THE PENGUIN WRECK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2429, 18 February 1909, Page 5

THE PENGUIN WRECK.

THE ENQUIRY.

ADJOURNED TILL MONDAY. [Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Fob. 17. The nautical enquiry into the wreck of the Penguin was opened to-day. Dr. McArthur presided, and had with him Captain Reed (Auckland) and Captain McArthur (Wellington) as assessors.. The questions submitted for the decision of the Court will include: First, seaworthiness of the vessel and the stale of the life-saving appliances, also their sufficiency and efficiency, second., whether, considering the state of the weather, it was safe and proper to sail Iroiii Pic ton or from the head of Tory Channel on Friday, or whether shelter should not have been sought; third, what was the cause of the casualty? whether the casualty was due to the negligence or fault of any person or persons on the vessel; fifth, could the casualty have reasonably been prevented? sixth, that after the casualty were all reasonable and proper precautions taken to prevent loss of life. Mr. Herdman( who appeared lor Captain Naylor and Engineer Luke) and Mr. Wilford (for the Union Company) both requested an adjournment on the ground that they had not had time to familiarise themselves with the details of tin* whole case. Mr. Bell, on behalf of the Crown, said there was no reason why the Union Company should not be prepared in a case like this, but lie could not resist the application of the Captain’s counsel. Eventually it was agreed .that.the enquiry should be adjourned until Monday morning. LATEST PARTICULARS.

RELIEF FUNDS. The Federated Seamen’s Union has voted £lO to. each surviving member ol tlm union who was wrecked in the Penguin, and has opened a subscription ILt in aid of the relatives of deceased members. Air. J. C. Willi amson has cabled over instructing a matinee to lie given of ‘‘The Red Mill,” the whole of the proceeds to be devoted to the relief fund. All the newspapers have started subscription lists. Over £IOO lias been collected so far. Pollard’s Opera Company were to have travelled by the Penguin, but a change of route saved them. No further bodies or wreckage have come ashore, and the police are .to be withdrawn.

The Torawhiti. goes out with an oil launch to examine the rocks w!lereeve r accessible, in case bodies may be found in the crevices. Mrs. Hannan leaves for Piet-on today with the bodies oi her husband and children, who will be buried to morrow. This lady was upset in the W’aitara bar some years ago in ai. open boat, but after a hard struggle :tii got ashore. She was informed yes terday that a sum of money had bcoi remitted iroin Baiiavat by a sympath Her with her misfortunes. The funerals of W. Stanley (engineer), Albert Bono. Mrs. Hope, Mrs. loonier and daughter, and Mrs. Bishop and son, victims of the Penguin’s wreck, took place to-dav. THE MISSING. The following is a li.-t of passengers and crew missing from the s.s. Penguin, as compiled to-dav. PASSENGERS.

Mr. Holmes. Mr. Jl. J. Underwood. Mr. X. White. Mr. Comnbe. Mr. Johnson. Mr. Jas. Collins. CHEW'. F. Driscoll (.-econtl oflieer). G. A. Loosemore (third officer). C. Alexander (chief steward). T. Hayes (boatswain). C. AYostaeott (A. 8.). AY. E. Henderson (A. 15.). (1. Galfra (donkeymaii). J. Conic (trimmer). Edwin Hall (second cook). H. McGuire (scullion). Forth R. Cooke (messroom steward). G. Claydon (saloon waiter). Leonard Owens, A. 15., was stated by Mr. Young, secretary ol : the Seamen’s Union to have, been on board, but the U.S.S. Co. has no record oi his having signed on the ship’s articles.

