THE WRECK OF THE P.S. NELSON

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 394, 4 November 1868, Page 2

THE WRECK OF THE P.S. NELSON

OFFICIAL ENQUIRY. The official enquiry into the loss of the steamer Nelson, took place in the Court-house, Nelson, on Thursday last, before Mr Sharp, (the Resident Magistrate) and Captain Clouston (Nautical Assessor). Mr Johnston, the collector of customs, conducted the enquiry on behalf of the Government. The following evidence is taken from the Colonist

James Dillon, sworn, said: I was captain of the steamer Nelson. I left the port of Nelson on my last voyage in the Nelson on Thursday, the Bth of this month, bound for Westport and the Grey. I went first to Motueka, and on Thursday night it was blowing a gale of wind, and I could not leave Motueka till next day, at two p.m. I went as far as Totaranui, and lay there at anchor till four on the morning of the 10th. The weather was still bad. I got as far as Bushend, on Farewell Sandspit; the wind being then S.W., and blowing hard. I was then under lee of Bushend, outside the Spit, I arrived there at eight o'clock, and lay there until ten o'clock on Sunday morning ; the wind was south-west. I got down to the southward, about six mles south of West Wanganui. I consulted with the engineer, and we

found we should not have coal enougl to take the ship to the Bulger at tht slow speed at which we \vere going The barometer commenced to rise, which, down on the coast when th< wind is S.W., is an indication that ii is going to blow harder. We then pu the ship about and made for Wanga nui Inlet, which we entered about sb o'clock in the evening. I have fre quentl y entered West \V~anganui Inlet some thirteen or fourteen times. J know it very well. I stayed then until Monday night, the 12th October and got under weigh to come out aboul half-past seven that night. I did not get any coal there. Previous to thai hour I had gone down to the bar twice once with two passengers, and the second time along with the engineer, The first time was at dinner-time, and the second time at seven o'clock ; and there appeared nothing in the state oi the sea on the bar that would stop anj steamer from going out. The tide wa? about high water at half-past seven. The wind had shifted to northwest. The weather was clear unti. dark, an 1 was fine when we started but appeared to be comiug on to rain When on the sandhills looking at the bar, I asked the engineer how long he would be in getting the steam up, and he said about half-an-hour. I then resolved to go out, as we could gel down to the Buller by about higt water with the fair wind then blowing I had tried to get coal at Wanganui but the tide came up and covered the seam, and the people could not give me any. I steamed down, and gol outside the south head all right. The vessel then shipped a sea right ahead and I thought I was too far to the southward, so I ported the helm, and the ship went off a couple of points Another sea struck her about three oi four minutes after the first; it came on her port bow, and washed a hawser which was on eleck over the port bow, This hawser, which was a six-inch rope, was caught round the starboard pad-dle-wheel ; the second mate reported this to me, and I told him to cut it, which he did. At this time one of the firemen came up and told me the engine was stopped and could not be got to move. The vessel was then inside the break of the bar. We let go the starboard anchor, and payed out 72 fathoms of chain. After I let go the anchor, the ebb-tide- brought her head round with her stern to the sea, About 10 or 15 minutes after letting go the anchor, I was told that the engine was all right again, and I then gave orders to go ahead at full speed. I was of opinion that the hawser was then clear of the paddle-wheel. I asked the second mate how the anchor bore and he said the vessel was right ahead of the anchor. We were sounding all the time ; the least depth of water we had was 9 feet, from that to 2| fathoms. This was still inside of the break. I gave orders to slip the anchor; this was done with 90 fathoms of chain. After I had slipped the anchor I got word from the engine-room that the engines were stopped again. 1 then got the anchor out, and let it go with 50 fathoms of chain. We were by this time about a length and a-half of the vessel further to the northward, but still inside the break. The break kept me from going out, and the ebb-tide kept me close to the break. I was trying to get back to the anchorage. From the time I slipped my first anchor to the time I dropped my second would be about 15 minutes. We had before this steamed up from the place where I dropped my first anchor, about 180 fathoms, which was twice the length of the chain. Letting go my second anchor brought the ship broadside on to the break. The sea filled the decks two or three times, and washed away the forecastle companion and steerage companion, and washed nearly all the deck cargo over the port side. The vessel had swung with her head to the southward. The ebb-tide sets to the northward. The deck cargo consisted of twenty or twenty-five hogsheads of beer. There was no room for them below, as we were full. The ship was not deep in the water. Potatoes will not load a vessel deep. She then was drawing about 5 feet 10 inches. Her usual draught when leaving Nelson is about 6 feet. After the sea washed away the deck cargo there was a eleal of water went down into the steerage ; we had battened down the steerage and fore-cabin companion, and put a tarpaulin over it. I then got two lamps, and got the mate and second mate in the paddle-wheel with two axes. After the second mate had been in about twenty minutes he came out and told me that the hawser was all right, and that the wheel would g:> round now. I told the engineer to go a-head, as it was all right now; and, he told me there was no steam., as the fires were out. I asked him what put the firos out, and he told me the water in the

