NAUTICAL COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 136, 8 June 1907, Page 5

NAUTICAL COURT.

THE EAGLE—HOBSOIWILLE COLLISION.

An inquiry was begun this morninobefore Mr. C. C. Kettle, S__, Captain Adamson and Mr. E. G. Wenn, into the

eireumstances attending the collision between the ferry steamer Eagle and the lansiliary scow Hobsonville at 9.50 a.m. on May 30th.

Mr. Mays appeared for the Marine Department, Mr. McGregor appeared for the Ferry Company, and Captain Geo. Leaity of the Eagle, andOaptaiD Keegan and the owners of the Hobsonville were represented by Mr. Prendergast. Joseph William Gray, a lumper employed by the Union S.S. Company, said that on the 30th May, about a quarter to 10, he was looking at the s.s. Pondo at the end of the eastern tee of the Queen-street. Wharf. He then heard a steam whistle, and looked round and saw tlie Eagle so close that he could have thrown a biscuit aboard. She was travelling at a good speed. The Eagle was almost past tbe centre of the tee when he saw the bowsprit of another vessel rounding the wharf, also at a good pace. He could then see the Eagle go full speed astern very promptly. She got no way on astern but came to a dead stop, when the Hobsonville struck her, rebounded, and struck her again. The' Hobsonville had all sails set, but he could not say if she had her engines going. There was a fair breeze from the southward to at the time. The fire floa! was in the basin, necessitating the Eagle keeping close in. Witness heard no whistle from the Hobsonville. To Mr. Prendergast: From where he was standing he could not see the masts of the Hobsonville. He was not positive that the Hobsonville gave no signal as she came round; ii she did, ho did not hear it. To Mr. McGregor: The whistle he heard he thought came from the Eagle If the Hobsonville had continued her course he was of opinion that she would have struck the Eagle ajnidships. To Mr. Kettle: After the collision the Hobsonville went -astern and the Eagle went on her way. The impact could lie heard, but did not seem to be very severe. Directly he saw the masts fit' the Hobsonville, the Eagle's engines seemed to go astern, and at the time of the collision she appeared to be dead stopped. Constable J. H. Armstrong said that he was standing on the end of the eastern tee of Queen-street Wharf. He was watching the Pondo. which was bert i g at the time. Her stem was protrudi g a few yards beyond the end ol" the wharf, he thought. He saw the Eagle just a few seconds before the collision. He heard no whistle, and did not think he could have done throusrh the noise

ol engines, etc., on the Pondo. He tl.eu saw the Hobsonville. just as her bow* struck the ]_g!e_ At the tin.c of the collision the Eagle was stopped. The Hobsonville had way on, but be could not say what speed she was travelling. To the Bench: The. vessels were clear of the wharf about 30 or 40 yards when

the collision took place. Albert Anderson, a lumper, said he was on board the Eagle at the time of the collision. Between the time she left the Kerry tee and the collision she blew one long blast. When he first saw the Hohionvillo the. Eagle's bow was about the centre of Queen-street tee, and the Eagle was about 60 feet east ol the tee. The Hobsonville was heading down stream with a cast towards the Railway wharf. The Eagle then went full steam astern, which stopped her dead. The Hobsonville put her helm to port, and swung in to starboard striking the Eagle on the port bow. The Hobsonville was coming about four miles an -nour. He heard no warning signal from the Hobsonville. To Mr. Prendergast: lie considered that the Eagle was passing the eastern tee about CO feet off. At that time he thought the fire-float would be about a point and threequarters on the starhoard bow. After the Eagle went astern he went on the top deck. At the time of the collision the Eagle's port bow might have come a little to port, which might have been caused by the reversing of the engines. To Mr. Gregor: Witness was an A.8., and had been 12 years at sea. \Vheu he first saw the Hobsonville she was about 10 feet off the Pondo. The collision took place outside the tee about 60 or 70 feet, almost on a line with the railway wharf. Georgo William Leaity, captain of the Eagle, said that on leaving the Devonport Ferry tee he started the engines at half-speed until abreast of the Settlers' ferry tee. Everything was then clear, and he gave orders to proceed at the average speed. When off the eastern end of the Queen-street wharf he sighted the bows of the Hobsonville, and saw the man at the wheel instantly put her helm to port, apparently with tbe object of passing between the Eagle and the wharf. Witness saw that a collision was unavoidable, and gave orders for the engines to go full steam astern, and the helm to be put hard aport. Tlie Hobsonville struck the Eagle amidships, and the Eagle was ther stationary. The _oiilsion might have been averted if the. Hobsonville hac cone to starboard instead of hugging the wharf as she did.

Mr. Kettle: That has been the cause of the whole trouble. ■

Mr. Mays: Yes! We have had it from both sides now —the east and the west.

To Mr. Prendergast: When he passed the eastern tee of the Queen-street wharf he was about GO feet oft. The fire-float was about CO to 100 feet off. When the Hobsonville altered her course she came a little, to starboard. There

was insufficient time to go much.

