ENQUIRY INTO THE WRECK OF THE S.S. STAR OF THE SOUTH.

West Coast Times, Issue 112, 26 January 1866, Page 3

ENQUIRY INTO THE WRECK OF THE S.S. STAR OF THE SOUTH.

The adjourned inquiry into tho cause ol' tho loss of tho above vessel was held yesterday, before G. O. Fitzgerald, Esq., 11. M., Mr. Patten, Collector of Customs, and Captain Uoherlsoij, Marine Surveyor. Tho only evidence to ho taken* was that of Captain Tumbull, whose unavoidable absence at the Grey had occasioned th'ojj postponement of the case. Captain T. Turnbull, being sworn, deposed — Ho was harbor-master of tho Weslland District, and that on the 29th of December he loft Ilokitika in the s.s. Keora, for Chalky Inlet. On arriving there on tho Ist of January at (5 a.m., ho found tho Star of tho South lying afloat at North Port, in about two fathoms water. Accompanied by Captain Joyce, of tho Keora, and Mr Gannon, ho boarded her. Found tho main hold full of water, and tho foro compartment, which was lull of cargo, had evidently been swamped, thogoods being damaged. Captain Hodge stated that when pus ing through Itotuvn Channel, and when oif the south point of Great Island, sho had struck on a rock and filled with watcv in tho fovo and main hoick On the lRt tho onvgo ww din* PbflVgofl OHt Of fllfl f'oip>W iWI tyQjw

hipped on boftWl the Kocra. On the evening of tho lh't inataut Captain Joyco and witness wore asked* ili ftta'vcy the vessel by Mr. Gannon, at the request of Captain Ilodgc, to which they consented, provided sho was laid on shore. Accordingly, at 1 p.m. on tho 2nd, tho Star of tho' South was hauled up on the beach nt high water. When this was accomplished the witness and Captain 1 lodge proceeded to search for tho rock on which she had struck, and soon found it. It is situated v short cable's length from the shore. The least water ort the rock is at spring tide, when at low water there would be about lour feet and a half, and the greatest depth at.high water spring tides would bo about six feet. This peculiar difference in the depth of water is attributable to the irregular shapo of the rook. There is live, six, and seven fathoms of water close to it. The top of the rock is about ten feet square. Tho steamer must have passed on tho inside of the rook, thereby damaging tho starboard bilge in the main hold. After a careful search round, they were unable to find any other rock, so returned at once to North Port. The same evening, at low water, witness nnd Captain Joyce held a survey on the Star of the South as she lay on the beach. They found twelve floors broken on the starboard side, and the plates ripped the samo distance; the angle irons were also broken. The keelson in the main compartment was bent up from four to five inches out of truth. The floors on the port side were also bent up, and the angle irons broken. This was the damage as far as they could see in the hold. On examining the dock, they found the mainmast started about two inches in the coating, which was caused by tlmt part ot the keelson on which it rested having bent upwards. On inquiring of Captain Ilodgc how tho foro. hold became full of water, 110 damage having been found there, ho replied thai, immediately after the vessel struck he ordered tho engineer to shut the communication cocks between the main and foro hold, which ha found afterwards had not been done, and through this neglect the foro hold had filled with water from the main. Some of Iho cargo was lying in five different places on shore, and as much of it as could be removed was taken, on board, the Kcera. By his Worship— He considered the Star of the South was kept too close to the land when entering the second tide. Also that tho vessel was so much injured as to warrant her abandonment, but did not think her a total wreck. After returning to liokitika a certificate of the survey was given to Mr Gannon, coupled with the recommendation that she should be sold for the benefit of whom it might concern. By Capt. Robertson— After she was surveyed she was hauled off the beach again and anchored, her main hold being fiUcd with water, and when ho loft Chalky Inlet she was still in tho same position. The experience of witness taught him to believe tho captain, although right in abandoning tho ship to the underwriters, should have stuck to his vessel to tho last, and protected all interests, placed in jeopardy by the occurrence. Immediately a vessel is wrecked nnd abandoned the master at once becomes < the servant of those who have underwritten her.

This terminating tho enquiry iho Court closed.

SALE

At tho Stores of the Undersigned,