ENGINEER'S STORY

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 224, 22 September 1938, Page 12

ENGINEER'S STORY

TUG SINKING.

"WAS HOPELESS."

IN WATER TO WAIST.

"DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE."

SHIPWRIGHT'S EVIDENCE.

Incidents in the engine-room and on the deck of the tug Te Awhina following her collision with the propellers of the motor ship Ksscx on August 11, ami

prior to the sinking of the tug, wenrelated by the acting chief engineer. Mr. Asplund, when the Marine Court of Tn<|iiiry into the accident wa* resumed this morning.

Evidence was give;' that engine* stopped of their own accord owing to water stopping the circulating pump from winking, and that, the second engineer wan in water up to his waist before lie ami the fireman left the engine-room. It was denied that thev had their effects with them.

Mr. Asplanrl was questioned closely about his activities with the watertight door, and his leaving the ship. He stated that the door would not elos". niul that the captain did not demur when he was told the engine-room staff were leaving the vessel. It was stated that the watertight door worked when the vessel was on the slip, but a ship-wright-diver told of difficulty in closing it when the vessel was under water.

Mr. W. R. McKean. S.M.. presided. unci the nautical assessors were Captain H. R. Hughes, of Devonport, atul Cup* fain R. J. Hamilton, of the Bluff. The engineer assessor was Mr. W, H. Parker, of Auckland.

In addition to the solicitors representing inrioun parties, the Auckland branch of the Nl-w Zealand Harbour Boards Employees' Union was represented by its secretary, Mr. R. Freeland. When the inquiry resumed this morning. Captain W. 0, Kelsey, pilot in the Kmscx, resumed the stand. Conference of Pilots.

To Mr. Finlay witness admitted that the decision in culinary circumstances to put the Te Awhina aft and the stronger tug, William C. Daldy, forward, was decided at a conference of pilots and harbourmaster when the Daldy arrived in Auckland. There was, therefore, no point in the references to the greater speed by the Daldy, and that «he took the forward position because the Te Awhjna "alway* followed on." It was left to the discretion of the tugmaster to be up in a safe position. That had always been the position. To Mr. McKean witness said that

there had been no previous accident of the sort. Tugs were often drawn in I* * against the Hide of the ship, but it was »,-,.„ the first time that one had been struck, by the propellers. To Mr. Finlay, witness said that the conditions in Auckland-made 1% neceenary to use the ship** engine's nearly all the time. The safety of the ship being berthed depended upon it. The last resort <>( » tugmaeicr when ha felt hi* ship being drawn under the propellers, was to steam,fult ahead* The safe method was to moor sufficiently far forward not to get into the-propellers. A signal from the tug might give the pilot an opportunity to help if there was time, he eaid, but if what Captain Probert aald was correct, no signal could have been given in time to save the Te Awhina. To Dr. Foden, witness said that the decision of the conference regarding the position of the tuga was not communicated. He knew nothing of an incident with "an American ship" that was responsible for that conference. In a case of emergency, when the pilot had to get considerable "way" on the vessel, lie could send a message to the tugs to caat off.

limyti'i Evidence. William Mowatt, surveyor of ships, described an examination of the Te Awhina between May 16 and Mar 28 last. To Or. Foden, witness said 'that the watertight door Was in good order and functioning properly. After the tug wis put on the ship ha pulled the door up about 18 Inches and found it working •atiaiactorily,: ■.'••.-,, . nTo Mr k Baxter, witness said that the hahdle. was on, ths wrong way on toe door. He could not understand if. the engineer, said he tritd it both- warn, wh> H eotild not be closed., 7? To Mr. Moody, witness said that the order should be given from the bridge for the doori to be elosed, but that he would act on hie own initiative If in a position of danger and inform the captain of what he had dona. Witness tojd Mr. McKean that the door could be closed in a minute and a half..'. ■ **f\ «■« ••■■•-■ ■< *■ '■ Witness said be did not detect any trace of distortion that would prevent the door from closing. On the wearing faee there had been some signs of scraping of paint. That would not, however, |>e any indication by distortion prevent' ing the closing of the door at the time of the accident. Prior to the ship being raised the door was tried by the Bar* bour Board authorities and it waa in working order. To Dr. Godin witness said he did not know whether the ship would have, floated if the door was elosed. I John Kerr, who took part in the annual survey in May last, said he had found the pumps In good order. Witness said that he did not think the pumps could have competed with the rupture —knowing the site of that rupture. Engineer's Story.

