THE ELIGAMITE WRECK. The Magisterial Enquiry.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 683, 1 December 1902, Page 3

THE ELIGAMITE WRECK. The Magisterial Enquiry.

EVIDENCE OF CAPTAIN ATWOOD THE ORDER, “FULL SPEED ASTERN." (Special to Times.) Auckland, Saturday. Considerable intercut is being taken in the magisterial enquiry into the circumstances connected with the wreck of Elingamite on the Three Kings on Nov. 9th, which was resumed at ton o clock yesterday morning. CAPTAIN ATWOOD’S EVIDENCE. Ernebt liacob Atwood stated that he was captain of the Elingamite, and that his certificate was lost in the wreck. He had been master of the vessel Binee July Just, Ho was 89 years of age. This was his first corumund of a steamer; he had previously beon master of a sailing vessel. Ho had hold an officer’s ticket for 19 years. Ho obtained a first officer s ticket in 1885. Since then he had been in soveral suiling ships as officer of various grudos. Ho passed as mastor in Melbourne, 1890. Ho joined the Zealandia us chief officor in London, and ho brought the sumo steamer from Sydney to Auckland. He was transferred from the Zoulandia to tho Elingamito in July last. He had experience of tho New Zealand coast as mate of tho Zealandia. Tho nvorago speed of tho Elingamito was I‘2 knots ; hor maximum was over 18 knots. Her draught when she left Sydney was 15ft forwurd and 17ft lOin aft. Tho crew numbored 09 all told, including himself, throo officers, a chief engineer, throe assistant engineers, and ten A-fJ.'s. There wore 186 paHsengors on leaving Sydney. Tho compasses, throo in number, weie all correct on leaving Sydney. They wore adjusted in April last. There was nothing wrong with tho steoring gear. THE LOGS. Mr Tolo (for Collector of Customs): Did you keep a ship’s log containing records of wind, weather, etc.? Y.„. thoro wore two; l kept ono and tho elm f tnato kept tho other. They went duwn with the wreck. They were posted up ai noon each day up till the day before the wreck. We also had an official log. Mr Tolo : I understand that no entry , was made iD tho official log after Nov. 4 ? Yes, that was tho duy before wc Jell Sydney. I would havo wiitten it up before arriving at Auckland, in accordance with my usual custom.

Mr Tole : What do you supposo should bo entered in this lug? Particulars ul wind, currents, draugnt of water, 0,0. Mr Xolo: Did you luavo tom log for three or four duys beforo posting it up ? Yes, when there wus nothing unusal to record.

M-t Tolo : The draught of water, for iußtanco—why was not that entered on loavirg Sydney ? It was ontorod in the mato’s log. Mr Tolo : Why was it not ontcrod in the ollieiul log ? I should havo posted it up on tho Sunday had it not boon for tho wreck.

Mr Tolo : Why did you not mako tho entries on Wednesday or Thursday ? There was nothing worthy of note to put in. THE SHIP’b COURSE.

Mr Tolo : What courso was sot when you left Sydnoy ? S., 88dog. oust, true course.

Mr Tolo: Aud you maintained tho course for how long ? I endeavored to maintain it all through, allowing for the usual alterations aud variations. I remarked on Friday that sho had rnado it splendid courßO. I set the courso as soon as wo cloarod tho Sydney Hoads at 5 p.m. THE SPEED. Mr Haseldon : What speed did you make? Tho first day wo mado about 270 knots, rather under tho average. We mado about 285 knots on tho Friday. At noon on Saturday wo had steamed 295 knotß sinco noon on Friday. I attributo tho difference in spoed to tho varying quality of tho coal wo wore using. Mr Tolo : Was tho patent log working all right on Saturday ? Yes, except at lour p.m , when it was found to bo fouled, and was haulod up and cloarod. It showed 40 instead of 49 Itnots for tho four hours.

Mr Tolo : How often was the log sot ? Ivory day at noon. Mr Tolo: How long did you keep on our course ? Till 10 a.m. on Saturday, bo spoed boing 12 knots. THE QUESTION OE CURRENTS. Mr Tolo: Had you experienced any 1 inusual currents near tho Kings ? I oxlorienccd a strong southerly current one r two trips before this one. Mr Tolo: And was there . nothing inusual on this occasion to attract your ttention ? Nothing out of the ordinary, tt noon on Saturday wo were two or three ailes out of our proper position, to tho lorthward, but I put that down to bad tearing rather than to any current. This ariation was for 24 hours. Mr Tolo : You do not think, thon, that ho current oould have made any altera ion in tho course ? No ; we maintained he samo courso. THE WEATHER. Mr Tole : Did tho woather become mor B i hick from 2 p.m. on Saturday ? No ; i l omainod muok about the same all night. ; was up oil and on. I did not turn in ill after eleven o’clock. The second mate lalled me between throe and four a.m., on iccouut of tho weathor being thick. Mr Tolo: But you said tho weathor emained about tho same after two o'clock jn Saturday. Was there anything to tlarrn tho second rnato ? Tho moon had let, and the woather appeared thicker than t was, but there was nothing to bo alarmed ibout. I got up again at 6 a.m., l.aving eft orders to bo called thon. It was earlier shan my usual hour. Mr Tolo : Why did you leave orders to be called then if you were not alarmed ? Waa it on account of the weathor ? No ; it was principally becauso we wero getting near land. There wa3 no alteration in tho weathor. The courso was unchanged, and the speed was 12 knots. Mr Tolo : From 6 o'clock how was tho weather? I did not see much difloronco

