AWAROA COLLISION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1912, Page 7

AWAROA COLLISION.

WITH FERRY WHARF. WHO WAS TO BLAME? An enquiry was held this morning with a view to deciding whether the collision of the B.c. Awaroa with the Wellington Ferry Wharf, on 23rd November, was due to the alleged wrongful act or default of Thomas Baillie, engineer, "in going full speed ahead, in; stead of full speed astern, contrary to the master's orders." Dr. A. M' Arthur, S.M., presided, and Captain Grey and Mr. James Darling acted as assessors. Mt. T. Young appeared for Thomas Baillie } Mr. P. Levi for Captain Watchlin, master of the Awaroa; and Mr. R. M. Watson for the Wellington Harbour Ferries Company, owners of tb« Awaroa. Mr, Brabazon appeared for the Marine Department. Alexander Watchlin,, master of the Awaroa, said that on a trip from Day's Bay to Wellington, on 23rd November, when, apprpachwg the Ferry Wharf he gave the order : "Stand by, and, after running a short distance, "Slow ahead!" Shortly afterwards he rang "Stop !" but, finding that tho vessel had not sufficient way to bring her into the wharf, he rang "Slow ahead!" and "Stop!", followed by "Full speed astern." Witness noticed the ship was gathering way, and he repeated the order "Full speed astern ." and also shouted down the speaking tube that the engines were going the wrong way. Shortly afterwards the vessel collided with the> wharf. Mr. Brabazon : Have you always found th« engineer careful in taking orders from the bridge? Witness : No. On two -previous occa* j sions he wrongly interpreted orders from j the bridge. To Mr. Levi : Witness made an entry of these circumstances in the ship's ! diary, and had asked Baillie himself to report th© facts to the owners. WitI ness was now master of the Falcon. He left the AwaToa, by mutual consent, I ; and had given notice before the. accident occurred. MORE ABOUT THE ORDERS. Mr. Young : Baillie saya the- orders he got from you were "Stand by," j "Half-ahead," "Slow ahead," "Stop," and "Half -ahead." ' , Witness : My last order 4 was "Full speed astern !' when coming into the wharf. The orders you give to tho tha engineer are repeated, are they not?— Yes. Did not Baillie repeat "Half-ahead"?' — No, I never said "Half-ahead!" . Did you look at the telegraph? — Yes. Do you say he repeated "lull speed astern!" when you gave the iast. order? — It was not repeated. Why not? — Sometimes thd engineers do npt repeat orders— there is so much manoeuvring to be done about v the wharves on a ferry service. Is not the idea of repeating orders to see thai they are received correctly? — Yes. Witness agreed that the circumstance ' referred to might have been the result of an accident. CONCERNING THE VESSEL. Mr. Young: Does the Awaroa steer well? Witness : Not in rough weather. Have you had considerable trouble with her in this respect?— Yes, we have had some trouble. Did you not, "loop the loop" once?— We had some trouble, owing to tha vessel being out of trim, in rough weathoi 1 in the harbqur. In fine weather she is a splendid steering vessel. Have the owners not had ,»n expert to examine her on two occasions?— Yes; an expert has examined the vessel a couple of times in reference to the matter of steering in rough weather. Did you ever find the telegraph stick? — No; sometimes I found it a little hard to work, but I never found it stick. Witness was examined as to the two occasions on which it was alleged that Baillie had niisinterpeted orders, and adhered to his statement. One instance occurred at Day's Bay and the other at Rona Bay. Mi. Baillie said something about the engines "priming," but he did not understand what was meant. He had himself on one occasion slightly damaged a boat on going out to pick up the Helen Denny in a gale of wind. He had been in no other collision. ) Mr. Watson : Do you think the collision with the wharf on 23rd November could in any way be attributed to defective steering gear?— Witnes s: No. Or to any defect in the telegraph?— No. EVIDENCE BY MASTER OF THE HUIA. Daniel M'Kenzie, master of the auxiliary schooner Hfcia, said his vessel was berthed at the Woolshed Wharf on 23rd November. He saw the Awaroa coming in, and noticed the master ring "Full speed astern!" but the ship seemed to gather more way. Witness also noticed the master calling the order down the tube. To Mr. Levi: If the order had been obeyed the accident would not have occurred. To Mr. Young s He did not think the Awaroa was going to meet with an accident as she came up to the wharf. I Witness could not see the dial of the telegraph, but could tell by the motion of the captain's arm what signal was rung up. He did not hear what the captain of the Awaroa- said when he repeated the order down the tube. Captain Watchlin had discussed the collision with him. To Mr. Levi : The lever of the tele- ' graph was not obscured to witness's I view. ON HIS DEFENCE. Thomas Baillie, examined by Mr. Brabazon,, said he held a first-class engineer's certificate. When he was approaching 1 the Ferry Wharf the orders n& received ! tvere: — "Stop," "half-ahead," "slow," "stop," "half-ahead," and then very -quick "full spesd astern." Almost inimediately the vessel struck^ and he got the order, "stop." Subsequently he got several orders to manoeuvre the vessel to the wharf. To Mr. Levi: Witness had furnished i a report to the owners of the vessel ! concerning the collision. It was not a, fact that in the report he attributed tho collision to the "priming" of tha engines. In reply to Mr. Young, witness said he repeated the orders, "half -ahead" and "full speed astern," to tho bridge. All orders he got on the telegraph were repeated. Witness had been an engineer for tw«nty-three years, and had his firstclass certificate issued to him in 1894. He had never been in a collision before. Mi*. Yonng: Did the captain speak through the tube? Witness : "No." He added that he did not believe it was possible for tha captain of the Huia to accurately determine what order was rung on the Awaroa'a telegraph. Witness denied that Captain Watchlin had ever spoken to him concerning an alleged misinterpretation of orders at Day's Bay. * ' THE RONA BAY INCIDENT. As to the second occasion on which he had allegedly misinterpreted orders at Rona Bay, the engines wero 'priming ; badly, and he had to delay putting an order to "Reverse"' into effect until ho got the water out of the engines. He then reversed, as ordered, and informed the captain to that effect when Ihe called down; £hs, tybe,

Captain Jones, jnaslc-r of the Pilot, said he was on the wharf at the bow of the Huia on 23rd November last. He could not Bee the telegraph of the Awaroa, nor could be read the signals a« they were given. This concluded the evidence. ENGINEER EXONERATED. "The Court," said Dr. M'Arthur, in giving the decision of the Bench, "while it has no doubt as to what was the cause of the accident, is not prepared to cay that was due to the wrongful act of the enginner. Tho Court has the evidence of Captain M'Kenzie before it, but, whilst not doubting ite truthfulness, the Court would not like to condemn any man on such a slight testimony. r lhe conflict is between the master and the engineer as to whether a certain order was given. While not attaching blame to anyone, and not pretending to be able to say who was responsible, the Court is compelled to answer the question submitted to it in th© negative. ' Mr. Baillie was accord- | ingly exonerated, and no order was made j .as to costs.