Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

THE STRANDING OF THE
BARQUE BRAEMAR.
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION.
A preliminary investigation was held
yesterday at the Chief Harbour-master's
Office, Fremantle, concerning the stranding
of the barque Braemar, on the Parmelia
bank, on the 22nd October, when about to
proceed to sea. The evidence was taken
by Mr. C. T. Mason, J.P., Collector of Cus-
toms, and Captain Russell, J.P., Chief
Harbour-master, who were assisted by
Captain J. B. Medley, Marine Superinten-
dent, for the A.U.S.N. Co.
Captain Harbord, master of the barque,
stated that he obtained his clearance at the
Customs on Saturday, 17th October. He
then had to wait for a cable from home,
which arrived on Monday. According to
his articles he had a full crew, but he
thought it wiser to obtain more hands.
He was unable to do so, and in consequence
made an agreement to go to sea with the
complement on board. He had previously
engaged a tug-boat to tow the Braemar
out to sea. On the 21st instant he could
not get the tugboat, as the day was a public
holiday. The owners of the tug Eleanor
promised to come during that evening. He
hove the anchor short to 45 fathoms of
chain outside the pipe. The tug did not
appear during the night nor next day.
The glass was low during the night, but
was not so low as when he had previously
let go a second anchor. During the night
the lad who was watch on deck reported
that the wind was freshening. He did not
think it necessary to give the ship any
more chain at this time. He took no par-
ticular bearings. At 7.30 a m. he went on
deck and told the mate and second mate
to go to breakfast, remaining on deck
himself. An unusually hard gust of
wind came up, and on looking at
the barometer he found it rising. Shortly
afterwards the mate said that the ship
was taking a sheer. Witness rushed on
deck and said, " She's dragging," and gave
orders to lot go a second anchor. This
was done at once. No further chain was
paid out on the first anchor, as the ship,
he considered, was too close to the bank.
The vessel gave a bump about a quarter of
an hour after the second anchor was let
go, and turned head to wind. At 9.30 the
steam tug Eleanor arrived and took the
Braemar's tow rope on board and com-
menced to tow. This was before the
anchors were up. Witness then lifted the
port anchor, and started to heave on the
starboard anchor, and when it was to the
15-fathom mark inside the pipe she
bumped again. The windlass then gave
way, and tackle had to be reeved to pick
up the rest of the chain and anchor.
While doing this she bumped again
heavily, and the chain went under the
bottom. The water then came in through
the bottom. The carpenter said that the
ship was towing over the anchor, and that
she had put the anchor through the bows.
The captain of the tugboat had received
no orders from witness to go ahead or
otherwise. The pilot was aboard the
Braemar at the time. Witness gave orders
after the carpenter's report for the tug to
ease hauling. This was done. It was
found that the starboard anchor would
not hold, and he paid out on the port
anchor 90 fathoms of chain. He then paid
out 75 fathoms on the starboard anchor,
and the ship settled down on the sand. In
his opinion the vessel dragged a quarter of
a mile. The second mate was instructed to
take bearings after the vessel settled down.
Witness accounted for the mishap by the
shifting of the wind to the westward,
which caused the ship to break her sheer,
instead of standing straight on to her
anchor, The sudden shift of wind took her
on the beam, and caused her to drag her
anchor.
William Alexander, second mate of the
barque Braemar, stated that the ship com-
menced to drag at about 8.30 a.m At
that time there were 30 fathoms of chain
outside the hawse-pipe. The mate noticed
the change in the ship's position while at
breakfast. Witness corroborated the state-
ments of the captain with regard to the
instructions given to let go the port
anchor. As soon as the 2nd anchor reached
the bottom, the vessel bnmped, and con-
tinued bumping at intervals of about four
minutes. There were 30 fathoms of chain
at most on the first anchor, and 15 on the
second. They could not pay out more
than 15 fathoms on the port anchor, be-
cause the ship was bumping on the sand-
bank. On the arrival of the steam-tug,
witness heard the captain give orders to
start towing. In the meantime the second
anchor was lifted, and Pilot Butcher then
boarded and took command at the forecastle -
head, and gave orders to heave in the first
anchor. After heaving in two 15 fathoms
the driving wheel of the windlass cracked,
and the heaving was stopped. Whilst
tackles were being reeved Pilot Butcher
signalled to the tug-boat to go ahead.
Witness considered that Pilot Butcher was
in charge of the forecastle head, but Cap-
tain Harbord was in charge of the ship on
the main deck. Witness accounted for the
stranding of the ship in a similar manner
to the captain. He added that he believed
that the injury was caused through a
heavy swell causing the vessel to settle
down on the pea of the anchor. Cap-
tain Harbord gave the order to
the tug to stop towing. No bear-
ings were taken of the ship's posi-
tion before she commenced to drag.
From witness's experience he did not con-
sider 30 fathoms of chain were sufficient,
as the wind was blowing at the time,
immediately before the vessel settled
down. An entry in the official log stating
that there were 45 fathoms of chain out
on the 22nd October was false, and witness
knew it to be so when he signed it.
John F Mackay, carpenter, stated that
there were 30 fathoms of chain out before
the vessel began to drag. He would not
consider the length of chain sufficient. He
had never known of a vessel under similar
circumstances riding with such a short
chain out. By the time 15 fathoms of
chain were hauled in the vessel was on top
of her anchor. Witness considered that
the pilot was in charge of the ship. Wit-
ness signed the log knowing that the
statement concerning the length of chain
out was incorrect.
Wm. Devine, able seaman on the
Braemar, stated that at the time the
vessel was ready to go to sea there were
twelve men aboard, all told. There were
three hands in the forecastle, two ap-
prentices, cook and steward, first and
second officers, carpenter, and captain.
S. G. Butcher, port pilot, stated that on
22nd October he was sent off to the
Braemar by the Chief Harbour-master, in
reply to signals for assistance. His in-
structions were to take the tug, but he
found that the tug had gone, and witness
went in a whaleboat, When witness got
alongside, the tug-boat had got hold of the
ship and was steaming full. Captain
Harbord said he had 30 fathoms of chain
out when the ship began to drag. The
tug was going full speed when the anchor
chain was taut and straight up and down.
The tug could barely hold its own. The
ship was bumping fore and aft as soon as
witness went on board.
Captain R. Laurie, Lloyd's surveyor,
considered that the number of men on
board the ship was too small for such a
voyage as was contemplated. He had no
doubt that the damage to the ship was
caused by her coming down on top of the
anchor.
James Craigie, master of the tug-boat
Eleanor, stated that he steamed to the
Braemar in response to the signals for
assistance. The master of the Braemar
asked to be towed to a safe anchorage, and
witness gave the captain as his price for
so doing L65. Captain Harbord then said
" go ahead," and the tug towed as hard as
possible. ' Afterwards he received an order
to stop, and he did so.
This concluded Ihe evidence. It is
understood that the matter will be reported
for formal inquiry.
$