in it. It was hazy, but I could seo about two miles. Mr Tolo: When did a chango come over the woathur ? It thickened just be foro 10 o’clock, very suddonly, without any warning. Mr Tolo: At that time did you know your position by dead reckoning? Yes, I worked out the dead reckoning. I considered I was about six or sevon miles south of the West Island. Mr Tolo : When the weather thickened at 10 o'clock what did you do ? I sent for the ohief engineer at threo minutes to ton. and told him to slow tho ongines down. This was dono at 10 o'clock precisely. Mr Tolo : Why did you not send this moasago by tho telegraph ? Because I thought the sudden blowing off of steam would creato an unnecessary noise. Mr Tolo: What did you expect—breakers or what ? I did not expect anything in particular, but one never

kuows what to expect in the case of a fog. Mr Tole : After you slowed down what was your speed ? From four and a-half knots. Mr Tolo: How long does it take to slow down ? It can be dono in two or I three ships' lengths. Mr Tolo : Did you alter the course ? Ves, to N. 13 dogrecs E. true, or E.N.E. by compass. Tho ship answered at onco. Mr Tolo : What is the variation there ? Thirteen degrees, I think. Mr Tolo : Did you hoavo tho lead ? I was going to do so at 11 o'clock, and I did not do so at 10 o'clock becauso I thought we were in deep water, where soundings could not bo taken, Mr Tole: How long did you continuo tho altored course ? For about threequarters of an hour. Mr Haselden : After you had continued tho altored course for threo-quarters of an hour was tho weather getting thicker anc thicker? Yes, we could seo only aooui two ships’ lengths ahead. Tho third office: was on the bridge with mo. Mr Haselden : At a quarter to 11 a.tn where vt.'re you ? On the brilge. Mr Haselden : Was everyone on th alert, including the engineers ? Yes, s {it as I know.

THE BREAKERS-“FULD SPEED ASTERN I” Mr Haseldon : What happened then ? I noticed breukers on the port bow. I rushed to the telegraph and gave tho signal “ Full speed astern I” I also put tne helm hard uport. I rang the telegraph three or four timeß, and looked over tho ship’s sides at tho intervals between.

Mr Tolo : How long did you stay at tho ship’s side between the first and secOQd ring? Five or six seconds ; I then rang

the telegraph again, Mr Tolo : Did you get any immediate response to your rings? Yea, the telegraph answered from below at the first ring, but the engines did not seem to move. On ringing u second time I bolieve I again got mi answer, but the engines did not move, hut seemed to be still going a little ahead,

Mr Tole : Do you know why the engines did nnt respond ? No, but the third engineer came up and said the engines would not move, f said it was then too late to do anything, and ordered all the mon up on deck. I had not time then to inquire why tho engines would not move, arid fam still unaware of tho reason. I

had had no trouble with tho engines boforo.

Mr 'Pole : Arc you quite sure that you had not struck when you gave tho order ? Yes, perfectly certain, und sho would not havo struck had the engines responded as they should have done. In answer to a number of questions tho witness Baid it was tho fourth engineer’s watch at tho time. The chief engineer was in command, and witness had told him at 10 o’clock to rotnain handy. Mr Tolo : Woro tho lookouts properly stutioned ? Yes, one man was on the forecastle head, and another was on the bridge. Tho fog signal was also kept going—the latter about every two minutes from 9 a.m. on Sunday. Mr Tole: Why did you not send a man aloft ? I did not consider it necessary, aa the fog was not low, but well above the masts.

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Saturday

At the Elingamite enquiry on Friday Captain AUwood stated that the last occasion when he ordered the engines to oe reversed was betore leaving Sydney on the last trip, 'the o.Ucr was then readily responded to. in a previous report exactly the contrary was erroneously stated.

Morrison, fourth engineer of the Elingarnlie, deposed that at 10.45 on Sunday he got the order full speed astern. He reversed the engines, wiiicii gave a half turn and then stopped. 'then he heard Die ship scraping nn the rocks. It seemed to lie the afier part that was scraping when the tu rj i..cs refused to reverse. The chief engineer tried to move the engines aiitau, but they did not move. 11c attributed this to the propeller Joeing stopped by something outside tne ship. The engines wenT all right front Sydney. 'Hie reversing gear was in good order. Forty seconds after the order came to go astern water from the after tank came into the engine room. They plugged the air pumps to keep tlie water out.

Morrison said the engines exhibited all their power. The propel lor must have been held in the rocks after the first bump. The shaft jumped so that they thought the cap holts and everything had gone. The vessel appeared to strike as they got the order to go astern. The engine was absolutely jambed as though something was between the blades of. the propellor.