THE LATE GALE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1831, 4 June 1874, Page 3

THE LATE GALE.

An inquiry was held at the Customhouse yesterday, under the 3rd clause of

the Inquiry into Wrecks Act, into-the recent- injuries to vessels at tlii< port. The officer conducting the inquiry was Mr H. h\ Andrews, Collector of Customs, Captain Butt acting as Nautical Assessor. ■

Janes 'lawks deposed: I am a boatman, reading in Grahamstown. I have not a certificate as a master. Have charge of the ', Lady lialh,' a cutter of 14 lo is, belonging to liichard Henry Hawks, living at faou and Grahams-

town. Her last voyage was from Tapu to Grahamstown, last Saturday, the 30th May. We arrived here on Saturday night, about eight o'clock,.with 26 tons of firewood.' We anohored off between

the Goods Wharf and the Graham-town Wharf. I came on shore on Sunday morning, at,eight o'clock, leaving my mate on board.; She had .one anchor down when I left. I did not get on board again.

Charles Curtis deposed: lam proprietor of the wharf known as Curtis s Wharf.

On Sunday afternoon last, about four o'clock, 1 went down the wharf. The

'George'just then came alongside, on the north side, cihe bumped some time. There was no one on board. There were no anchors down, nor any chain out. She bumped for about an hour and a-half or more, and went through about six o'clock.

I took a boatman with me, and endeavoured to save pirts of the wharf to prevent them from going adrift, when the vessel went through. Ihere could have

bseu much-of the wharf saved if there had boen anybody on board to.render assistance. Ihe 'George' oirried away about 60 feet of the wharf altogether, and about as much shoved out of its; place and materially damaged, 'Not more than .30 feot would, have been, damaged had anyone been or* boacd. Tho "Lady

six o'clock or a little after. There was a man on board.- lam sure "she had one anchor out, perhaps two. She went right through the wharf about high water, taking 45 feet, two sets .of piles, and damaging about 30 feet more. The ' Sydney' came alongside between six and seven o'clock. I think there was some person op board. She lay some timo by tho old T, dragged aloug about 70 feet, and then went through, taking away 45 feet and damaging 100 feet. Samuel .Tiller deposed: lam a mariner. On Sunday afternoon, between 5 I and 6,1 was on Curtis's wharf,-when.the | ' George'came alongside from the force of the wind. She had no chain or anchor, so far as I could see. There was no one .onboard. She is about 14tons. There was about 9,000 feet of timber on board. She broke through the wharf, and drifted up to the mangrove snamp' to the south of tho Kauwaeranga creek- lam not one of the crew of the 'George'. The wind was about north-west, blowing hard. It was flood tide, about three-quartors. Peter Harold deposed : 1 am in charge of the .'Sydney,' which belongs to'Capturn Pouter and Mr Fernandez. She came across from the Miranda ou Sunday morning. I anchored off Grahamstown to tbe north of Curtis'sr wharf with the iutenliqn of beaching her for repairs. The wind was north-west. on Sunday uioruing. I had one anchor down, witu chain cable I went on sliore on Sunday morning, leaving my mate in "charge of the vessel.' [left orders to let go tho second anchor if the wind- increased He let go the second anchor. I saw him let it go from the wharf. In letting it go, the chains fouled the stock. The vessel drove down on to the wharf from the force of the wind, when my mate jumped on to the wharf. He did so to save his life. If the anchor starts in this ground it will not catoh again. It is not gopd holding ground. It is made ground. Ihe tailings coming on to the beach makes it bad holding ground. The weather was threatening on Saturday night. The vessel isslighlly damageoY and is now stranded on the beach.

After a. brief deliberation, the Court gave the Mowing judgment';-'.«' That the vessels 'Sydney*and '.'.Lady Bath'.wero stranded by the anchors dragging in bad holding ground, and by so doing caused material dama»e to Curtis's Wh*rf. There appears to be no blame attached to the parlies in ohargo, as far as the evidence produced shows, and the masters are acquitted. of all blame. That the inquiry 'into the ' stranding of the ' George' be adjourned until the evidonce can bo taken of the person in charge."