THE PENGUIN DISASTER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 25, 23 February 1909, Page 3

THE PENGUIN DISASTER

ANOTHER UNIDENTIFIED BODY RECOVERED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Another body was recovered ot the scene of the Penguin wreck this evening. It has not been identified yet. Tie; body is that of ,a man, and on one of the lingers is a ring in the shape of a true lovers' knot. THE ENQUIRY RESUMED. THE CAPTAIN'S EVIDENCE. Wellington, Monday. The inquiry into the wreck of the Penguin was resumed to-day. Captain Nayior, in his evidence, stated that before leaving Picton, at 0.20 p.m. on the 12th, he could not tell what the weathci was likely to be outside. The average speed of the Penguin was 12'/.. knots. On coming out ol Tory Channel there was very little sea, and the weather was overcast, the wind being from the south-east. Currents at the head of Tory Channel run rapidly, as a rule lroiu one to three knots. When the boat emerged from Tory Channel witness set a south-east, a-quartcr-east-by-east course. From 8 o clock he went south-east-by-east again, and stood on that course till twenty minutes to ten. The siiip by that time had steamed 22 miles. He reckoned she had done eighteen iuiles. It was 17% miles to Tom's Rock. Witness in his calculation had made allowance for the currents. According to his reckoning .he would have been just past Tom's Kock at twenty minutes to ten. At nine o'clock it was raining heavily, and squalls continued between 0.15 and at u.30 o'clock it became very dark, lie did not alter his course till twenty minutes to ten, nor did he take any soundings. He had_..uoticed that the tides in Tory Channel were not according to book. The tide was running in on the south and out on the north. Witness had expected slack water. To meet this difficulty he had steered a south-cast-by-east course. This would keep the beacons in line, and so enable him to clear Tom's Rock. He considered that he was on a good safe course at twenty minutes to ten. He reckoned he had passed Tom's Rock and was a good three miles off it at that hour. He altered his course east-by-south and ran her for twenty minutes. This should have put him past Sinclair Head, He could see practically nothing inshore. Counsel: I put it to you that soundings should hare been taken? Witness: To take soundings with thj lead I should have been courting danger, because I would have to stop the ship and that would have been dangerous.

For the same reason witness said) he did not slow down.

Counsel: I put it to you, after you came out of Tory Channel and lost The Brothers, you did not know where you were!

Witnes: I set a course that would nave made me absolutely safe under □ormal conditions.

Continuing, lie said that the ship Struck at twenty minutes past ten. At that moment he was putting the ship's head out to sea. He did so because # lie ran on much further he would be at Baring Head. He had never experienced such a "set in" in the current as he had that night.

Captaia Naylor went on to say that the boats and gear were in good) order, and that four would have been ample if no damage had occurred. The last time that boat drill was held on the ship was at Picton on January 13. In reply to questions Captain Naylor •aid that he was off the deck for five minutes to get his waterproof, and that he was iust,near the bridge when the ship went dowa.' He said that good or der prevailed barring the excitement o( two passengers and a member of the crew, who let No. 3 boat out of the, falls. Witness drifted ashore on an upturned; boat. Referring to a statement that masters frequently lost all lights in Cook Strait, counsel asked if it was the practice under these circumstances in going through the Straits for masters to go on their course. Witness replied: Yes, because all mas ters set a safe course and continue on it.

Counsel here read regulation 33, which specified that should foggy weather set in when the steamer is coasting or in the neighbourhood of land, the captain must take charge of the ship, the lead must he frequently used and if the soundings suggest the slightest doubt of the course the ship is running her head must be turned away from what is considered the direction of the lund ancj| her progress stayed until her exact position is ascertained.

Counsel asked witness if it was not his duty under the regulations to put the ship away from land after 0.15 p.m. "I did not consider it so," replied witness. ''The course I set should have taken us clear.".

Wellington, Last Night. The magisterial inquiry into tho wreck of the steamer Penguin was reeumed to-day, before Dr. McArthur, S.M., Captain N. J. Reed, of Auckland, and Captain Charles McArthur, of Wellington. The Marine Department was represented by Mr. Myers, the Union Company by Mr. Levi (in the absence through illness of Mr. Wilford), and Captain Naylor and Mr. Luke (second engineer) by Mr. Herdman. Most of the ,day was occupied in taking the evidence of \he captain, which was continued as iollowe. Witness stated that the vessel was not insured. He had been over sevea years in the service of the Union Company, and had been mate on the-Picton-(lVsllington run for five years. He had charge of the Penguin since December, but prior to that had been a master on other boats for short periods. Mr. Myers—At 8.30 could yon see it Was thick ahead?

