NAUTICAL INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 174, 16 April 1908, Page 4

NAUTICAL INQUIRY

| WAIRUNA-MOONAH COLLISION. FURTHER EVIDENCE. , [Br TEUiObAni.—ritiSS' association.! Auckland, April 14. Tho m.irino inquiry, into tho eircumstancos of tho oollision between tho steamer Wairuna and tho ketch .Moonah' was continued to-day before Ml\' ! 'C:;'C.":Kcttlc, _ S.M., and Captains Adamson. and Mackenzie, assessors. Mr.' Mays appeared'for tho Customs, Department; Mr-. tiio Jlnion Steam Ship Company, Mri.Hanna'for Captain Robinson and tho other officers of tho Wairuna, and Mr. M'Gregor''for, '.CaptainO'De Silva, of tho Moonah.'' •' •

William Goorgo Krauso, ono of the crow of tho;koteh, continuing-Es-«videnco, said that before tho collision he saw tho throe lights of tho steamer when she was close'to the Iria. Tito steauier was Straight towards the bow of "tho ketch:

. engineer, of- tho Wairuna; iwas" fexariiined "by Mr.; Hainna regarding tlio speed, of" the Wairuna at the •.jbii»®ofrtbp collision. ff'Hejsaid that at 10.85; : "th«V\chief i 'ofli6ei ! . l camo' .dewn to the wigino-' room with , orders from jtlie' captain that, tho steamer, was going to. anchor, as there , had' iliDofl ;rinV;acbident vessel : had' lioon, sunk.. '.Witness said this was tho first, intimation ho had that thoro had been .an accident.. Ho felt nothing of tho collision in tbo'engine-room: He heard the steamer's whiGtloigo; -apdt'jT.orlvfed'jithe .vessel' himself, ,anticipating'that. there ;.might bo an emergency call. Tho full -speed of tho Wairuna was lli.- knots. .Anything, over .half-speed in tho Auckland Harbour' was'.'considered; fall spaed. On tho night in question the steamer. to 5f knots. > '• ,'To'Mr.. M'Veagh: 'Witness', had, known -Cap-, "15^.ifeBiaMh""fdf' or eighteen years, andihadv him six or seven . months.,JfHo;'(v,'itnesS);fCQnld say of . him . that ho:' Was"'one of theVinTosticareful navigators— •'in7fict,v'ho ;-<?as' : almost'*''."painfully careful." The officers i were very careful and attentive to their duties..:

. Joseph Morle£,'-'chief' officer of 'the •.WaiTuna;- gave : /i-cfjardirig tho. collision. There, was, he'said/a. wind of sufficient forco to; blow the eco\v across tho steamer's stern:.

Mr. M'tfregorf'in'the'-'oourso of his erossoxamination- of tho chief iri.ato,' produced two small ■ models . of.; .vcgsels representing tho ketph aliij'tlio and- asked the. witness •to ; 'give a practical illustration with them, as to how, in liisi tho collision occurred. Witness did so. : '' ■■ ■' ■

>;'Tbfe• CaiwrioS^a-'-of. tfeo Bench, 'after watching] thp^ijlustration.^'remarked:; Then tho ! ;inust''havo- driftM, broadside on to tho steamer/ in-your''opinion? ' '. I Witnoss: Yes. ;i;;, 1 .. f.-To Mr-c the impact oe.currcd engines had-stopped. ; Mr..Kettle: This isvimportant. = At tlio conclusion .of. tho examination of this 'iitßcss,' tho inquiry was adjourned till noxt. morning,.•' QUESTION OF IDENTIFICATION. ; Auckland, April 14 .'During tho inquiry.Vonoji'witness, .referring to.'tho case of the seaman' Smith, "who "was :dr<iwned",' , i'Baid'that sufficient' ovidenoa had ; not: beeii'taien to establish idontification; arid ho,,was buried liko: a-'-'dog. ,• Mr.; KettleOno would havo thought: that oyery fragment ;pf • evidenco; would liavo. been obtained, in /order: tb"-; establish tho identity of tho body. Was ho.registered as unknown? ./iMr.CMays.:.!J-'belief so. • Mr. 'Kettle: buried? . i ; Witness: .Out' Waikumoto 1 ; ; way. I think' tho .company would havo >beon • prepared to givo'hijri'.a decent burial, too. I "saw somo ' sort "Pf. a .blaClraffair go, out, /brit it was unfit to carry,;the remains of a hunian.being,. oven if he only : ; a sailor. It was fit for a : '4 0 e^„. ( '...,,vy.., '■■■ v ■J : ''",'.Mfl"'"K6ui6 :'"'*.Tho.'coronor ■' and tho polico should" havo' soeri-to this. - ' . . • : • Sergeant -Ranasay stated ..that, everything ■had. been, done; that - was possible iii' the cir-. icumk'aiices/ iirid itho oorqner ' w'as satisfied, thatistifficjeht. pains -bad beeii; taken to establish '