Sinking Of Tug Te Awhina

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 21 September 1938, Page 12

Sinking Of Tug Te Awhina

Witness said that he gave no orders for the crew to leave the ehip because he did not think the tug was going to sink. By the time Prince'e wharf wae reached only the deckhand and witness wore aboard the vessel, though up to that time he had given no orders for tho crew to leave. He had seen then. leave, but had not attempted to etop them. Captain Probert then detailed what happened when the tug sank and he and tho deckhand were picked up out of the water. Difficulty With Doors. To Mr. McKean witness said that he was on the flying bridge when, half-way between Queen's and Prince's wharves. ' he inquired about the water-proof tloore. It was about 13 minutes from the time the propeller hit the turr until the tug sank. Witness had Arwiinteil that as/sooii as th« tug was struck that the engineers between them would have closed the watertight doors or started the pumps. He regarded that ae part of their function. Ho knew that the ship bad recently been surveyed and that all the equipment was in good order. When the engineer and the deckhand had also assured him that the doors were jammed he had not bothered further. When the tug was put on the slip later witness had tried the doors and they had been quite all right. When told of the difficulty wltn the doors by the engineer, witness had euggeeted it might have* been the inrush of water. The engineer had stated, howeter, that the ship was distorted. (Proceeding.).