THE PENGUIN DISASTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3121, 23 February 1909, Page 5

THE PENGUIN DISASTER.

NAUTICAL INQUIRY. The nautical enquiry into the loss of the Penguin was resumed in the Magistrate's Court, Wellington, yesterday.' Dr. A. M'Arthur. S.M., who presided, had with him Captain William John Reed, of Auckland, and Captain Charles M'Arthur, of Wellington, as assessors.

Mr Myers appeared for the Marine Department, with Captain Smith as nautical adviser; Mr Levi for the Union Company (in the absence of Mr T. M. Wilford) and Mr Herdman for Captain Naylor, who was in charge of the Penguin when she was wrecked, and for Mr Luke, the second engineer. Francis Edwin Naylor, master mariner, said the Penguin left Pic ton on the 12 th February, about 6.20 p.m., and passed the head of Tory Channel about ten minutes t" 8 o'clock. Halfway down the Channel a slight shower was experienced. On coming out of Tory Channel there was very little sea, and the weather was overcast and cloudy. The wind was from the south-east. When the Penguin came out of the Channel there were two men at the wheel, but one (Farrell) afterwards remained upon duty till 8 o'clock, when Gale (who was lost) took up duty, The currents at the head of Tory Channel ran rapidly 8S a rule—from one to three knots. When the boat emerged from Tory Channel witness set & South-east a quarter ,east by east course from 8 o'clock till 10 minutes past 8. At 8 o'clock he went south-east by east again, and stood on that course till 20 minutes The ship by that time had steamed 22 miles; he reckoned she had done 18. Witness, m his calculation, had made allowances for curreents. According 'to his reckoning he would have been just past Tom's Rock at 20 minutes to 10. At 9 o'clock it was raining heavily, and sqnalls continued. The sea increased but little till the Penguin got into the Terawhiti "rip." It was clear to see three or four miles to sea. To the northward he could see little. Continuing, witness said he should have had ebb tids all the way over. He noticed that the tides were not acording to the book in Tory Channel. The tide was running in on the south and out on the north, Witness had expected slack water. To meet this difficulty he had steered a southea ;t-by-east course. This would keep the beacons in line, and so enable him to clear Tom's Rock. He considered he was on a good safe course. The ship s.ruck at two minutes past 10. At the moment he was Dutting the ship's head out to sea. Witness did so because if he ran on much further, he would be at Baring Head. Witness was pretty certain that it was Tom's Rock the vessel' struck. (He outlined on a chart the course he had taken). He had neiter experienced such a "set-in" in the cuOT&nt as he had that night. When the; ship struck witness told the chiWs eward to call all passengers aifd provide them with lifebelts, and that he did not think there was any danger. He also ordered soundings to be taken, and sent the third officer down to the eiigine-rcom, so that the pumps could be put on if the vessel was making , wter. Three minutes after the ship struck she was making water in the ! forward hold, and he rang "slow." When he found out the water was "making" on the pumps he ordered the women to be put in the lifeboats. At this time the boats had been lowered to the rails of the vessel. While the boats were being handled the chief engineer said he could do nothing with the pumps—the water was going too fast. The No. 2 boat was sent away in charge of the second engineer, with orders to keep well out to sea, and so drift round Terawhiti into smooth water. He saw No. 2 boat lowered into the water and cleared away from the ship, but did not see No. 4 boat lowered. No. 1 boat was being lowered, when a sea struck it and overturned it. He understood that No. 4 boat got away round the stern of the ship. He did not know who was in charge of it. The boats and year were in good order, and four would have been ample if no damage J had occurred. | Witness said that he did everything , in his power to ensure the safety of j the passnegers and crew. He attri- J buted the sole cause of the disaster to an abnormal flow of the tide on that night. The boats were fully provisioned, and the tanks sealed. At the last boat drill the seals were in good order. The Penguin had enough boat and raft accommodation to comply with Government requirements. Further evidence was given, and the court rosj till the morning. ANOTHER BODY RECOVERED. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, February 22. Another body was recovered at the scene of the Penguin wreck this evening. It has not been identified yet. The body is that of a man, and on one of the fingers is a ring in the shape of a true lover's knot.