. Witaess—Only rain. The tides were not according to the book in Tory Channel. The tide was running in on the; eouth and out on the north. Witness had expected slack water. To meet thai difficulty he had steered a south-east by east course. This would keep the beacons in line, and so enable him to clear fTom's rock. Mr. Myers—Seeing that there was a difference between the conditions and jwhat you expected, do you still consider jt was unnecessary to take any "bearings of the Brothers! - Witness—l lost the Brothers about 8, or shortly afterwards. But you knew you were going to lose ithe light? Not in rain squalls. One might piek jt up again. In answer to other questions, witness said he could have taken proper bearings by altering the ship's course a point or two on the course he was steering. He nhouldl have opened out Pencarrow light »t 9-15. The light did not appear at 9.15, hecauso there were rainy squalls on the laal in that direction. Although be did not open out Pencarrow, he continued at full speed. Mr. Myers—Where do you think you jvero at 0.15! Witness—l reckoned I was too far out to eea to sec the light. When did it occur to you that you were shut in by. Sinclair jlcads? It did not occur to me at all. Where did you think you were a;t twenty minutes to 10. I reckoned I had passed Tom's Rock, an* was a good three miles off it. Didn't it occur to you then that it was strange that you had not pickedup Pencarrow light? Not in the squally Stat* of the weatn-

6 What M you do at twenty to I(S ° Altered the course east by south and , ran for twenty minutes. This should have put me past Sinclair Heads | Do I understand you to say that at t2O minutes to 10 you were three miles , off Tom's Rock and past Tom's Rock' Yes. Proceeding, witness said that at ai . miarter to 10 it was raining heavily, ■ and lie ruag "stand by" on the en gines. He did not slow down. "You could! see practically nothing?' asked Mr. Myers. Witness—Not inshore. So you had nothing to guide you but your own judgment? Witness—Yes. Continuing, witness said that when the ship struck he told the chief steward to call all the passengers and proride them with lifebelts, and that he, > did not think there was any danger. He also ordered soundings to be taken, and eeut the third officer down to the engineroom so that the pumps could be pnt on if the vessel was making water. Three minutes after the ship struck she was Making water in the forward! hold, and Jie rang "slow." When he found on* that the water was making on Iho •numps he ordered the women and children to he put in the lifeboats. At this time the boats had bera lowered to the rails of the vessel. While the boats (were being handled the chief engineer said he could do nothing with the pump, S.„ t.|» water WW gaining too fast. The Nck

second engineer, with orders lo keep well nut u, si. a> ;i n ,| so drift round Tera whiti into smooth water. He saw NY. 2 boat lowered into the water and denied away from the ship, but did aoi tet No. 4 boat lowered. .No. 1 lioat wasj being lowered when a sea struck it and overturned it. He understood that .No. 4 boat got uway round the stern oi| the ship. He did not know who was in charge of it.

-Mr. -Myers-Have you ever had boat drill at sea? Witness—No. Is it a practice to have boat drill at sea?

No, not if you can have it in port. Would it not be preferable to have, it at sea?

It is preferred to hold the drill in port, because you get the boats in the water. Then you can have all hands taking part. Witness was asked if the vessel carried a sufficient crew to man the boats. Witness—The crew would have provided live oars for each boat. The men belonging to the crew who got ashore on the rafts were those who had stood by and given up their places. Each member of the crew was furnished with a. card setting out boat drill dutv. On the occasion of the fatal trip, witness said he had allowed more than usual for the currents. On previous occasions he had always taken a bearing of the. Brothers light, but this time it was suddenly shut out by the weather. Captain Smith also questioned the wit liess. He said he steered a compass course from l'icton. The compasses were adjusted on 29th December. There were two compasses. There was no patent deep-sea soimdling on board. The case had been broken off years ago when he was-jnate on board'the vessel.

To Mr. Herdman, witness said there was nothing exceptional in the weather after leaving Tory Channel. The weath- | er on the Tory Channel side of tin i Straits was much finer than on the Teva- [ whiti side. The record of the tides was contained in the Government almanack and the published chart. The chart was compiled from a survey made in 1849. Corrections had been made since, but un systematic survey had been made, so far as he knew, since 184!). He had never been driven out of his course before by the current. It was a common thing, however, to be driven out of a course to the extent of a couple of imiles. 'The tide, after leaving lory Channel, was against witness, instead of being with him. When witness lost the Brothers lights, lie could still see the Tory Channel lights, because the squall cleared then. The Tory Channel lights were of more use to him in guiding his ship than on bearing by the Brothers light would hare heen. It was not an uncommon experience to lose all lights in the Strait during squalls.

Mr. Herdman—Do you consider there is any necessity to put out to sea afi suggested by Mr. Myers in these circumstances?

Witness—No, because you would he always putting out to sea.