THE STORM-WAKATU COLLISION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 7

THE STORM-WAKATU COLLISION.

"ONE SIDE OR, OTHER i¥iNG.''

BOTH. SIDES TO BLAME. (Br T£LEGllAl'a—ritESS association.) ■■ ' Lytteiton, April 2. An inquiry into the collision between the Canterbury Steamship Company's Storm arid Messrs. Levin and (Jo.'s Wakatu was held at Lyttelton to-day before Mr., Bishop, S.M., and Captains Dolmen' and Malion, assessors. „by,.. Captai- -N. uoods,..master of the Storm. Ho stated he was below at- tho. time of tho collision. When ho on deck he found the Wakatu coming from under the Storm's stern. ; The second mate, who had charge :of the Storm at . the time of the collision, said that thoysteamer was stoering N. by E. .}• E., the weather being fin© and calm; At 8.30 he sighted tho Wakatu one and a quarter points on.,his starboard bow, showing a green light, and apparently running a reverse course, so that they could havo passed safely half a mile apart. When threo points on the bow the, Wakatu. ported, opening both lights and giving no signal. When she was close he had. the helm pub hard a-starboard. The collision then occurred, the Storm being struck on the starboard quarter. She was heading N.W., -and tho Wakatu about S,"\\\ at the time. He considered-lMPthe Wakatu should not have ported under,tho stances. The damaEo ,done.'.was estimated at £150 to' £200. ." _ Captain Jamos Wills',' maste/ 'of. ' tho u-akatu,, said that tho. course of. his ship mf 3 was in charge. Tno^damage'to his'vessel was estimated at

A.- Jl'lntyre, mato of the Wakatu, said that -tho - steamers wero end, on. He never tho' Sform's green light -at all, " but Picked itp'.hel' , red light, aiid ported his helm. ■ He then saw tho Storm crossing'his Po«; s ; and ordered his helm a-starboard. Tho collision- occurred immediately. .He did not whistle on- porting, not thinking it necessary,' nor on starboarding because he had no timo:before tho collision..

Mr. Isishop, in delivering the finding, said that it. was extremely unsatisfactory to find tho evidenco so contradictory, especially when there was such contradiction as to establish beyond doubt that one sido or tho ■other.was. lying. There, qould bo no mistako- about, some contradictions., and thorefwo there must have beeii...deliberate intention to mislead the: Court. ~.lt was impossible., in-this caso> to gauge :t-ho extent of tho lying... . ■ ■~,... , •."■ The. quesfjohs put to-the Court and the answers were(l) Whether tho vessels were seaworthy and properly, found, especially as regards lights. Answer: Yes. (2) Generally, what caused the collision? Answer: Errors, of judgment on both sides. Inthepaso of tho Storm by the officer in charge of'the bridge starboarding and so attempting to cross tho Wakatu's bow, arid by not stopping his onginos and not sounding his whistle when altering his course; in the case of the 'Wakatu by tho officer starboarding his helm, by not stopping 'his engines and giving full-speed-astern, and not sounding tho whistle when first altering his. cburse. (3) In particular, 'whether the collision was due to the negligence or wrongful act of ally person on cither v.esssl, and what was the nature'of such negligence? This question was answered by the reply to number two. (4) Whether the collision could havo, reasonably been prevented, and by what means? Answer: Yes, ;by strictly observing ilic rules of tho road. Mr. Bishop said that tho assessors and he considered i'the look-out Was regarded practically as .a farce on such vessels, and he did' not think- that anything could bo traceable to - the- lack <of • a proper' look-out, and that, as tho deck officers had to tako what they wero supplied with, -owners and hot the officers were more responsible in regarc, to the look-out. As it was\quito clear that the collision was duo to oil both Rides, the only way of ■ bringing homo tho- necessity for the proper regard of tho rules was that each sido would have'to pay its own costs; : in each case' the officer in charge of the deck would be ordered to pay a moiety of tho costs. Tho certificates would be returned to all parties.