STRANDING OF THE TAVIUNI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 116, 7 May 1908, Page 2

STRANDING OF THE TAVIUNI.

i'Uli INQUIRY.

Per i'reai Association. Westport, Tuesday. At the nautical cn<[uiry evidence was given by Captain Powell (master of the dredge Hopper), Matthews (master of the dredge "itiijby Seddon), Furneaux (harbormaster), ami H. A. Young (the Board's engineer) that no complaints were made about the insullicieney ot lights at the river entrance, Tim harbormaster had traded l» Westport fur thirty years, and ill his opinion the port was siiliieiently light*

. . . The engineer slated that I°r c 'ght years there had been 110 change in the sounding of the inner and outer contour I lilies ouiside the entrance to the I

rivejj Francis Fletcher, master o! tin* Kalamea trader s.s. Xgunguru, described I lie conditions (ill tile night of the stranding as sijimllv at sea with a hai'.e along till' water a I the tiphead, and fairly thick. lie came along to the |,,irt just alter the Taviuni. being seven miles nwav when he observed the rockits of distress. lie went over In the Taviuni. using the lead until he got into three fathoms. lie would not have used the lead had "lie not seen Hie 'l'avinni. It was an exceptional night. Itetwccii ihe squall* the lights could be seen some considerable distance off. lie did not think a stranger should 1 have come close to tile coast oil such

a night, but now knowing the port, he would have more confidence, Frederick Itadford, second officer of the Taviuni, took iiis bearing on the red light after the ship struck. it showed on the port. (|uartcr. When lie saw the light it would not be in the di- 1 rection the look-out man looks. Captain Sawyers, master of the Moa, weut out the liiyht the lavinni stranded, tie said there was a haze on shore as if caused by smoke from the briquette works, obscuring the lights at the time.

Westport, Last Night. The nautical inquiry into the. stranding of the Taviuni, was resumed to-day. Hale Knight, signalman, gave evidence that lie saw the Taviuni pass the tiphead, and a few minutes later she was in the surf. There was a fog on tile river, but il, was clear outside. The vessel was obscured for a time by . the mist.

The chief ollieer, John Flyuu, recalled, said the log gave the same reading at 8.30 as at 8 o'clock, yi/, M l.*ifi miles. It had either failed to act, "or there had been a mis-reading somewhere.

The second ollieer said he re-set the log ne\t da\\ after (showing the chief ollieer it registered iTili miles, which was live miles short of their distance. | lie re-set the big because he did not 1 wish it to be tampered with by those in the wheel-hou^e.

Horonce Suisted, a passenger, said everything was done by the caplain and the ollieers under the circumstances to ensure tin- safety and comfort of the passengers. Captaii) Brophy, re-called, testified lhat the three ollieers were good, reliable men, and attentive to their duties^ Decision was reserved till to-morrow morning.