July 15, 1905.]
on the saloon table although it was not there on this particular day. I have never noticed anything peculiar about the master's conduct. While in Harlem Bay we got two gallons rum from Hong kong, but none of the men had It was thrown overboard. Neither the master bor mate had any of it.
any.
near
To Captain Pybus-Where the captain fell was midway on the poop. The captain was not acting as if he were not sober while the pilot was on board. I did not see his cigar fall from his month. The deck was wet and slippery, and I heard the captain fall.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
{ To Mr. Hays-On the voyage out from Cardiff the mate did not before speak of scuttling
rowlocks. From what he said, I gathered that the ship. be meant to scuttle her while she was on the rooks.
To Chief Officer Roberts-It was on the after-i noon of the 2nd June that you spoke to me of scuttling the ship, but I could not say at what time. I was standing rear the main pumps.
}
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39
The crew in the shifted she moved astern. second boat compla ined of only having two We lent her some to get away with, and I sent my boat to tow her. The Travancore got a second hawser ont in the afternoon. She had only one out when I first saw her.
H.. Wylie, the Travancore's sailmaker, a By Captain George-I first heard of this
witness for the captain, stated--I was in the Travancore when she left Cardiff. The charge being brought about a fortnight ago, I then said that I had nothing to do with it. M. Byrne, A.B., stated-I was at the wheel night before we left Hongkong, and on the L. Gordon, senior apprentice on board the in the middle watch on the morning of the 1st early morning of the 31st May, there was Travancore, stated-I went to the wheel at June. For about an hour and a half the vessel considerable trouble with the orew through
i 10-15 a.m. and was relieved at 2.30 p.m. on the would neither wear nor stay. We tried to tack drunkenness. The drink was brönght aboard day we left Hongkong.. The captain was on her three or four times. The chief officer was by two men. The anchor was weighed between the with the pilot, and never left it until in charge of the watch. When I came on deck and 7 a.m, on the morning of the 31st May.
poop the pilot left the ship. The captain ordered me at 7.45 on the 2nd; I came to the conclusion that I saw Mitchell go to the wheel. I am on to steer E. N. E. and if she would not stand the ship was too near the shore. The order was deck all-day, and saw the captain on deck that course, I was to steer full and by. I saw given by the master “ hard a lee," in a proper that morning. He was not at any time the the master leaning On the rail
worse for liquor. I have never seen him manner. The order we expected after missing me at the wheel. I did not see him stays was "let anchor," but we never got it, the worse for it. I did not see the captain fall on the deck, but I SAW him on the
When the ship struck we were immediately fall, but saw Murphy fall after he had been deck
I have never in
The whole drinking all day and night. half sitting and half lying ordered to the boats by the captain. £ position as though he were getting up. The of the crew to to them, and we were hardly before seen the Travancore miss stays, sud pilot had just then left. I did not attempt to in when the captain came and sat on the rail, and her soiling powers are very good. I was on help him up. as I could not leave the wheel. asked us if that was what we intended to do. deck at 7 a.m. on the morning of the 1st June Between a quarter and half an hour afterwards We went on board again, and I saw the chief and heard the order " 'bout ship" given. I felt the captain went below.
mate on deck tearing the deck log and throwing confident the ship would go about. Mitchell it over the ide.
was at the wheel at the time. The crew did not take very much notice of the orders given. They appeared not to care whether they obeyed On previous occasions they have them or not been smarter, and if on this occasion she had been smartly worked. I think she might have come round, The captain himself said, Burry up, my boys,' because they were so slow. When the ship missed stays there was nothing but panic among the crew. I did not leave in the boat which came to Hongkong. During the time the ship was on ahore, attempts were m de to get her off, and the captain was busy the whole time. The captain ordered the chief officer to set the foresall and fore lower topsail. These sails were set, also the main-
did not square topsail, but the yards 88 ordered, 18 they did not think it necessary to do so. The captain then told them to go and set the mizzen topsail, but the men refused and told the captain to do it himself. I went off with the others to the Likin as the ship was bumping heavily at the time. I saw the blue lights from the. Travancore and eventually I went back to her after being ordered to do so by the cap- It is not a fact that the tain of the Lakin. covers of the lifeboats were nailed on.
To Mr. Hays-I d'd not see a boat row round the Travancore and have a look at her while she was on the rocks.
To Captain George --We were still in tow when I got the curse E.N.E. or full and by. Is the captain lying on the deck shortly after one o'clock. I saw him get up, but do not think be looked round to see if anybody was looking at him.
To Captain Pybus-It was possible to see the captain where he fell from the foc's'le head.
To Mr. Wilkinson-There is a partition on the fore part of the poop which might have obstructed the view of those on the foc's'le bead, The captain picked himself up immediately This is my second voyage on the after he fell. Travancore. She is not a fast ship, but very handy. I have never knowu ber miss stays before, and she has previously tacked in ballast. I felt no cause for anxiety until she refused to tack. The men were all at their posts when the order was given to "bont ship.' When she I came refused, they got a little cisorganised. in the boat to Hongkong when the vessel went ashore.
To the President-I have been in the ship just under three years, and have served nine months with the present master.