Arthur George Graham Aepland, acting chief engineer of the Te Awhina I at the time of the accident, was the next witness. He said he heard the striking sound. Just before that he had had a signal for more power on the port engine. Ha could not give it because it was already on full power. Aa soon aa he heard the striking sound he knew they were en the Essex. He looked at the bilge immedla'tely and eaw the water rushing in. He realised a desperate situation had arisen. Dr. Foden: Did yon consider the position hopeless? \ "Yes, sir." Witneaa said that he told the second engineer to hold on as long ae he could, ana made for the deck to tell the master. He told the second engineer to be ready to "beat it."

"Make far tke *MCk. H "I t«"d the mMter to make (or the beach •• quickly a* he could—if he could cet there. I had to shout, for I wae oa the deck. Prior to that Xmw the mate and «akt, <Let go. . She's *<**' I think gay, the maater heard mo clearly."

Dr. Foden: Did the master give you any direction*? Witness: Xo. '"Did you expect any?" "Xot at the time." Witness said that he then proceeded to deal with the watertight door on his own initiative and put the handle and ratchet in position. He worked it anticlockwise, the correct way, first of all. "I found I couldn't move it. When I found I couldn't move it that way I tried the reverse motion, with the same result. f did this turn trying to free the spindle. At that time no one was with me. I called one of th ■• deckhands and the two of us tried. There was still no result." He had heard since that the door had worked when the vessel was salvaged. He could not explain that beyond the fact that the tug had been crushed under the side of the Essex. Dr. Foden: You feel that there had been distortion. Witness: It seemed that way. Possibility of Distortion. In view of subsequent facts, it was still a near possibility that there had been distortion. He did not know if there was any object impeding the movement >>f the door. It was not the door I'llt the spindle that he could not move, rie did not know what was im|>eding that. The bracket could have been thrown slightly out of alignment. At the time he tried it they were still under the counter of the Essex. Charge of the Emergency. Dr. Foden: You did not wait fur the cuptain to take charge of the emergency? 'I knew that door had to be closed." Dr. Foden: Was there a certain amount of divided control on the ship? "I think I can explain that. Tbe engineer has charge of certain equipment on the ship. He would mostly carry out the captain's instructions." Witness said that the fireman had come to him and asked him about the pumps. * He told him to tell the engineer to operate the bilge buttons. He did not hear the captain give any directions to anyone. Dr. Foden: What was he doing? Witness: I couldn't see him from where I was attending to the watertight door. I do not think I would not hear him if he gave orders to the mate or the deckhand. "I tried to go back to the engineroom to investigate the door, but I could not get there. I met the second engineer and the fireman coming up. They did not have their personal effects with them. They told me I couldn't get down. When I was told I couldn't get down I looked down and could see the water about 3ft above tbe plate. That would have been just on a critical point in regard to the circulating pomp. He made for the boiler tops and tied the safety valve open to release steam to avoid an explosion. Witness had heard that eminent engineers held that that was an exploded theory, but he adhered to what he bad learned at sea during the war. There was a possibility of an explosion and it was his duty IO report it as the engineer. He was quite.-calm and cool. The engines had actually stopped before he let off steam. "Had Daae Everything* "After I had fastened the safetv valve down, L*ame oa> deck and saw the, captain and explained, that I had done everything that could be done. I mentioned the noMihlltty of the boiler exploding and I told him that I was sending my crew into the Presto, that 1 was going, too, and I suggested that he should come, too, as the tug waa then under tow. I mentioned the possibility of an explosion. He did not make any demur to our going." Dr. Foden: From your evidence it looks as though th* captain tejnataed Very silent. What directions did ha givet Witness: He gave none to me. Witness said the captain made no reply te him on this occasion. The captain did not look excited but remained cool and-collected as far as he could see.

Engineer Questioned. Dr. Foden: Is it usual for'the chief engineer to follow the course that you did in ordering your crew to leave the vessel ? Witness: lam responsible for the safety of my men. I do not consider that on a ship the engineer could leave with his crew, but on a tug we have to help oOe another. We have only a •mall staff. My report to the captain was the equivalent of asking the captain if we could get away. The discipline on a tug is more free and easy, yet each man has, to do what ha •* told by his superior, Jnf ease of emtrgeney, 1 think the engineer should be a»le to decide things like that. , Dr. Foden: What is your explanation of the stoppage of the engines! Witness: The water in the engineroom would pat the- circulating pump out of commission. : To' Mr. McKean: The water would be for the- low furnace whan 1 released the safety valve. To Mr. Moody; witness said he could not eay how long the engines kept running after the -vessel struck. Mr. Moody: There is only one person in complete Toanusand- Who » that? (Witness: The-master. Mr. usnally gives the order to* ahanddat' ; 'eMpt Witness: Yea.- • Do you think-it wise to depart from the established enatomt '' "My remarks to the captain were In the form of a question." Ho Begnlatiana fat Emergencies. To Mr. McKean, witness said that, to his knowledge, no teat waa made of the watertight doors apart from that at the annual survey. Met* were no regulations or drills for emergency occasions. To Mr. Baxter, witness said that: he had never had any instructions to test the door. At the time the veseel etraek the second engineer waa at .the controls, and witneaa waa standing by. Ha waa the freer man of the two. The skip waa somewhere between QoeenV and Prinee's wharves when he ehut off steam. The engines were stopped and there waa no advantage in having steam up. ; ,- Jack Albert Peterson, acting-aeeond engineer on the Te Awhina, said that he could not say what made the engines stop. They stopped by their own accord. The chief engineer had tofti him to, stand by. Ha could sea the water coming in. "I stayed until the water waa np to my waist. . Someone called down to na to -beat it.' Nothing could have been done by me to keep the engines going." Witness said he took,his, orders from the chief engineer, and, get into the launch when told to do so by the chief. Trial Under Water. William Thomas James Clare, a shipwright, employed by the Auckland Harbour Board, gave evideaee that he had gone down to the deck of the Te Awhina during salvage operations and had found the ratchet in position an the watertight door..

