A COLLISION.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18676, 27 April 1926, Page 10

A COLLISION.

LAUNCH AND STEAMER. SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, April 26. An appeal against' the decision of the Nautical Court, of .Enquiry concerning .the collision between the launch Iris Eileen and the steamer Wainui in Raugitoto Channel 011 tlie' night of July 7th, 1925, was made by Albert Laurence O'Brien, owner of the launch, in the Supreme' Court this afternoon. The Nautical Court found that the accident was due to the neglect of the launch master to go to port. New evidence was given by. William Garrett, who was donkeyman 011 the Wainui at the' time of the collision. Describing events just -before the impact, witness said he heard the telegraph ring, and iyent to the engine room. Tlie indicator in the engine room was at "Full astern," but there was 110 one there to answer it. Some minutes later the telegraph' . again rang, and an engineer came running aft to the engine room. Tlie second ring was "Half ahead." Witness declared . that the Wainui never went astern as ordered. Witness gave it as his opinion that _ if the Wainui. had ported her helm more, or if the order to go astern had been answered earlier, the collision might have been averted. The Wainui was sheering about, while, as far as he i:ould see, tne launch kept on the one course. Witness also alleged that the second mate, E. M. Foster, was drunk at the time, and although it was his watch he was incapable. Captain Chatfield, recalled, denied the charges of drunkenness against the second'officer. Foster,' he said, had assisted in handling the lifeboat after the Collision, and was, in witness's opinion, perfectly sober. Tlie case was adjourned until tomorrow.