THE ELGINSHIRE INQUIRY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2333, 22 March 1892, Page 1

THE ELGINSHIRE INQUIRY.

The inquiry into the loss of the s.s. Elginshire was commenced on Friday morning before Mr Wray, R.M., and Captains Sutter (Tiraaru) and Thomson (Port Chalmers). The Crown Prosecutor (Mr White) appeared for the Customs, who alleged that the loss of the vessel was due . to careless navigation, Mr Hay for Captain Millar, Mr Fraser (Dunedin) for the owners, axid Mr C. Perry for Lloyds. Captain Millar and Messrs Simmons, Hart, and Langford (first, second, and third officers) gave a mutually corroborative narrative of the course and incidents of the trip from Oamaru, Hart being on deck till 4, Langford from 6 a.m., Captain Millar going below for an hour or so before 2 a.m. Captain Millar stated that he left Oamaru wharf at midnight, and steered E.N.E. two miles to get a good position clear of the land, and then a N.E. course. At 12.40, N.E. by N. N. (standard). He gave orders to be called at 2, and to keep a look-out and not go too near the land. He was called at 2, and altered the course to N J E., the patent log then showing 16 miles from the breakwater. It was a beautiful night. When they started the wind was light, N.E., and continued fine till four, when it became overcast, and before 5 it became hazy, and in a few minutes a thick fog set in. At 4.15 they sounded 25 fathoms. The engines laid been going 50 revolutions, which the chief engineer said was nearly nine knots. He altered the course to N. by W. 1-f W. At 5 o’clock got 15 fathoms, and returned to the N. -4- E. course. He stopped the engines awhile, and thenceforward went dead slow, stopping at times to keep near the same position. He kept the lead going, and got 18 fathoms on the first cast of the hand lead, which by the chart should be six miles out. The chart gives 10 fathoms at three miles, and no more marks for five miles further, soundings not being plentifully marked. He estimated the distance from Timaru at 67 to sixty-eight miles. At 5 a.m. the lead gave 13 fathoms till 7 o'clock, and he estimated he made only four knots in two hours. At 7 the fog lifted a few minutes, and he saw the loom of the coast, which he estimated to be two miles off, and took it to be Normanby Head. A steam whistle was heard at 7.30, and he took it to be the Timaru tug waiting outside. . The soundings gave nothing less than 10 fathoms till 8 o’clock, and then in a few minutes reduced to 7i. At this he reversed the engines to stop her, and put the helm hard aport. He then saw breakers along the port beam, and to get away from these he ordered full speed ahead, and put the helm up. The cast simultaneously gave five fathoms, and at that moment the ship grounded from forerigging to aft, half way along the reef, running outabout 1400 feet from the beach. The ship was going slowly, and was nearly stopped by reversing the engines. As full speed ahead was ordered so soon after the reversal, she hardly got any more way on under the new order when she struck. All happened in five or six minutes from getting the first soundings under 10 fathoms. He saw no breakers, and had not heard them till shoal water was reported. The fog was so heavy he did not see land till half an hour after striking. He had been up and down the coast over a dozen times, and considered he was safe in 10 fathoms. Looking back he could not see what more a prudent seaman could have done in the navigation of the vessel. He had reason to believe, from what he hoard since the vessel grounded, that there was an in-shore northerly current there when the tide was flowing, but southerly on the ebb, as most of the cargo thrown over went south. Fog signals on Patiti Point would be very useful. The captain and officers were questioned about a report that the chief officer had called out: “ The ship is going ashore,” when the captain replied: “ Mind your own business. lam in charge, not you.” All denied that anything of the kind was ever said. Edwin Simmonds, chief officer, who went on duty at 4 o’clock, gave generally corroborative evidence. At 7he saw the fog lift, but not enough to allow him on the upper bridge to see the land. He heard the breakers on the beach, and called the captain’s attention to them, and the course was altered to take the vessel out. He heard the soundings called. When five fathoms was called there were indications of a reef ahead in rollers on the port bow, and the ship struck as he saw these. He had since noticed a current strong enough to set a steamer in. maybe three to live knots. He did not see the breakers till in five fathoms and just before strikin'" rpg go astern would have rim tin- and he did not see the tm they we ju ’ t on Raul George Hurt, second officer, in the course of his evidence, which was strongly corroborative of the captain’s, said he took in the patent log when the vessel slowed, and it registered 38 miles. The distance from Oamaru to Timaru was' 47 miles. William Henry Langford, third officer, who holds a master’s certificate, and who was in charge of the soundings after 6 o’clock, gave details of an average of 13 fathoms till 7 o’clock, then 10 to 12, never less than 10 till nearly 8 o’clock. In the light of what he had seen since, he believed the best orders were given at the time. He han found while in the boats a current round the ship. Chief Engineer Small saidhe went “ slow ” and “stop ” from 5 a.m. At seven he got a private signal from the captain—“ Go dead slow.” At 8.15 he got “ Full speed astern,” and then “ Full speed ahead.” He was not sure whether she had struck before the second order. Quartermasters Keane and Sparkes, and B. Hurley and F. Barrett, look out men, also gave evidence, but their evidence was only corroborative of that given by the officers and threw no light on the disaster. Their evidence concluded that for the Customs. Mr Hay, for Captain Millar, called John Walden, master of the tug Mana, who gave his experience of the inshore current in the Normanby bight. He found it affected the Mana perceptibly in from two and a-half miles out, and more nearer the coast, setting her inshore and northward. It was not a constant current, being dependent on the weather or east winds. It might set a vessel inshore 2i knots. The Court adjourned till 10 o’clock on Saturday,

