THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, NOVEMBER 10, 1939.
1201
FINDING.
We find that the British S.S. New Mathilde registered at Hong Kong No. 152087, of which Mr. Robert Wherry holding Certificate of Competency as Master No. 4279 of Hong Kong was Master, arrived at Fort Bayard on October 17th, 1939. During her stay at Fort Bayard, i.e. between the 17th October, 1939 and 4.30 a.m. on 21st October, 1939, the ship grounded several times on the western bank of the river. The Master was cognisant of this fact and took steps to ascertain the nature of the bottom, which he found to be soft mud. At about 4.30 a.m. on October 21st, the ship left Fort Bayard for Hong Kong with a full complement of live-stock and all necessary precautions re closing scuttles and cargo ports were taken. On clearing the mouth of the river, the vessel met a strong North Easterly wind and rough sea. She proceeded on her voyage towards Hong Kong and was pitching fairly heavily when it was discovered that she was making water aft. The Captain having been called and investigated the situation, he turned back towards the entrance to the river at 9.32 a.m. and gave orders to the Chief Engineer to make all speed possible with the idea of beaching his ship on the spit. Before he could reach the spit, however, the ship foundered in a position approximately Lat. 21° 3′ N. Long. 110° 42′ E. and that the following members of the crew were drowned :-
Boatswain Fai Ng Au
Supercargo in charge of live stock Yuen Wing Chuen
Chief Steward Chan Wai Tong.
the ship becoming a total loss.
We are of the opinion that the reason for this disaster was that the vessel, being an old vessel of 33 years. strained her bottom plating aft when bumping on the bank at Fort Bayard and that this weakened the plates sufficiently for them to be badly started when she had been subject to the strain of heavy pitching in the open sea. We are of the opinion that Mr. Robert Wherry, the Master of the ship, was culpable of an error of judgment only in not taking a more serious view of the possible effects on his ship of the groundings at Fort Bayard.
Given under our hands at Victoria, in the Colony of Hong Kong, this 3rd day of November, 1939.
(Signed)
G. F. HOLE,
Stipendiary Magistrate and President of the Court,
K. W. KIRBY,
Lieut.-Comdr., H.M. Dockyard.
K. D. LANE,
Master, S.S. Raby Castle.
D. M. HOOD,
Master, S.S. Hong Kheng.
E. WALKER,
Master, S.S. Haitan.