CLAIMS UPON THE COMPANY. Considerable interest is being taken in the question of the Union Company’s liability for damages as a result of injury and death, through the wreck. Passengers’ claims will depend upon the final verdict in regard, to the cause of the disaster, but the crew come under the "Workers Compensation Act. Many oi the deceased men on the Penguin’s crew list seem to have had “total dependents” who can make a claim tor compensation, and if tlieir case is proved the company will be liable to pay the maximum amount of £SOO in respect of at least half-a-dozen victims. At a rough estimate, it will cost the Union Steamship Company at least £-1000 to settle these claims. SALVAGE WORK —NO MORE BODIES. The Union Company’s tug Terawhiti returned this afternoon from the scene of the wreck of the Penguin; bringing a quantity of wreckage ,including the two rafts, to -which nearly all the survivors owe their lives, and one of the Penguin’s life boats. Two had been secured, but the salvage operations were cut short by a springing up suddenly. The Terawhiti was therefore forced to steam a wav without Topping to take one of the lifo boats on board, and it was toner behind. When two miles had been covered it broke adrift, and will probably igo ashore. The calm sea dining the early part of the day enab cd a close search to be made of the outlying rocks, an oil launch being usul for this purpose, but no bodies nci i 1 °*Amrngomcn ts have been mndcywitl the Justice Department to provide ■ ' patrol consisting of a sergeant am four constables at the scene m the disaster for ton or twelve days, nut.all chances of further bodies commashore have disappeared. Hie tin Terawhiti will be kept ui readiness and if any bodies are recovered ai

undertaker with coffins will be. inline diately despatched to the beach.

L’A KEN OFF THE DEATH ROLL—MISTAKEN I DENT jT Y.

It is stated by the police that a mistake has arisen in the list of identifications, whereon the name of J. Date# appears. No body was identified under that name, and the Union Company have no record of ouch a passenger. This name was inserted in the list of 'drowned when the identification. was reported, so that it should now be deleted, and the death roll reduced to 74.

ft has' been proved beyond douui that a supposed victim, helix Woodward, is not dead, but on the contrary has communicated -with friends a* Wellington by post from Taihape iincc the Penguin’s wreck. Informacion given to the UjTtoii Company resulted in a cable being sent to a Mr. Woodward, alleged to be the victim’s father, in Tasmania, but this Mr. Aoodwaru replied that there 'was -'em .iv-take, for lie had no .son named ifelix. The body claimed to be Woodward’s certainly resembled him, lor t was that of a tall, dark young man, with bushy black liair. One of Woodward’s old friends visited the morgue, when the newspapers announced the identification, and satisfied himself that there was a mistake by opening the mouth. It contained no artificial teeth, whereas the real FcTx Woodward has a number of them. A LIGHT ON TERAWHITI. MINISTER OF MARINE THINKS IT UNNECESSAR 7. Thu Penguin wreck, near Cape Terawbiti, one of a long list of marine disasters near that dang rous spot, caused a revival of an agitation for a lighthouse there, but cificial opinion is evidently against the proposal. Iho Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister of Marine) informed a press reporter today that, in his opinion, there was no need for a light at Terawliiti. It would only be coni using to seamen, for the spot was already well lighted. The Brothers light covered the whole ;rf that .side of the coast, and there was also Pencarrow light. ‘‘The Brothers light is right in the centre oi the Straits,” continued Mr. Millar, ■•and will serve for Terawliiti. the Sounds, and the West Coast; in fact, everything going east or west. It is only eight miles from the Brothers to iVrawhiti, but the range of the light is 18 miles. I have seen Cape Farewell, the Brothers, and Pencarrow lights at one time, and this can be Non on any clear night in a particular part of the Straits.” It was exp umed by the Minister that the light forme* iv placed on Maua Island v, s found to lie too much inside. The J!- other.: light too'k its place. If seam n looted out for that mark they cle cd everything. Every year the M Hr.- Department endeavors to erect a new coastal light. At present Cape Brett is being provided with this much-needed facility for mariners, and the light will prooabiy beam over the Pacific in June.

The Minister was asked what part of the coast would next receive attention. and lie replied that it would be the long unlighted .stretch between Pailiser Bay and Portland Island. -, on the East Coast, except for. the Napier harbor light, which iu only jeon when you open Cape Kidnappers, uid is not visible beyond ten miles, there is nothing between those points.” said Mr. Millar. '•There is a lot of broken ground for some distance off the land, and 1 hope to have it lighted in due course.” A SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S RESOLUTION. AUCKLAND, Feb. 17. The disaster to the Penguin was mentioned at the meeting of the Parnell School Committee last night, and several members referred to the need for swimming being taught every child in the Dominion. Finally, the following resolution was adopted — “This committee again urges the Board of Education to approach the Education Department with a view to making the art of swimming compulsory in all public schools.”