4595-1906-Marine-Court-of-Enquiry--Finding-of-into-the-foundering-of-the-British-Steamship-Chu-Kong — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, MAY 18, 1906.

HARBOUR MASTER'S DEPARTMENT.

No. 433.--Finding of the Marine Court of Enquiry into the foundering of the British Steamship Chu Kong.

L. BARNES-LAWRENCE, Captain, R.N.,

Harbour Master, &c.

16th May, 1906,

FINDING.

We find that the British Steamship Chu Kong, Official number 109,865 of Hongkong, of which WILLIAM BRIGHT was Master, the number of whose Certificate of Competency as Master was 022,623, left Hongkong about 6.30 p.m. on the 26th April last, bound for Amoy. She carried a crew of 28 all told, 40 tons of bunker coal and a cargo of 150 tons of rice.

The Chu Kong was a steel vessel of 286 Register tonnage, she was built in 1899 at Nagasaki, Japan, and had 2 decks and 4 bulkheads. Her engines were inverted triple expansion two in number and she had one steel boiler.

It appears from the evidence before this Court that the Chu Kong when off Swatow, on the evening of the 27th April, experienced a strong North-Easterly monsoon with a rising sen, which necessitated, about 8.30 p.m., the slowing down of the engines.

The force of the wind and sea increased to such an extent that by 5 am, on the follow- ing morning the amount of water shipped caused a considerable list to Port, as this list increased the starboard propeller raced to such extent that it was practically useless, and the port propeller not having sufficient power to control her movements, the vessel became unmanageable and at about 5.45 a.m. on the 28th April foundered.

The only boat able to be used was one on the port quarter and by its means and that of a raft-one of four carried-14 of the crew were saved, all Chinese, with the exception of the Chief Engineer, Mr. RUTTER.

After carefully considering the evidence the Court finds difficulty in forming an opinion as to the exact cause of the casualty, but it appears, fairly conclusive, that water found its way between decks, due to insufficient protection from the heavy beam seas experienced and that this fact combined with a possible shifting of the cargo affected the ship's stability and would account for her loss.

Given under our hands, at Victoria, Hongkong, this 14th day of May, 1906.

L. BARNES-LAWRENCE, Captain, R.N.,

President of the Court.

C. K. MCCALLUM, Lieutenant. R.N.,

H. M. S. Tamar.

P. M. B. LAKE,

Master, British S.S. Lai Sang.

W. F. TURNER,

Master, British S.S. Porchatan.

W. DAVISON,

Master, British S.S. Tartar.