WRECK ENQUIRY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2854, 18 May 1882, Page 2

WRECK ENQUIRY.

An enquiry into tlio circumstances connected with the loss of the Benvcuue was hold by Mr C. E. Cooper, Collector of Customs, Mr Woollcombe, E.N., being Nautical Assessor. The following evidence was taken: — William Hamilton McGowan, being sworn, said, 1 was master of the Ben venue. I produce my certificate of competency from the Board of Trade No. 3267(3. I have been 33 years at sea, 12 years as master. The Benvenuc was well found. She was built in 1800, and classed A.l. She has undergone throe surveys, the last one in 1881, and her chains were all tested, She was an iron ship. 1 had three largo bower anchors weighing 33, 31, 27 cwts.. respectively. The two smaller anchors wore on the catheads. I had a stream

and a hedge anchor. They were the proper size for my ship, according to Lloyd’s scale. The chains had been got especially for her at Glasgow after her return thither from Hong Kong. I have been ten years in command of her. According to the articles, ten seamen besides officers and apprentices were her complement. She was owned by Watson Bros., of Glasgow. She cost £16,000. She is insured for £ 12,000. I believe her cargo is insured for £4OOO (Captain McGowan hero explained that the underwriters in Glasgow did not allow the insurances to be reduced). I carried her on April 15, from Newcastle, N.S.W. with 1500 tons of coal. The Harbor Master mooredher. We were moored in line with the Breakwater, half a mile off. We were then in five fathoms of water, and were drawing 19 feet, with a full cargo. I had expected to sail for Port Chalmers the day after the Duke of Sutherland was lost. We struck tho bottom ourselves on that occasion, several times, but not so as to damage her. Captain Mills examined her with myself and Captain McDonald of tho City of Perth; and he ordered me to get the vessel docked, and her bottom examined. She made no water. I thought this merely a formal proceeding,to meet the requirements of Lloyd’s. I made every exertion to get my cargo out, so as to proceed to Port Chalmers. I bad expected to sail about the 13th, but was delayed. At twelve o’clock on the night of tho 13th the sea began to rise and there was very little wind. I examined the barometer then. It was low, 29.20. It hung steadily low. The sea began to break. I did not then deem it dangerous, we were riding at a single anchor. At 2 a.m. the sea became very heavy, terrific, and a haze obscured the land. I fancied wo were drifting, judging from our apparent distance from theOity of Perth. All hands were called on deck, and I let go the port anchor. It was very difficult and dangerous to go on the forecastle owing to the tremendous seas l that were breaking on board. The men had often to run to the rigging for safety. At the moment of the anchor going, she was struck by a hfeavy sea, and I thought the rudder had gone. 1 burned a blue light as a signal of distress but saw no reply. We could not verify our position by bearings ; and the compass was smashed, the decks were completely swept. From 2 to 5.30 she was stern on, and shipping heavy seas, obliging the men to take to the, rigging, and carrying, away poop fittiugs.signal chest, grating.&c. We put out our port life boat. At 5.30 a.m. she swung into the trough of the sea. She was struck by a terrific sea, broadside on, shifting the cargo and throwning . . her on her beam ends. The life boat was smashed ,by a sea. The crew being exhausted wo took twenty minutes rest at ihalf-past eight to get some food; .’the* cabins, and deck houses were all flooded. The rudder head was twisted by the: sea.-It was about half past 9 ~ when we parted. We had 160 fathoms on the starboard anchor,: and 90 on the port anchor. During this time we had seen a signal from shore* it was : “Do your best to hold on,” A quarter of an hour after we saw “ trim your ship ” ; signalled. The ship now was settling ; over to starboard. L deemed'it most urgent ip, keep her from ' capsizing ; I , . had the crew in the hold. I hailed tho City of Perth and asked him to signal for the shore life-boat, my flags being swept away'by the sea, to which he .replied, no boats can live in this sea. At thisitime there was a perpendicular sea of 18 feet. I then saw an accident had occurred on, board the City of Perth. In trimming the coals I consulted the chief officer as we had parted our starboard cable and allowed her to take the whole of the port cable, about 135. fathoms. The starboard cable parted in the locker abaft 'the windlass, and the' windlass was thus smashed. We deemed it dangerous to move the , heavy anchor that was on the forecastle, the ship. pitching so that the men could scarcely, keep their feet. Had the anchor been' moved it would have carried away the rail and done damage. Wa thought the only feasible proceeding . was to take the stream anchor and bend 4 on a steel wire hawser, to put out in case of emergency. 'The ship being on her' beam ends, all hands A were required - below to trim,,'cargo. Between 11.30 and 12:30,1 noticed .the sea was slightly moderating, or I thought so. ~1 supposed the greatest , danger was then over. ..We saw con- ■ tinuous signals from shore, urging me to “ trim the ship,” which I fully agreed was my most urgent duty. If I could ha’vegono out I would when the City , iy ,of Perth was making sail. There was siot wind enough to admit of a ship' 1 ';" being steered j there was a light northwest air. At 11 o’clock 1 gave up the idea, as the wind dropped so much that I should have fouled the City of Perth, if I could have moved at all. At 12.45 A the port cable parted, I being in the hold trimming the coals. The carpenter informed me of this. He had been left on deck to watcli the chain. The rest of the,crow were belpw with me. By the time I reac,lied the deck the ship had , drifted a quarter of a mile towards the shore. Thesea was all the time rolling : in from E.B.E. The ship had drifted:; , rapidly. As she was taking a line for tlm Dashing Rocks, and was then in broken water, I anticipated 1 she vyould; drift broadside on and be instantly broken" up. I got out the starboard boat and all hands left the ship, though I did not expect the boat to live. I then pulled out to head the sea., As I passed the City of Perth, the captain .hailed me. ' He-said his cables had parted, and the coir warp lie was hanging by was on the point of going. I said I Jwould stand by him, and he informed me his . chief officer’s legs were broken. I took tho injured man into., my boat. I did not go ou board, but I took the chief ’ mate and others into my boat. They then lowered their life boat, with the mate in it, as ho could not have been got down the side. We endeavored then to keep the sea aft and fetch the breakwater. ®We got ashore at throe o’clock. My vessel was hurled up on to the clay bankaftorT left her. She how , lies there a total wreck. To the Nautical Assessor—l had a compressor just before thexvindlass, but I never use it, thinking it a bad principle. There is another screw compressor on the windlass. I bad no spring on the cable, and could not have put one on, owing to the peculiar position of the windlass. Wo had previously tried it and found it impracticable. At one interval, between 11.30 and 12.30, a very powerful trig might possibly have got us out. I' think a tug of sufficient power might have saved both vessels. It would have required a very skilful commander to do it, though. I have, however, seen -a, much less heavy sea in which a tug would not 1 approach any vessel. It is not necessary to bring a tug alongside. The tug for this port, I should say would be 100 horse power. For the occasion'oil'last, Sunday a tug of 200 horse power would alone have hail a chance of being serviceable. It would 'have been safer to have been towed out . two or three miles than to He at anchor, ' : Examination continued—Wb had 300 tons cargo aboard; she drew 15 feet. She was a very tall ship.- Wo; had 24 casks tallow, the rest was coal.

