Stranding of the Loch Ken.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4539, 23 July 1883, Page 2

Stranding of the Loch Ken.

COUET OF ENQUIRY.

(Before E. F. Tfzar', Collector, an 3 T. Bayldon, Nautical Assessor.) The firs') witness called was the Captain, '

David M. P. "Wilson, who, after being sworn, deposed—l am master of the barque Loch Ken, of Liverpool, belonging to James Sproat, Esq., of that city. I hold a Board of Trade certificate. The Loch Ken sailed from Auckland on Thursday morning, the 19th inst.. with a full cargo, bound for London. The ship was well found in every particular, and carried her full complement of hands. At 11 a.m. the pilot left; the vessel was then three miles outside Rangitoto reef, the wind being north-west, and strong. At 1.45 p.m. we were 12 miles ET.N.E. of Tiritiri, and seven miles E. by N. of Eawau, the ship's head bein«j F.N.E. At that point the mate was on the poop with me, ana I ordered the man at the wheel to keep the ship N.E. by E. I then went to the masthead compass myselfc and watched till she headed JS". K. by E. f- E., which was my course between Cape Colville and the Great Barrier, when I steadied her. At that moment a heavy squall came down from the westward. I checked the yards in, and sent the mate to tho forecastle, the squall, bringing down very thick, and f°Kgy weather, the land which -was previously visible being entirely obscured The mate reporting that he could see nothing, I went on to the forecastfe myself, and remained there for about a quarter of an hour till I could make out the land on either aide, the mate who had the glasses, also seeing it at the same time. I had told the mate to look out for the Channel Island, and he reported that be saw it. I also took the glasses and concluded it must be the Channel Island by the course I was steering by. the standard (masthead) compass. T came in sight of it about 330 p.m. I was then, as I thought, steering straight out to sea, and I told the look-out to watch for Cuvier Island. The weather continued very thick, but 1 could see the loom of the land on either side, which I concluded to be the main land and the Barrier, which would have been the case had my compasses been correct. We stood on till about 5 o'clock, when we breasted the island, which I supposed to be the Channel Island, because it had a similar appearance, and I had the land on either side. It also corresponded with the distance we had run. I kept the same course till 6.30 pm. I came up on deck then, and kept a look-cut for Cuvier Island up to 8 p.m., when I noticed the ship going very slow. The mate took a cast with the lead and found 3 fathoms under the ship, when I knew that she was out of her course. I at once clewed up all Bails and anchored. I sounded all round the vessel for half-a-mi le ; the boat being out all night, and found two fathoms, with soft muddy bottom. It was squally all Friday from the N.W., but moderated in the afternoon. The vessel was on the Piako mud flat, and- was shifted down the Firth of Thames into 5 fathoms of water on Friday evening, under charge of the Pilot. It struck me as strange that I did not sight the Cuvier Island, and when I missed the land, at,about 7 p.m., I told the men to keep a sharp look out. The distance to sail to sight the Island was about 35 miles, and to where I went was 40 miles ; Iso fully expected to sight Cuvier Island'that 1 kept a coarse, as I thought, straight for it. There was no doubt but that Icould have easily •seen Cuvier Island at a distance of 2 miles. Did not become anxious till I had lost sight of the land by tho widening of the gulf. The standard compass deceived me through not acting. After I got on the mud-bank I found the ship's bead by it H.E. by E.} E., which was the course I intended to steer. The mate brought the compass down, but before moving it he examined it, and found the needle to be very rusty and blunt, so much so that the card was prevented from working. The eotnpass was thoroughly reliable on the voyage but from London. I should have found out the error in the compass had not the' fog come down; previous to that I had steered by the land and wind.. From the time the pilot left until I shaped a course for the ohannel I was close hauled. By the Assessor: I saw nothing of the Sandspit light, the fog no doubt hiding it. There were no soundings taken till I found the ship Blowing, as I thought I was heading for Cuvier, where there is a great depth of water. .Before the mate sounded I told him it was no good, as there was too much water, as would have been the ease had I been heading,for Cuvier Island. The. ship was running between seven and eight . knots. Up to 1.45. the standard 'compass was correct b# cross-bearings to Kawau and Tiritiri. I never put any reliance on the steering compass. It is nbt the custom to adjust compasses of ships in Auckland.; The men were all sober and worked well. It was six hours from the time when I gave the steering orders to the time when I went aground, but part of the time the ship was nearly becalmed during a lull. The steering 'compass on an east and west course often deviates several points, and the difference when the ship's course altered was not imore than might have been expected, so it did not cause me any anxiety. Adam Willimson, chief mate, deposed— W¥ fteefed " full and by " till between j1.30 nnd 2 o'clock, when the wind %hiffed. Th« oaptain told rao to watch the steering compass, he being at the masthead one,' and he steadied me at E. by N', By the standard compass the ship's" course was N.E. by E. easterly. That'course was steered till about six o'clock, and I instructed the look out to yriieh for Curier Island rigbt ahead. jWhen I came aft agaia the captain remarked that the vessel was going very slow. The hands were called, all sail taken off the ship and the anchor let go. I h|d no idea that the ; vessel was put of her course, as the standard compass, had kl^ays* previously been correct. This is my second voyage on the ship. . ; By the. Asses»or—Between five and six o'clock the lead was cast two or three times, bat I found no bottom. Saw do light on the starboard hand. When I found no bottom, I concluded we were in the right channel, heading for Cuvier Island./ c The second mate, Arthur Saundereon, gave coroborative evidence. The evidence "of Herbert de Mareaq, Arthur Kenyou, Charles Borap, aod Frederick J«mea Clarence, who were steering from the time the order to keep her head J?. by N. by the steering compass was given, was taken, aod all deposed that the ship was

kept on the course ordered, till she grounded. • „ The papers will be forwarded to Wellington in the usual way.