engine-raoin had washed up and pub out the fires. I told hiin then to get the water pumped out, and get the fires relit and kept up with kerosene, as I had already lain there half an hour, and might be able to hold on for some hours. We got all hands aft pumping and baling. I got the key of the valves to let the water run out, and to get the engine room cleared. We were about an hour trying this, and got a good deal of it out. During this time the ship was dragging her anchor, which she dragged about a mile to the northward, and thou she struck aft on the rooks. The second engineer then told me he thought it was no use trying to bale the water out, as he thought a hole must be knocked in the engine-room, as the water was gaining on us. T payed the chain over the windlass so that the bow would swing in. We saw the beach. She drove further in on the rocks and the sand, and took the ground altogether. I told the passengers that the best thing we could do would be to wait for low water, which would be about one o'clock, and we should then all get ashore. The two boats were carried away previously, when we first anchored. One was knocked out of the davits, and the hooks of the other were driven out. I think, after waiting about threequarters of an hour, one of the fireman got over the bow with the rope and got ashore. 1 think he found bottom over the bow. All the passengers got ashore by the rope without accident, and we all left the ship. Next morning I climbed over the hills, and sat there watching her breaking up, which she did that tide. The cargo was all lost. Some of the beer was washed up, about eight casks I think, and about six or eight bags of potatoes. Some of the crew took to drinking and fighting among themselves ; there were several fights in the morning. One man got so drunk that he fell into the fire and was nearly roasted. One of the crew was going about with a knife in one hand and a bottle in the other, threatening people, and one of the male passengers had to go away to get out of his reach. Some of the cabin passengers asked me to knock in the casks of beer, or they would do it, as it was not safe to allow the men to get at it. I sent the mate with an axe and he knocked in the head of every cask. The only provisions we had were the potatoes which were washed ashore, and a couple of loaves which the steward brought ashore with him. On Mouday the Kennedy came down and took the passengers to the West Coast ports. A few days after, Mr Brown, the engineer of the owners, c.ime over, and we succeeded in saving the steam winch and boiler, and some portions of the engine. I came over yesterday with the rest of the crew. Messrs Bennett and Symons were the owners of the Nelson. I was appointed master about seven mouths ago. I had no master's certificate, but I had two pilotage exemption certificates; onj for Hokitika, and one for Nelson, Buller, and Greymouth. I lost ■ them in the wreck. [Duplicate copies were prodiu-ed]. The ship's register was also lost. The vessel was well found in everything that was necessary. If anything whatever was wanted we had only to go and ask for it, or go and get it. I had on board the vessel's sailing certificate, from the Marine Engineer, in which my name appeared as master. It also was lost.

lii reply to concluding questions by the Resident Magistrate, Mr Dillon said: The vessel was not insured. No lives were lost. "We had generally 18 to 20 tons of coal on board when we left Nelson, and we had that quantity on the last occasion. The registered tonnage of the Nelson was 88 tons; our crew consisted of 15 including engineers, and firemen, and myself. I had a chart of West Wanganui on board, but I did not use it, for I know the place so well that I did not think it necessary. Every possible exertion was made to save the vessel. The bar at West Wanganui is about a quarter of a mile outside the heads. I could see the heads on both sides as we were going out. It was then a light mizzling kind of rain. The width of the chanuei is about half a mile, and a vessel could go in in that width ; the channel is somewhat towards the south head. When we shipped the first sea, I was about the middle of the channel. I ported my helm then because I thought from the appearance of the seas that there was shallower water ahead of me, as on the north side the breakers were lighter, and I wished to get out at the best place. I attribute the loss of the vessel to the water get tiug into the engine-room and drowning out the fires. If the steam had kept up I should have got either out or in. In the first instance the loss of the vessel was caused by the hawser getting round the paddle-wheel, which stopped the

engins, and after the rope was ciit, by the fires being drowned out.

By the Collector of Customs : I saw the engineer on deck only once during the time the men were in the paddlewheel. It is usual to shut up the hatch-ways when the ship is crossing a bar. If the hatches were all fixed I don't think it is.possible that so much water could have got into the engineroom as was there. I gave orders about every other hatch except the engine-room hatch, which is left to the engineer.

Among the other witnesses examined was Mr John Scott, the engineer of the Nelson, who stated that he drew the fires in order to prevent an explosion, of which at one time there was imminent danger. After the close of the evidence, the Court was adjourned, and the finding had not been given when the Kennedy left the following day. Since the above was in type, the Charles Edward has brought Nelson files to the 31st, and from the Examiner of that date we extract the following:— Yesterday momicg fie Court opened a little after eleven, when the Resident Magistrate delivered the following finding : —" The steamer Nelson was accidentally lost in consequence of a sea striking the vessel whilst crossing West Wanganui bar and carrying overboard a large hawser which fouled the starboard paddle-wheel and stopped the engines ; that at the same time and whilst the vessel was necessarily anchored to clear the hawser from the wheel, a large quantity of water was shipped, which flooded the engineroom and prevented steam being kept up, and so left the vessel unmanageable; that her anchor would not hold when let go, and that she drifted on to the rocks and became a total wreck. Further, that I consider the master and crew appear to have done all that they could to save the vessel."