes from the time 1 ' the surf; ;]iftb -’’-Was tautened till the "Ship was brqught- up, The chains' were overhauled ;Irif‘J.pne last when they wera/tbkeh/opt *pi the lockers on eftteribg Oalaujita//' ;Thb,mns were .all knocked out, and' new wooden .pina.putthrough the’ shackles by the carpenter. To the Bench—l think we could have * tvorked do our' original position from -where ,we first brought up. When the.anchor was let go the second time after the steamer cgme to us, the towing hawser was slack 'alongside. The captain'of the, steamer said he could db ho.mdrp for us.' I do not rememher whether he give any reason. If wo had let go twbanchors we might have .lain whore r first , bfought I 'up -.after getting adrift until We could/hlive got more' ppw.erfuj a'ssisfanbe, bbt l $0 not know 'the' * think she might Kave 'beeh' wbfke'd r, 'out to her original. position,,.She did not strike while we were anchored there ; pot-, until we /liad ‘ lifted " the/ anchor and dropped it Sgainf | babies Were not overhauled after leaving Calcutta I think. They were not overhauled after entering this' port.' They had been on deck since we • left ; Lyttelton... K lf v yras the carpenter’s duty to 'overhaul the cables ; mine to see .that, be : did it. If Captain Ross stated that the ship was bumping before we tripped; the anchor the first time he-must - have stated what was not correct I think. ‘ John Brunton Green,second iigffiper, examined -by Mr Cooper :! When we were first brought up at Timaru we were about 100 yards outside the -' surf pne, and., SPtith/.pf the BreakWater._ " chain Was/overhauled at Galfeutta,/but not aftefwaps,' . but .‘the*'/ caepftSter always watches, the chain iis/ is haped .pdf of the locker, ; to - if ’ther'n’is'iinything wrong;'withlt,; / Both flqgfc... offiper!'and//carpenter ,-W'ere watching’ .the,, chain being; hauled. > up last.time,; At Calcutta tpo chain,had a special, overhaul, all the/ shackles ,ywre looked at. About twenty-five, minutes to fiva on ’ the day of the wrack-my attention was drawn by one 06the briys, Edward Kerr, to the fact" that the < surf line, was,-taut.'' That -had happened 1 several times wh jI e w,e had been In pOrt. Mr/Malpplm,/the.chief - 'officer; /vg^on board j but ; ‘l’'hid ’charge 1 o£; ); /the fleck. I sent an able' seaman ''to slacken the line. We often had to slacken the line as the ship swung af her anchor. After slackening’-the l|n ! p to its full length it .was bp ; nt another ' short, piepe this/was tautened up to the end then'l'Red a buoy to it and let if n gp. /1. BukpbCltod the ship was dragging, and was,/going forward to see how the cable was, when x an able seaman who was there sung out that he thought the vessel wo? dragging When I got to the forecastle head I 'saw the chain was quite slack. Even then I . was not quite sure for a momonf, that ‘the vessel was adrift, for I thought- the cha.in-might be slackened Ry of breeze carrying the ship against the seas. 1 then told the first officer that the ship was adrift.

The, witness then .stated, what steps. were taken to anchor the ship, his evidence being the same as that of the previous witness. I think the ship drifted about , 600 yards before she was pulled up by the anchor. The second anchor was i got*, ready for casting before the steamer arrived, but as the steamer was not dragging, and had not bumped as'far as ' I noticed,' we did hot cast the anchor, ( waiting for the steamer to The vessel might have lightly without my noticing it, as’we were 1 busy. We made fast to the tug, hove , up the anchor, and the steamer gave us ' a drag. The captain of the tug then gang out to us to drop our anchor: again till he got more steam up, or something to that effect. We did so, and hung on. We were bumping heavily now, and I believe ‘dragging. Captain Mills asked several times if they had steam up, and got an answer no. After aWhilo;we made fast to the tug, and Set the fore : and-aft sails. ; I was Heaving the lead from time to time, and, ..noticed ; thdt she made .'.vary little • headway, < but was drifting towards r the beach, ...We continued to drift until we saw we were doing: no good, and the Two . anchors were let go about 1 eleven, ; o’clock. "I cannot say ho\y far wo were from the beach them but we were pretty , close iu and ,was bumping ’.heavily! We saw we could dp no, mow good and we burned a hlpe , light. a signal. The whole of the crew got safe ashore by means of the rocket apparatus, a good while after burning the _ signals". l We squared the yards, tightened braces and so on before leaving; ?; ( , a To the Bench—l dp not think* more ‘ than ten minutes" elapsed between; my being informed that surf line was , tight and the casting of the anchor, i Captain, Boss recalled; to the Bench—--1 came ashore about one o’clock, I .was at the Hospital, and about three o’clock J-was-told, that the ship'hrd severed her cable. I came down as quickly; as K ibje . and aaw ; that she had drifted a 1 way from where I left her. I John Johnson, carpenter on board; the City of Cashmere, said it was the carpenters duty to overhaul cables, jHe overhauled them at Calcutta, not since, that is the shackle pins were hot driven out since. He r .npt,.,particularly examine the 'cables when they drere brought, bp- on nearing; .‘Lyttelton, 'but he glanced over them, .and | '’if' there, had been anything wrong about them he, would have seen- i it. ' - He' ' did not think they; needed- overhauling as they were overhauled at Calcutta. The new pins be pat in at Calcutta were ■ ’of oak,'pieces of’beef casks. ' To Mr White: I did nothing to the chaihs since we were at 'Calcutta/ I did pot examine them when wo cast at Lyttoltoc. We only cast the port anchor there. I received no orders to overhaul the ■ cables since, .we i left Calcutta..