To Mr. McGregor: He was keeping as far to starboard as he could consistent

he saw the Eagle stationary about 70ft. or 80ft. away. He did not hear the Eagle's whistle- He considered the possibility of a vessel coming out, and knew that any such vessel would have to follow iv the wake of the punts. It did not occur to him to make a wider ' sweep in entering the basin. It might, J have been better if he had done so. Ii ] the Eagle had gone ahead instead cf ' reversing her engines and stopping dead he thought the collision might not have 1 taken place. 1 To Mr. McGregor: He did not know s that when his vessel was under wav she } was a steam vessel. His service was bi ' a sailing vesseL He thought it was his duty to port his helm. < To Mr. Kettle: He had not studied ' the harbour regulations. He did not ' stop his engine. Everything happened ' so quickly he had no time to do it. 5 Mr. Prendergast: Supposing you had l reversed your engines, what would have , been the result? 1 Witness: There would have been no ( result. My engines won't reverse. ' (Laughter.) i r £o Mr. Kettle: He gave no warning of his vessel coming round the corner. He had no whistle. If h e had kept further * out the Eagle might have seen him £ sooner. John Moffatt, estate agent, residing J at Northcote, said he was a passenger in 1 the Eagle at the time of the collision. ] He was on the lower deck on the port side. He first saw the Hobsonville when j 1 they got to the end of the wharf. If j ] the Eugle had continued her speed in- j stead of reversing her eD_ii:es he ; ' thought she might just have got clear j The Hob.sonville could not have struck her very hard, or she would have made more impression on the Eagle. j To Mr. McGregor: The Eagle was just ' about level with the eastern tee of the ' Queen-street wharf when witness first i saw the Hobsonville. ! . Mr. Prendergast then addressed the I Court. He maintained that the Eagle ■ i should have maintained her course and ; speed, and that, the captain of the Hob- ' sonville did tlie right thing by avoidiug crossing the Eagle's bows and porting her helm. i His Worship pointed out tbat the ! Hobsonville came round without any ! warning, and that the captains had to j adapt themselves to the special circum- j stances. Continuing, Mr. Prendergast argued i that the Ragle was on her wrong course j and should have taken sper-ial precau- j tions. He submited that the entire | blame for the collision rested with the j Eagle. | Mr. McGregor argued that the vessel I was brought up promptly, and that j while his client did all he could to avoid '■ a collision the other man did nothing. I Tho Hobsonville was wrong in coming round so close. He maintained that a watch should have been kept to see if a vessel was coming out. The captain of the Eagle had done all that any man could do. If the other vessel'could have be.en brought oil equally as quickly no damage would have occurred. If the Eagle had adopted any other course than she did tlie Hobsonville would have carried away her paddle-box and broken into the engines. The Court found that the collision was substantially brought about by the neglect and indifference of the Hobson- ■ ville. The Hobsonville came much too | close to the stern of the Pondo and | I gave no warning of her approach. If j the Hobsonville had kept further out and ' come into the basin with a wider sweep : she would have seen the Eagle and have been seen by that vessel earlier. Regarding the action of the captain of the ! Hobsonville, when he found himself suddenly faced with a difficulty, he did the i right tl ing becanse as soon as the vessels ' sighted each other the collision regulations came into forei. On the other hand the Court were of opinion that j there was a certain amount of want of j judgment on the part of the Eagle in j her conduct. There was no doubt that I she whistled, and it was difficult to j understand why tbe Hobsonville did not ] hear it. As soon as the Eagle sighted 1 the Hobsonville, in the opinion of the Court she should have kept her course and speed. It was difficult to say whether if she had done so a collision would have been avoided, but at any rate she would have complied with the I collision regulations. The Hobsonville was ordered to pay ' three-quarters of the costs, and the l Eagle the other quarter. The Court I decided that the certificate o« the captain , jof the Hobsonville need not be dealt j with.

with the other boats in the channel. He could not have got ahead of the firefloat. When he first saw the Hobsonville if the latter had followed the regulations and put his helm to starboard a collision might have been averted. He did not think they would have then touched. A paddle-boat could be stopped much more quickly than a screw vessel.

To Mr. Kettle: The whistle he gave could have been heard half-way across the harbour. There was no necessity for vessels to go dead slow until they got out of the basin. His opinion was that all vesseL. entering the basin should make a wide sweep so that they could be seen. John Keegan, master of the Hobsonville, said that on May 30th he left Hobsonville with a cargo oi pipes which he had to land at the railway wharf, On nearing Kauri Point he set his sails and stood straight down .the harbour, When opposite the western tee of the Queen-street Wharf he directed her course to starboard, and rounded the stern of the Pondo about 40ft. to 50ft. clear. Witness had charge of the wheeL He first saw the Eagle when h e crossed her bows. He ported his helm -when