THE KAITOA.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1916, Page 3

THE KAITOA.

SIAEIX£ INQUIRY. By Telegraph'.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. The inquiry into the stranding of the Kaitoit ?iear Cape Tcrawhiti on Sunday niglrti opened before Mr. Riddell, S.M., and Csi.ptains Lambert and liray. Captain Stevens said he had obtained a. special permit to make a daylight passage with 62 passengers, and he was on '■lie bridge all the time. After leaving "Jackson Head, when the tide was ebbing, lie shaped the usual course, but took no cross-bearings to check his position before entering the fog. There wis no deviation of the compass. Fog signals were sounded aV. tfao tnue. When !.e .saw a dirk object half a mile ahead he ported fhe helm, f.l.opp.d mu. wigmt. .mil then the ut.iio.i-. A iniiiu'te or two later th". ve.-se.l touched He n.rknik-d be. was then two and a half to three miies from Tcrawhiti. He took no soundings, he had no appliances to do so. and did not tise the patent, log, as he did not believe in it in the .Straits, where the tide was so strong. The passengers were landed safely in case bad weather came on, and subsequently re-embarked. The vessel came off quite easily about two hours later.