THE LUTTERWORTH INQUIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81859, 6 October 1906, Page 2

THE LUTTERWORTH INQUIRY.

(Per Press Association.) Wellington, Octoiber 5. The magisterial inquiry into the re cent dismasting and abandonment ol the _ barque Lutterworth in CoolStrait was commenced to-day. Cap tain Hicks, master of the vessel W u, boro many signs of the severe knocking about he received, statUcl thai when the Lutterworth left Timaru or, Saturday last she carried about 415 tons of shingle ballast, which 11 stowed on either side of the shifting boards to the height of eight feet. J was the usual quantity of ballast, and the shifting boards were the usual lieignt for this class of vessel, The regulations wore complied t h Ai 2 p.m. on Sunday, when off-iho Kaikoura Peninsula, steering north east, quarter east, the weather was thick and at 4 p.m. |, e shortened sail, and headed east, and continued this un ii lie weather showed signs of clearing, nlcnding- to run through Caok Slra f t he gave orders , 0 put- the helm U1 ), but the vessel would not pay off The peering gear broke. The fore lowe, topsail ,p it, and the ship became unmanageable There was then a moderate gale bowing, and a heavy sea running The ballast shifted and th masts had to be cut away to save tic ship from going under, being then en her beam ends, willuhe lee yard ar m under water. The cause of the whole Rouble was the breakage of the steering year. But for that accidjnt, the o;.l'a»l would not have shifted. When the crew were taken off bv the PenHum, the vessel scorned to be doomed. She was withing half a mile of the rocks at rerawhili. In reply to other questions, Captain Hicks 'sgid when the vessel heeled over ihe water was up to the combing "of the main hatch. She would have turned upside down if tl,e masfs had not been cut away. The crew could not move a ong the deck. They had to crawl along the weather side of the ship outside. His wife was hauled ou't of hei cabin by a rope. 'The crew behaved extremely well.

Captain Ucndall, marine surveyor said when lie examined iho Lutterworth, ho found the guide of die storing gear broken on die starboard side It was evident tharths shifting boards were not high enough, but they were as high as was ordinarily used foi shingle ballast. Sectional shifting boards which should come riglu up to the 'twc?n docks were necessary. Captain George Smith, Supertntcn ■Jem of the Mercantile Marine, expressed the ,s|,ine opinion about tin .s.ufiing boards. After healing other evidence, Hie Court announced it wou'd give its decision to-morrow.