WRECK OF THE QUETTA.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 465, 23 April 1890, Page 5

WRECK OF THE QUETTA.

MARINE BOARD INQUIRY. Fpkthek particulars of the Marine Board inquiry into the wreck of the steamship Quetta are to hand by the mail steamer today. The final witnesses examined were J amea Albert Oats, one of the quarter -masters of the Quetta, who was at the wheel wnen the vessel struck, and Captain Downes, Marine Superintendent for tha B. I. and Q. A. Company. The latter stated that the Quetta was fitted with six bulkheads in case of any accident whereby any portion of the vessel’s hull was injured. These bulkheads were iron structures dividing the vessel into portions, and the cargo was stowed in the spaces between. She had no water-tanks forming a double or cellular bottom. According to the divers’ report of the condition of the wreck, four of these bulkheads had been rendered entirely useless, and that was excluding the forward collision bulkhead. There would therefore be nothing left to give the ship buoyancy, except the small airspace forward of the first of the collision bulkheads, and that abaft the after collision bulkhead compartments, where the plates were dented, and were rendered useless. The bulkheads between the fore and main hold and boiler-space must have been completely carried away. Had sho been a double-bottomed or water-ballast tank-ship, it would have been all the same, as the injury described by the divers was so extensive.

The Quetta was constructed of iron, not steel. The witness accounted for there being so small a shock as that described by the fact that the vessel’s plating was not very thick, while she was of tremendous weight, and the injury being so far below water, she just struck this rock and burst in her plating and rolled it up as she went. Tha great weight of the ship would the frames out also, but in a smaller vessel, with the same thickness of plating, the shock would probably be much greater. Captain Sanders, who was re-examined, expressed perfect confidence in Pilot Keating.

The Chairman asked Mr P. Real, Q.C., who attended the inquiry on behalf of the Government, whether he intended to address the Board- Captain Sanders was anxious to leave for England by the Tara, and the Board had no wish to detain him until the inquiry was closed, as they did not consider it necessary.

Mr Real said : “ I have no desire to address the Board concerning the captain, officers, or pilot. It appears to me from the evidence that the time was too short to do anything, and the pilot was exceptionally cool under the circumstances.”

The Chairman said :—“There is nothing to prevent the captain from going home, because in the opinion of the Board there ia nothing in the evidence to sustain any allegation of default in regard to the navigation of the ship on the part of Captain Sanders, his officers, or the pilot. When we Set the evidence from Thursday Island the bard will consider the whole matter, and give their decision.” The Board adjourned sine die, but other evidence will be taken before the inquiry closes.