On Saturday Captain Clarkson, harbor master, gave evidence to the effect that the light in the Timaru lighthouse was ordinarily visible for a distance of 14 miles, but on the morning of the wreck it could not be seen from the harbor, owing to the fog. At ordinary times it would not be visible to the south if a vessel were close in to the land. He had noticed that a northerly current existed along the coast after southerly winds, and he supposed it was not marked on the chart because it only existed at times. I. J. Bradley, waterman, also gave evidence as to the current. William Alexander Moore, representative of Turnbull, Martin & Co. (the owners) in New Zealand, since they commenced their New Zealand trade, said he had known Captain Millar since 1883, in command of the company’s steamers. He had been entrusted with four steamers. He was an exceptionally steady and careful man. and had had no mishap to any steamer whilst under his charge. It was under Captain Millar’s advice and information that the Shire line commenced their Timaru trade. This concluded the evidence. Mr Hay having made a long address on behalf of the captain, Mr Fraser drew attention to the incorrectness of the chart, which was made in 1849-51, at a time when it was not anticipated that Timaru would be the important trading port it now was. At 11.25 a.m. the Court adjourned till 2 p.m. and on resinning gave the following judgment;— The Court having fully considered the evidence find that the Elginshire took the ground on the coast about five miles south of Timaru at about a quarter past 8 o’clock a.m. on the 9th inst., when on her voyage from Oamaru to Timaru. That a very dense fog came on early in the morning, totally obscuring the land and leaving the master of the vessel entirely to his chart for guidance. That the said chart appears to be very defective, in not giving sufficient information as to soundings. The 10-fathom line is shown at a distance of three miles from the coast, and there is nothing to indicate any danger so long as a vessel is not brought under 10 fathoms, whereas it appears that 10 fathoms are found close to the shore and rocks. That from half-past 4 o’clock the deep-sea lead and afterwards the hand lead were kept constantly going until the vessel struck. The soundings, which commenced at 25 fathoms, gradually decreasing to 15, 12, 11, and 10 fathoms at 8 o’clock. The Court is of opinion that at 7 o’clock when the land was seen and breakers heard, and course altered to N.E,, soundings having decreased, the master made an error of judgment in not altering the course to East, so as to go out to sea, at right angles to his former course, although the course he took would by his reckoning take him clear of the land. He should also from time to time,as he changed his latitude, have found the error of his compasses, especially as the Elginshire was a new vessel; whereas he has not done so since the vessel was between Sydney and Rockhampton, thus leaving a doubt as to their correctness. The Court has taken into consideration the evidence as to the deceptive current which appears to exist where the vessel took the ground. This, with the density of the fog and the deceptive character of the chart which led him to suppose that he was some considerable distance from the shore, seem to be the only explanation of the casualty, and the Court will take the opportunity of representing to the Government the necessity of a survey of the coast and the establishment of fog signals. Whilst the court considers that master was guilty of an error of judgment in the navigation of his vessel on the occasion of change of course, it cannot say that the casualty has been caused by his wrbngful act or default on the evidence, and therefore return his certificate and that of his officers, but will order him to pay all costs of the proceedings. On Saturday and Sunday about 3500 carcases of frozen mutton were recovered from the Elginshire, and railed to the freezing works. The majority are in firstclass order. A large number of carcases that had been damaged by water were thrown overboard. Half-a-dozen sacks of flour were also landed. There is still no perceptible difference in the position of the ship. At high water she rolls a lifts a little, but no danger is apprehended by those who work on board.