CENTURION COLLISION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 28, 1 February 1913, Page 17

CENTURION COLLISION.

EVIDENCE OF THE CAPTAIN. The evidence at the inquest on the unknown man picked up dead in a waterlogged boat nt Freshwater. Isle of Wight, two days after 11.M.5. Centurion had been ill collision with nnd sunk the Italian steamer Dernn. of (Jenoa. suggested that the collision was due to the Dernu not showiiie a stern lijrht. Captain Guy Reginald Archer Gaunt. commanding the Centurion ou the night of the collision, December in, said that the warship was proceeding on a three-quarter iwwer contractor's trial, going westward. He intended to complete the trial off the Eddystone. after being up Channel all night. The collision occurred about ten miles off Anvil Point, off the Dorset coast. The night was dark but clear, and the lights could be plainly seen. He was on the bridge until about four minutes before the collision. He went down to his bnnk, where he remained fully dressed until the collision occurred. He left Lieutenant Boyes, the officer of the watch, on the bridge. ONE BLAST FROM THE SIREN. Immediately the shock occurred he rushed out on the manoeuvring platform, and ordered the boats' crews away. At tbe time the vessel was close to the side of his ship, abreast, of the after funnel, but he saw no one in her. He gave orders to stop the engines, and then intended to tell those in the vessel that he would send boats to tbem. but he could then see only the black hull of the vessel. The searchlights were on ln four minutes, but by that time the vessel bad drifted away on the starboard. Nothing whatever conld be seen. He steamed slowly over the area of the collision, but apart from one blast from the ship's sireu nothing was heard.

As Ihe vessel fell away from the Centurion he saw her quite plainly and remarked to the officer of the watch thnt although two white masthead lights were visible she hao no stern light. The officer of the watch had previously reported that she was in collision with a vessel with no stern light. The Ceniurion's bridge stood about SO feet above the water. Although they cruised very slowly over the spot with searchlights going, and again after daylight, no report was sent to him of a man endeavouring to jump aboard. He conclnded that the vessel was heading for the land when she sank, but she was hidden by a mass of smoke from the Centurion's fnnnels. The Dorna's port bow light was found in the Centurion still burning. The Centurion was steaming about 18.7 knots, and it was only about four mlnntes before he turned. He did everything he possibly could to save life. NO STERN LIGHT. Lieutenant Boyes corroborated the evidence of the captain, and said he saw the two masthead lights about six minutes before the collision, but seeing no stern lights conclnded that tbe vessel was approaching, and would clear them. He ordered "engines full astern" at the moment of the collision. The coroner expressed the opinion that the man Jumped from the sinking vessel into the boat and broke his neck. The Jury agreed that the evidence proved conclusively thnt the Derna had been lost with her crew of thirty-six, of whom the dead man was apparently one. Death was probably due to the collision with the Centurion, but there was Insufficient evidence for them to attach any blame to any officer of the Centurion.