Alexander Mills, Harbormaster and acting pilot at the port of Timaru, examined by Mr Cooper : On the arrival of the City of Cashmere I put her inthe v' usual berth for. working from |tbe Government Landing Service, abotit ; : half a mile from shore, ip ‘ ■ opartior less ' five ” (4|),fathoms water. ,VA week or .ten days after arrival I took herqujt to discharge her ballast and then brought . her back to a position a, little to !the

northward of her old one- It was a perfectly safe place,' but 1 I ran! a . ledge out to take her ' further not for greater Safety, But to get .her iptb: a more convenient position for the Landing Service.' . There was so much wirid and sea, that \ye did'flpt get an opportunity to kedge her out. •Nothing, occurred :to .the ; vessel till .Saturday last. About half-past four that afternoon Captain Moir, captain of the Lillie Denham, called my ajtehtion to her, and I sawjthat she was iadrift, broadside on, and with her head'to the North. She had then drifted a quarter.

of a mile from the berth., L got a,boat and took the master of the; tug and left ~ him on’; .board his boat. I expected ihe wpuld;try. to get steam up. That was his intention. I went on to the ship. The ship had ’ then been anchored and brought up. I immediately hove in the slack chain and found a big link at the end, without any pait of the shackle, which led me to think that the pin, had come out. When' I got on board, the vessel was half a mile from her original gisltion, aUd.-iw&s close down upon ashing . . Point—about three cables’ lengths from it. 'I judge itwould take 25 minutes'to drift it's far, as she did, r ’ from getting adrift to being brought up by the anchor. I set three men to keep to see if she drifted, while! got tie slack chain shackled to a spare anchor. I did not drop this anchor, because Z found the; ship was holding, and it was unnecessary. The tng came out about half a& hoar after JJ got on Board, Sind we pasifed |a hawser to her. She had to wait; about a quarter of an hour to get up more s team . I preferred trusting to thetug', than:, to trying ' .; 1 couJd'not hay© got*, kedge 1 into a boat, the sea was too heavy down in me bight. .1 trusted to, the steamer as oiie'vvould ‘ trust to anything' when their , ship is striking on, the bottom. Had the ' vessel. not been striking I wonld never have, lifted the anchor. The tng made'an’attempt, to tow the vessel and brought .her right over ;her anchor. 1 thought that was good enough and so got the. .anchor up, but they could hot keep steam np in the tug. 1 did not expect that difficulty. The tng took us about twice ■ ship’s length out, and towards the north, ~ and . then the captain told us he could do no more for u s.until begot more steam. I then let go the port anchor and that held her. It was now dark, and ' Nothing could have been‘,;dpUo, wlth a ' kedge- If we had had. .power on' "Board she might hare been .wu'rpc.d out; not without. . When we started to tow- . out, I kept the ship’s head to the north, V to get her clear of the Bashing Point.. . If: anything bad gone wrong and she Bad gone ashore on the rocks, it is very -■ likely * that ■■ all on board would have : Been drowned. When the steamer got steam up again we tried ' to, tow again, But beyond taking us . further from the rocks she cpuld' up g00jd,.,, As soon as I saw that I dropped both anchors, and when the cable allowed had run out the ship was.in the surf, and striking whenever a big swell: came. The City of .Cashmere .Was exceedingly well found in bolding tackle. I never saw a vessel better found. The first things I look at on board a ship when she comes in are her- anchors and chains. Thofee of the City of Cashmere were far beyond her class. The witness then , pointed out on a chart the various positions occupied at, different times. Td Mr Woollcombe—l have been off in some very rough seas, but I doubt if • whale boat could have got off that day if it had not been for the Breakwater. It would have been a great risk. Thomas Chapman, late foreman at Landing Service, who had been working on the beach 18 years, gave evidence as to the state of the sea on the day of the, casualty. Without the Breakwater work could not have been carried on. Bid not think a surf boat would have Been launched under the old system. The wind was very light, and from the south. Sea and wind continued about the same during the night. The sea outside was not such as to endanger a vnsel.

Charles-Edward. Chandler : -Eierr, an apprentice on board the City of Cashmere, was washing decks on Saturday afternoon, and going -forward- noticed that the surf line was tight. Told the second mate, and he sent an able seainan ’arid; wimesS doi'slack, it found that it requited more line, and they bent- another piece ;on. That was taken up also, and a brioywias putbdand let go. Tt wdsa, common thing for the lines to tighten. It was about half.past four when be first noticed -the line getting tight.j A man on the forecastle-head sang but that he thought there was no anchor on the chain, as it was slack. Witness had had but little experience, and could not tell by the shore whether the vessel had shifted or not! Could riot say even after the man spoke that the vessel had moved-. , „• „ The Court then adjourned till 9 a.m. on Tue'day next. , ~