THE DOVEDALE-SILVER CLOUD COLLISION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 90, 17 April 1901, Page 4

THE DOVEDALE-SILVER CLOUD COLLISION.

At the Marine Court inquiry into the collision between the Silver Cloud ahd the Dovedale, William Henry Heays, master of the Silver Cloud, stated that he kept oil his course on seeing the masthead light of the Dovedale. Subsequntly he saw the steamer's red light bearing on the Silver Cloud, (and he knew that a collision was inevitable. He put his helm hard down. He then knew that the master of the Dovedale had ported. If he had starboarded instead the collision

would not have occurred. He waited I for an hour, and, finding that the Dove- j dale was not bearing- toward him, he j showed a. distress light, and shortly after the Captain Cook came out and took his vessel in tow.

David Morgan, first mate of the Dovedale, said he was in charge of the Dovedale at the time, of the. collision. He saw a light ahead about four minutes before the collision, and took the same to be the masthead light of a steamer. About two minutes before' the impact of the vessels he noticed that the light was a starboard one. When the vessels were only a quarter of a mile off, he put his helm aport. The collision occurred about a minute and a-half after he ported his holm. If the Silver Cloud had luffed vi the collision would not have occurred.

As already reported by cable, the master of the Silver Cloud was exonerated from blame by the Court.