To Captain Pybus-The log book was not wrapped up. I was employed catting the star- board anchor, when I drew the chief officer's attention to the rapta. Who had fallen down on the poop. The chief offfeer said, I am not sup posed to notice that. I was present when the bo's'n pointed out to the "mate the fact that the re-sel was floating. *
To Captain George-The man who called me in the morning said we had to turn out early to go about. The book the chief mate tore up looked like the deck log. I could not
say that it wasÍ,
To Mr. Wilkinson-The carpenter toli ma this morning about the mate wanting to scuttle the ship.
MASTER'S AND CHIEF OFFICER'S CERTIFICATES
SUSPENDED.
The inquiry concerning the stranding of this vessel and into the charges preferr d by the crew against the captain and chief officer, was concluded at the Harbour Office on the 11th July.
The members of the Marine Court were: - Hon. Captain L A. W. Barnes-Lawrence R.N. (President); Lieut. C. K. MoCallum R.N.. H.M.S. Tamar, Captain Pybus. s.8. Empress of Japan, Captain St. John George, 8.8. Macquarie and Captain Robb. 8.8. Taiping.
Mr. C. D. Wilkinson (of Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist) represented Captain Chamberl u of the Travancore, and Mr. J. Hays (of Messrs. Johnson, Stokes and Master; appeared for the owners of the vessel.
he
W. Walls, ship's carpenter. stated - The Travancore is a steel ship. I have been on her about 7 months, and was laid up from the t we she left Hongkong until she went ashore. The second mate called me out of my cabin
Captain R. henoweth of the revenue orniser before she stranded. The covers on the life-Likin was the next witness. He stated boats were nailed on by 1" and two inch nails. Some of the covers were partially nailed when we left Cardiff. On the 1st June the chief officer said he was speaking to the captain about cutting a hole in the ship and letting her sink. He told me not to speak to the crew about it. I asked him if I could get my tools out of the bo's'n's locker before he did it, and he said he would see about it. I kept my own counsel about the matter. ad this is the first time I have mentioned it since.
To Lieut. McCallum-I did not object to the mate's proposition at the time, as he did not ask me for tools.
To Captain Pybus-If I were going to scutule a ship I would cut some of the rivets off. The windlass was in good order for letting go the anchor. The water in the ship's starboard hilge would be about four feet over the hallast. To Captain George-The mate was a little excited when he talked of scuttli g the ship but I could not say that he was drunk. He loked as if he really meant to do it. I did not know the crew ware Loing to bring these charges against the captain and mate until I get a summons,
of the Travancore camo on board my vessel for the first time at 8 p.m. on the night of the 2nd June. The captain came on board.† during the afternoon, and informed me that the crow bad gone aft in a body, and stated that they refused to stay on board the ship daring the night. At about ten o'clock, before the blue lights were lit. I noticed that the Travancore was moving. I then fold the officer of the watch to hurry up and get the men out, but there appeared to be a little difficulty in this; the men Joked about for oilskins and caps and seemed to delay as long as they could. It seemed to me, according to the circumstances, that they took an unnecessary I ng time to get out; about a quarter of an hour or twenty minut s.; Te crew made no attempt to get the second boat alongside. After they got away they again retained on the 3rd June.
*
To Liet. McCallum-It was reported to me that t; ere were eighteen men on the Likin.
To Captain Pybus-There was no request made to me to assist in getting the ship off. I don't think the hawsers of the Travancore were run out properly. There was a heavy shower when the crew were ordered off, and I think they were waiting until it pissed over. There was nothing unusual in their behaviour. The ship's documents were brought aboved my ship on the 2nd of the month.
To Mr. Wilkinsou-When the mate spoke to me the vessel was in the same position as when she first went on the rocke: I was to get no benefit from the mate if the sì.ip were scuffled, To Capt. George-The master told me that and cannot say what object he had in wishing to the crew refused to stay on board the afraid of scuttle it. Our ship dragged the stream anchor | Travancore because they were from Fokai Point to Harlem Bay.
the masts falling down. When the ship
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crew
the
To the President-I have never seen the ship go about in ballast, but her going about in such a condition would depend upon the trim and the quantity of canvas she had on. I felt confident she would go round, seeing how easily she was handled with a cargo. I think my confidence was a little misplaced. On previous occasions the men were always willing to obey the cap- tain's orders, but on this occasion they did not The crew were in a panic appear to be so. because they dropped everything and made for I was in a panic myself. the boats.
To Lieut. McCallum-I heard the captain's orders while at the crossjack braces. The captain bad to call out twice before the head and lee sheets were let go. The afteryards were swung right round. When the ship refused to stay the order was given to “hold-on." The mate was somewhere forrard at this time.
To Captain Pybus-- When the order "mainsail baul" was given the wind was ahead. The main- yard was not swung when we went round. The captain always asks me whether all is clear for going abouts. I went in the second boat from the Likin to the Travancore.
To Captain George-On the morning the vessel struck she would be sailing at three or four knots. At seven o'cl ok the land was perfectly clear on our port bow. It would be about a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes after we got the order to go about that the vessel struck. I do not know why the brow brought the charges against the captain and chief officer, neither do I know why Mitchell was made spokesman. The two men who brought drink aboard were Williams and Byan. The crew did not approach me to join them in the charges.
To C. Mitchell-On the morning of the 8'st May you were intóficateð. A mani in drink could
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