Wreck of the Taranaki.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3060, 5 December 1878, Page 2

Wreck of the Taranaki.

Official Enquiry.

\Per Peess Agency.)

TAURANGA.

This day. Most of the wrecked passengers left for the South per Hawea this morning.

The official enquiry commenced at 11 a.m. before Mr Brabant, EM,, and Capt. Clayton and Mr Ellis, Nautical Assessors. Mr McKellar, Collector of Customs, appeared tor the Marine Department. Capt. Malcolm, examined, deposed— That the Taranaki left Auckland on the 28th [November at 4.30 p.m. with a crew of 32 and passengers equal to 65 adults. At 10 p.m. the weather was thick. He eased the engines at* 11 p.m., and cast the lead, and at 11.45 anchored in 13 fathoms. The weather was very thick, and at 3.30 a.m., heaved anchor and proceeded. At 4 a!m. passed the Needle, could see the Castle Rock, and the Shoe and Slipper. Shaped our course by the bridge compass S.ifi. by S. £ S. Cleared the Slipper Island by a good mile and a half. Gave the mate instructions to set the log, and set it himself at 5.50, when he feported the. weather thickening again. The north end of Slipper Island then bore S.W., the Shoe W. by N. \ N. Gave instructions to keep the vessel S.E. by S. At 8 a.m., when the log was hove in, the distance reported was 20 miles. Pricked position on the chart. Without making'allowance for' flood tide this left us seventeen miles from Tauranga Heads, 13 miles off Karewa, and three miles outside it. I.gave the chart to the second mate, and left it on the bridge.with him. At 8.30 a.m., altered the course to S.H). to S. |- S., fearing we were too far out. The weather was now very foggy. Vessel invariably made an easterly course. At 8.45 I saw a thin

fringe of white water right ahead. I thought it was a sandy beach, and gave orders to put the helm starboard and reverse the engines full speed. As the vessel forced ahead we saw rocks close under. The vessel ran on .to rocks at about 2 to 2\ knots an hour. She began to roll on the rocks, so I stopped the engines. Immediately after, the engineer reported water in the engine room so I turned the telegraph " slow ahead," in case the vessel should slide off. Meantime I gave orders to clear away the boats. The vessel filled very rapidly, and she began to list to port.' As they were launched, the boats were left with one man in charge of each, and I gave instructions for the women and children to be landed, and sent chief officer to try and find a landing place on the lee side of the island, which he did. We landed the whole of the passengers there about 10.30, and - despatched . the chief officer and a boat's crew to Tauranga for assistance. The other boats were engaged landing provisions and attempting to recover luggage and mails. There was great difficulty in doing this, as the vessel leaned over to an angle of 45deg. We knocked down the bulk head leading into the mail room, and passed the* bags up through the fore cabin skylight. About 4 p;m. two cutters came out, and afterwards the Staffa, which took the passengers to Tauranga.'; Myself and crew stayed on the cutters all night, and saved what we could. At daylight we proceeded to the wreck, and at 3.45 a.m. found the ship broken in. two. The after part had sunk, and the forward part was hanging on the rocks. We could do nothing; so proceeded: to Tauranga. Cross-examined by Mr McKellar: The vessel went through the Hole in the Wall at 4 a.m. The log was not set then. The distance from there to the Slipper is 14 miles. Previous to the accident we were going the ordinary speed, saw no reason to alter it. The man. on the look-out had orders to keep a good look out. The second officer was on the bridge at the time of the accident/Soundings would have been no use. There is nothing on the chart to check them by. If soundings had been made, and a decrease from 30" to 28 or 17 fathoms made, I should have stopped the vessel. Officers' and men were sober, and the compasses in good order. We were steering by the bridge compass. The; vessel's last survey was in November,; 1876. She was to be surveyed the first opportunity. S.E. ,by 8. \ south is the; course which has usually been* taken by! me, 2\ to 3 miles -B. of Karewa. I have never passed insidenKarewa. I use the Admiralty chart. The Union Company put the latest charts oh all their boats. I always found the log correct: before. The distance run by the log from 8 a.m. to the time of the accident; could not be ascertained. We were; unable to recover the log as it got foul of the screw when she struck. I saw; breakers -myself first—not the man on| the look out. I could.not make out for a! moment where we had struck. I had no idea it was JCarewa. The helm hard a starboard would have shelved her off had it been a beach; had I put the helm hard a port she might have got off, bat she; might also have struck outlying rocks and gone down in deep water. The Court here adjourned for dinner.