"I tried it out and it would not go. I then passed the ratchet up to the punt and they did something to it. I could not get normal pressure on because I was working under water. I tried the ratchet again first one way and then another, and could not shift it. I then called for a piece of pipe and put it on the handle of the ratchet for extra pressure. I tried it again, first one way and then the other, and it worked." Sidney Shaw, a shipwright, corroborated this evidence. Swung Under Quarter. Moses Thomas Morris, mate of the Te Awhina, said he was on the foredeck of the tug when the accident happened. When the tug swung alongside the ship she slipped forward and swung under the quarter of the Essex. The ebb tide would assist in that movement. Dr. Foden: D» you see the Essex slip forward just at that time? Witness: Xo. "Was there a pood deal of surge at the stern of the Essex? '•Xo." The chief engineer ran forward, he said, and called out to the captain to cast off as the vessel was holed and taking water. The captain had given the order to cast off. The tug was under the quarter when she was cast off. It would have been possible to cast off before that. Witness then told how as the vessel made for shallow ground he called to the Ferro to take a tow. He jumped aboard with the line. Later the Preston came. also. He took the line then on board the Ferro. went back and took a line from Captain Probert onto the Ferro, and stood by for emergency. Qttestioned by Dr. Foden regarding hi* attitude in going into the launch, witness said: I don't see that there was any sense in staying on board the ship when it was sinking, and we wanted to get the ship to shallow water. Witness said he acted purely on his own initiative. He had not heard Captain Probert give any orders about anything. He had acted as he thought best. There was no sign of panic. He had taken the second line from Captain Probert and assumed that what he did was with the approval of the captain. Did Not Repsat Warning.

Witness, to Mr. Barrowclongh, said that when the ship was made fast to the Essex he called out to Captain Probert that it was made fast too far aft. Captain Probert did not answer. Witness did not repeat the warning. "I thought he was satisfied,'' said Witness.

"Is the Harbour Board trying to crucify its own master?" asked/ Mr. Moody when Mr. Barrowclongh asked witness about an Incident in relation to the Mnr'-'osa. He had protested that the vessel was tied up too far aft and had been told that if he could do any better he could come and do it himself. That was the reason why he had not repeated his warning in signal to the Essex. Dealing with his action in getting into the Ferro, witness said that there was no one on board the Ferro except the master. There was no one to take a line. "What are your duties as chief officer?" asked Mr. Moody. "Just do as I'm told, most of the time," said witness. Mr. Moody: And the rest of the time you do as you like. Witness Questioned Closely. Closely questioned by Mr. Moody, witness admitted that he had not re•ported that he had warned Captain Pro'bert that the line was too far aft until he told Captain Sargeant, the harbourmaster, a week ago. He had told his solicitor. He denied that it was "just a fabrication." He had never been awked, ha said. He felt that he had responsibility M to a certain extent." Witness had put in his resignation to the Harbour Board on August 1. He had not discussed the question with other members of the crew. He had asked the deckhand if he heard him call out to the captain. Witness said he had been on the Te Awhina for 28 years.

Witness said he did not see the second officer of the Essex. It happened sometimes that the second officer was on the other side of the ship that was being berthed. The tide was fairly strong, he •aid. He could not say whether the Essex had any way on or not.

Mr. Moody: You, a responsible officer, went away from the ship, leaving the skipper with a deckhand?

Witness: I took the line aboard to tow the tug away so it would not sink in deep water.

Dr. Foden: This is not very satisfactory to have no many stories told that differ. Why did you not tell the full details to Captain Wjllcox, the Superintendent of Marine?

Witness: I didn't know I would be asked.

To further questions witness said he hadjbeen influenced by a desire not to "nan* tales."

(Proceeding.)