NAGAPUHI-RIMU COLLISION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 277, 19 November 1904, Page 4

NAGAPUHI-RIMU COLLISION.

I THE NAOTICAL INQDtfig, SECOND OFFTO BLAJna CERTmCATKjtETDBXEn. Tie nautical inquiry into tte Rimu collision on King's BiSf** whereby the Bimu eaJS" , continued yesterday after"'ir^** , press, the taking of evade** * eluded. To-day the Court vS** scow, which had bee-tew* j?V* land. wascifr . CAPTAIN STEEHENSo^r Captain Stephenson gave the '_/ officer, Mr Rowlings," " *". *«* -J character for efßciencv M^* 0 "* The night of the coflisi &»**>: i clear overhead, but there was » Zv* haze over the water tktjMfcifg*-' sible to see any object at a, stoW?* , tance than a hundred yards ■ *"* SCOWS THAT PASS IN THE M^ Captain Stephenson told tti* trate (Mr Kettle) that in iftX ! the water it would be such an object as the scow at »? ,£ | tanee unless her lights were- ZZ ; brightly. He frequently, me t scoS colliers out in giuf out lights she wn * ] The Magistral What do you do«i»- I they are unless we go aboard iU* The Magistrate: WellStJt that will have to be taken up ft' too dangerous a practice" "in «!£ crowded with passenger up and down in the night. b ™ THE SECOND OFFICER'S ACCOUNT Edgar F-swllings, second officer of ti. Ngapuhi, holding an ordinary mute* Board of Trade foreign certifiatTeS he came on duty at ten -minutes'«£* ten, off Rangitoto Reef, where ie £ lieved the captain, who came up ks£ to see the vessel past the Nelson &* and to set the course after that He went below at 11.40, and occurred ten minutes later. ' \VujS kept a sharp look-out ahead, but neithet he nor the captain saw anything & knew nothing of the proximity of tk scow till he got within ten yards of ha Then suddenly out of the darkness loo* ed up the sails of a scow—over the.etc. board bow. Witness quickly ordered the helm hard a-port, and as tie wfeej swung over the look-out, an AJB., vfc' was trustworthy, also saw the vetsei and called out "Sail ahead." The«o« was then a few yards away, and tfa officer reached for the engine-room tefc graph, ringing on for full speed vim on both the twin-screw engines.: ill that was done in a second or two, bjfc the scow was too near. Just before tti steamer struck her the scow appeared to luff a little, and he saw~her ppirtliA' gleaming out of the id light he had seen since getting dear H Auckland, although he had frequently swept the horizon with the gltsses, iej cording to custom. The gress was stayed by the tf ' the engines, and she had begun, to ibfrf off in answer to her helm when she'ljjt the scow in the majn rigging. ',The saw Careened under the -Dlow, ■ad't&iriife of the crew were heard order was given on board the Ngiyilj to stand by the lifeboat, and intii went out to pick up the crew.. T&y were in their dingey, and were takes into the lifeboat. He asked Petme where were his lights, and the mitt! said they were burning brightly, « usual. Witness said that if they ?ai he would have seen them as fu Miy as Takatu Point. He knew the "rtle'ej the road"—that it was the duty of steamers to keep out of the my ti sailing craft. The Magistrate: How do you acMtml for not seeing the lights of tkii.«l>i» —They weren't there. '...'.;' You suggest that the light iws pi* there afterwards?— Yes; or it nl obscured. . .'....•", Cross-examined by Mr Tunks (foriM scow master), the officer said the po* tion of the lights on the scbw-HJilflr after (main) rigging—was not good; they should he more forward) as wrt most scows'. ' ,-'- THE LOOK-OUT MAN. Frederick Gardiner, nine years » X* man, and A.B. on the Ngapuhi, wm tin look-out man. He came on duty »tlα minutes to twelve, and took up Xl position on the forecastle head.-11l collision occurred within a qnirterol an hour. He kept a good lodk-oot free the forecastle-head, and saw no' jijH till the collision occurred, whett ht ew denly saw a small flash of a red I#ii CAPTAIN STEPHENSON CIk4BED. Mr Baxter said he did not think' W need say anything in defence of the attain of the Ngapuhi; the Court inths* ted that he did not need to, and retiß* ed his certificate forthwith. ; . CERTIFICATES KETUENED. J The decision of the Court of InffJ I was given at 11.30 to-day. Aftor > I citing the facts as disclosed by tie «»■ I dence, the finding states that the; s«o»l I officer was in charge of the bridge at Ht I time of the collision. The sails of * I Rimu were observed simultatemuly bf, I the second officer and the look-out of* I Ngapuhi at a distance of 80 yards. I helm of the Ngapuhi was ported. M, I the engines reversed, hut the vessels (&• I lide violently. The second officer admr I ted that the Rimu's red light ww *&> ing brightly at the time of the «IH«* but said that it was not obsejred ujW the vessels were within a each other. He did not satisfy the Cm that the light of the Rimu, couM «* have been seen to avoid the collisi proper look-out had been kept. /T* Court considered that the loqt-out tf£ by the second officer and thepe»m»«f the forecastle was not as.-vigil* l ' I ', should have been. Having regari■»•"• whole of the circumstances, and the ™J favourable opinion expressed by c ..?! ter of the Ngapuhi as to the MP»"T and conduct of his second oflfctfj r° Court thought that the iwMf'jrZ. case would be met by censuring t»■ . ond officer for his want of ordering him to pay the costs -o „ inquiry. All the certificates *<"" e ff returned. We understand ; : tt»t * m . penses amount to six guineas-