John McMaster Stewart, second officer of the ship Bcnvenue, deposed— During the Saturday night, the 13th, (say at throe o’clock) some of the crew and officers wore called on deck. Shortly after this the sea Was bad. The ship was rolling heavily. The sea was from theS.E., without wind. We were riding by the starboard anchor, with 105 fathoms of chain. We were in 5 fathoms less 2 feet of water at that time. We were all called up at four on Sunday morning. Shortly after, the captain ordered the port anchor to bo catted. I went on the forecastle-head and cleared the anchonnyself. We had no difficulty in doing so, because tbe vessel was riding stern to the sea. The sea was heavy and there was broken water; it was breaking over the deck, clearing, the poop. I thought we were drifting, as the water was so much broken. We wore then ordered, after letting go the anchor, to get everything wo cou d below to steady her, fearing she would get beam on to the sea. Towards 10 o’clock our starboard chain pait'd. It parted in the locker and ran out. We paid out the port hawser and got a stream anchor ready, bending on a wire hawser. The sea was still from the S.E. The crew were able to remain on deck much better at this lime than before dayligbt, the sea having moderated. Then we nearly all wont below to trim coal, as the ship had a heavy list to starboard. She got tbe list through' getting beam on to tbe sea. Hulf-an-hour after, the Captain called us to get into the only boat we bad. I produce a certificate as second mate from the Board of Trade, No. 03183. I have been , 10 years at sen. I have been in ships being towed by a steamer, in bad weather. I was never in such a heavy sea before. 1 have been towed into Port Natal in such bad weather that the pilot had to go into the forerigging to keep out of the seai A. powerful tug could have taken the ship out, say, one of 12© h.p. I have been employed in steam vessels for 4 years. I have towed ships from the port of Foo Chow out to sea against the the N.E. Monsoons and a bead sea. I have sailed with Captain McGowan before. I came out with him five years ago as second officer, in a small steamer. The Benvenne was well found, her chains were in capital order, the starboard one having been thoroughly overhauled on the passage down from Newcastle. After landing I went round to the cliff and saw the ship was ashore and lying close under the clay cliff. I have seen her since, a total Wreck. I think if she bad been half a mile further out from the ifehore she > v ould have had a good chance of weathering the sea, The Harbormaster, I believe, placed her. The Funch was lying about three-quarters of a mile further out, I should say. X saw the broken link. It appeared to be of good metal, without a flaw.

Kumara, May 18,