WRECK OF SCHOONER.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1920, Page 4

WRECK OF SCHOONER.

» I LOST ON NORTHERN ISLAND. f EVIDENCE AT THE INQUIRY.' . By Telop\iph.—Preg» Aiuoclstlon. ' Auckland, I,nst Night. ) A nautical inquiry was held to-day > ftt the Court into the Wreck of the auxiliary schooner Te Tcko, on flipper 1,-liftul on August 6. Mr McKt&n, S.M., presided, the assessors being Captain Reid and Captain Caspar. The facts were that on t'/rn night of August 0 the Te Tekn was on the way from Whakatane to Auckland, and when passing Mayor Island encountered a heavy iiorth-eiut gale, with thick weather. About S p.m. alio struck .a reef to the south-east of Slipper Island, and became a total wreck, Joseph Oohie, A.8., being 1 lost. The points referred to the Court to decide were what was ; the cause of the wreck; whether It wan > due or contributed to by negligence, i a wrongful act, default, or want of) supervision; also, was tlie ship seaworthy and fully manned at the timet/ Edward Sellars, master of. tlw> Te, Teko, accounted for striking Slipper Island asjbeing due to some strong "get"' on the coast. He had not found any-' thing wrong with the steerine of the Te Teko. Mr. Mays; "To go to leeward four miles in 23 seems pretty lmd." Witness: "Yes, I was afraid to make my course too northerly lest I should get too close to Alderman Island. I. thought there was sufficient sentre"board down to check a drift to leeward." After further evidence tho inquiry wag adjourned until to-morrow.