THE WAIKARE WRECK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2713, 19 January 1910, Page 5

THE WAIKARE WRECK.

SHELL AND CO NTENTS TO BE SOLD.

| Pun Press Association.! INVERCARGILL, Jan. 18. By direction of Lloyd’s and the Union Steamship Company the shell and contents of the Waikare as she lies on Stop Island, Dusky Sound, will Ire sold here on 9th February. INTERESTING TESTIMONY. During his evidence before tbe nautical. enquiry Captain Newton gave some interesting particulars concerning the safety or otherwise of a trip through Dusky Sound. He said: — The vessel struck off the north-west portion of Indian Island on which they placed a white paint mark. On the morning after the accident, he proceeded to the locality with the steam launch and two boats with lead lines and, after half an hour’s sounding, the boatswain in hauling in his lines, found his lead grating on a rock. It subsequently slipped off suddenly. They searched in the vicinity for an hour again without finding it’ and on the following morning both lie and Captain M‘Donald. searched the same place for over an hour, but unsuccessfully. The chart showed no soundings in the locality, and any that had been attempted had been unbottomed. The rock touched by the boat, swain was in the vicinity, apparently, of where the ship struck and, so far as could be judged, the obstruction was from 15 to 20 feet under water. The ship was drawing loft 9in forward and 17ft 4in aft when she struck, _ and it was about low water at the time. On the way to Pigeon Island witli the launch,'he found two other rocks which were not marked on the chart. So far as he knew, all the tracks pursued by steamers in the Sounds were clear. He had heard nothing to the contrary. To Mr Sibbald (Collector of Customs): The Waikare was going at full speed when she struck. The rise and fall of the tide in the vicinity, according to the chart, was: Springs 10rt, neaps 6ft. He was trying to follow out the programme of the previous trip. Ho was on the bridge examining the chart when the vessel struck. He had followed as nearlv as possible the course followed by Captain M‘Donald the •week before, but was, of course, steering “by the eye.” Mr Sibbald: Then you think that a vessol could go through there and not touch ? Captain Newton: Well, the fact remains that vessels have been going through there for 60 years without accident. ARE THE SOUNDS IMPERFECTLY SURVEYED?

Do you think that the Sounds are imperfectly surveyed ?—That is not for me to sat-. The water is so deep in places that you would want to make a sweep to get an accurate survey. If the survey was to be a close one, it would take about twenty vears.

Could you take a vessel through there again safely?—Yes; I t-ook marks which would enable me to clear this' place. Captain Newton went on to say that from an observation which he made he considered that the vessel had been struck almost exactly amidships. The Waikare had double bottoms except under the enginercom, where the water first came in. Had her double bottoms protected her there would have been jio difficulty, and he could have brought her on to Dunedin or the J3luff. Do vou think, after this accident, that it is safe for any vessel to go through there without having a double bottom? —Well, it is an act of God. If you were tohl that you required) a 'double bottom to you would not get much pleasure out of excursions. Ihe company would not undertake the excursions' if it was thought that there was any danger. Continuing, Captain Newton said that there was boat accommodation on the steamer for double the number of 'peo. pie. The place which he really wanted to beach at was Duck Cove, five miles awav, and there, was another equally good olace four and a-half miles away, hut the engineer had reported that he had aio more..steam than would carry the ship a mile. Stop Island was the only spot near "by. If the vessel had not taken that list, he would have tried to reach some harbor. If she could have gone on full speed for ten minutes more he would have saved the ship. To Captain Beaumont: Dusky Sound was not like Milford Sound, which was free from rocks, etc. It was considered safe to work the Sound at full speed and to go through at night. Colliers sometimes went through it.