TYRONE WRECK.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 9 October 1913, Page 6

TYRONE WRECK.

NAUTICAL INQUIRY OPENED

(By Telegraph—Prest Association.) DUNEDIN, Tuesday.

A nautical inquiry into the circumstances' surrounding the loss of tlie Tyrone, near the Otago heads, on September 27th, began to-day before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., and two assessors, Captains Sundsruin and Hunter.

Robert Leiglitou, lighthouse-keeper at Tairoa he-ads, said that on the morning of the wreck there was a light northerly breeze and a dense fog set in about 2.40 a.m. He then started the fog signals, and these were continually fired. Wm. Carterton (Harbour Board watchman, Otago heads), said tho weather got thick at twenty minutes to 3, and fog set in from the north. The fog was very thick and dense at 4 o'clock. He heard the faint sound of a whistle between 4 and a quarter past, and heard the first detonator from the wreck at 4.30.

After being examined Captain McLauchlan, master of the Tyrone, read a written statement, the main ,facts of which are as follows: "1 'want to tell the Court I made a mistake. That mistake combined with a ■series of abnormal circumstances later on at the heads led up to the catastrophe. Various courses were steered until we reached Akaroa lighthouse about 3.40 a.m., the log showing 146. I told; the second officer to have it hauled in with a view of getting ready for anchoring. About 3.50 I heard an explosive on the heads but I felt satisfied 1 was a good distance off, having heard it from Dunedin myself, i waited for the second, report which confirmed the first, and slowed down, the engines, porting the helm five points with a view of picking up an anchorage. 1 heard someone say, 'ls that breakers I hear ?' I turned the engine room telegraph to full speed astern. Meanwhile the first indication that I knew she was ashore. I could see no land. I got a report of 24 feet of water on the starboard bow. The engines had been going full spell astern for some time, but the ship did not respond., With the light reported by the fourth officer in my mind (which I had not seen), and 24ft of water on the star-, 1 board bow I ported the helm arid ! went full speed ahead thinking I was on the spit. After two minutes I saw land on the port quarter. After seeing the land I determined; to go full speed astern and try to get out the way 1 came in. The engines i were kept full speed astern, and as the tide arose about ten o'elock, she began to show signs of coming astern and I had worked her about 2ooft astern. When the tug Plucky got a rope on the starboard quarter we very slowly worked astern, but the Plucky was not sufficiently powerful to keep, her stern to seaward, and in spite of the Plucky she fell down, on, the Wahine Point. The' mistake I made I only discovered on Wednesday. I measured the distance from the Akaroa to the heads as 149 miles, this ,tjot being the distance impressed on my mind by over six miles. I discovered that something was wrong and I procured a copy of the New Zealand Nautical Almanac and found that the distance mention, 155.7 miles, was not from Akaroa but from Flat Point." Captain McLauchlan said he did not see the Taiaroa light that,night. He had been in command of (steamers since February, 1890, and during 22£ years nautical experience this was. the first accident. Neither he nor his officers had scaled off the course on the chart. Witness had never been deceived by a fog signal. He had no complaint to make regarding his officers. The inquiry was adjourned till to-morrow.