ADMIRALTY COURT

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 115, 11 November 1935, Page 11

ADMIRALTY COURT

COLLISION AT SEA

LAURENTIC-NAPIER STAR

DECISION RESERVED

(From "The Post's' Representative.) . ' .■ ■: .LONDON, October 19.

On August 18 last the Cunard-White Star liner Laurentic and the Blue Star cargo ship Napier star came into collision in the Irish Sea, to the south of the Isle of Man. Damage was done to both ships and six members-of the crew ol the Laurentic were killed and five others were injured. The Laurentic, which is a steamship of 18,724 tons, was bound on a pleasure cruise from Liverpool to the Baltic ports with 620 passengers and a crew of 420, while the Napier Star, a twin-screw vessel of 10,116 tons, was on a.voyage from Glasgow to Liverpool, part laden with general cargo and manned by a crew of fifty-one hands all told. The question of liability for the collision has been the subject of an action in the Admiralty Court before Mr. Justice Bucknill, sitting with two Trinity Masters, and.after four days' hearing, the Judge has taken time to consider his decision. The case pleaded by the Laurentic was that the Napier Star was navigating at an excessive speed; that she improperly starboarded her helm; that she improperly attempted to cross ahead of the Laurentic; that she failed to stop her engines on hearing a fog whistle forward of her beam," and thereafter to navigate with caution until danger of collision was over. The Laurentic also alleges that the Napier Star did not sound her whistle for fog in accordance with the regulations. The Napier Star's case is that the speed of the Laurentic was "excessive; that she,improperly altered her course to port; that she failed to comply with the regulations with regard to stopping her engines on hearing the fog signal of the Napier Star forward of the beam and navigating with caution until danger of collision was over. THE WHISTLE SIGNALS. The story of the collision Irom the Laurentic point of view was told by Mr. Oliver 'Norman Tugwell, junior first officer, who was in charge of the, bridge at the material time. In the course of his evidence he said that when he heard a prolonged blast of a ship's whistle on the starboard bow he was amazed, because so far as he was concerned the weather was clear, and yet he could not see the vessel which had sounded the fog signal. He waited about eight to ten seconds and then sounded a normal prolonged blast and ordered "stand by" on the main engines of the Laurentic. After-an interval of approximately forty-five seconds a short blast was heard from the other vessel, and again after an interval of about eight seconds the whistle of the Laurentic was sounded a prolonged blast and her main engines were- stopped.' After another interval of approximately forty-five seconds a second short blast was heard sounded by the- other vessel, and, in reply, after another interval of about eight seconds, the whistle of the Laurentic was again' sounded a prolonged blast and her engines were ordered, and put, astern. About forty-five seconds later another short blast was heard from the'other steamer, and about two seconds afterwa :ds the two masthead lights, followed i mmediately afterwards by the red ligl.t of the Napier Star came into sight/ ...... At once the wiistle of the Laurentic was sounded thii'e short blasts, to indicate to the Napier Star that the main engines of the. Laurentic were then going full astern. As her lights appeared out of tha fog the witness realised that the Na;pier Star had considerable headway. In a very short time the collision oi curred. The Napier Star had repliel to the Laurentic's three short bias :s signal with a similar signal. The watertight doors of the Laurentic •"irere closed after the collision. The. vessels did not remain long in contact, but. the port anchor of the Napier !star was left in the side of the Laure ntic. He had realised at 2 a.m. (the collision was at 2.32) that i visibility was not as good as it had I been, but he would have said that it i was not less thfin two miles. j STATE OF THE WEATHER. j Crossrexamina ion was chiefly con-1 [cerned with the question of visibility.; Mr. Tugwell maintained throughout I that just before he heard the whistle I from the other i;hip the weather wasi clear, and he coild see two miles. He i j said he was psrfectly certain that! !no other whistle:• than those which hei ' had mentioned heard. He still; I thought that he could see for a dis-! I tance of two miles, and that it was ■ proper for him I o go on at full speed. i'At the time of tne actual collision the visibility was reduced'to a little over a ship's length.

Mr. H. G. Wi.mer (for the owners of the Napier Star): You are asking us to believe that in the space of three minutes the visibility was reduced to •that extent. E\ents prove you must have been very wrong in your estimate.

The Napier Star says that she onlysounded one helm signal, and the earlier signals were fog signals. Do you not think that you may be wrong "about that?—l still think that I only heard.one fog signal. Is it your ides that the Napier Star was altering hei course and sounding helm signals?—"!Tes. XAPIER STAR'S VERSION. The main story from the point of view of the Napier Star was told by Mr. James Taylot, master of that vessel, who was on the bridge with the third officer and a quartermaster. He said the Chickens Li?ht had been sighted. Passing fog banks had been experienced, and when .the Napier Star was abeam of the Chickens the light was obliterated by fog over the land. At 1.15 a.m. the course was altered from S.I4E. true to S.62JE. true. At 1.58 a.m. the .speed was reduced to halfspeed' (10-11 knots), visibility having become poorer. The whistle was continuously sounded. At 2.22, visibility having got worse, he reduced the speed to slow-.(about 7J knots). At 2.30 he heard a whistle, apparently coming from ahead, and immediately he stopped .the. engines and answered with .one long.'blast. -After an interval of about' forty-five -seconds,* as the other steamer did not sound her whistle again,'he repeated his one long blast signal. After another; interval of about fortyfive seconds another long blast was heard Ir.om the Laurentic, and almost immediately he: say the white fore masthead light of .the-liner. At once he (thfi: witness) , ordered his engines full spee.d'.astern with a double ring tovthe^eiiginerootn; oi-dered his helm haV^aTstarbpard, and sounded one short blast on his whistle, followed immediately; afterwards by three short blasts.. . ,•

The masthead light of the Lauren tic when; sighted bore about one point on the port bow and was distant approximately a cable. Before, the collision the deck lights and green light of the Laurentic also came into view. It was a matter of seconds only before the collision occurred.

I THc>.speed:of:the Napier Star at the j time of the collision was about six to seven knots." The reversing of Ihe engines bad had no effect on the speed, but the Napier Star went off about five degrees under starboard helm. When sighted the Lauren tic was swinging quickly under hard-a-port helm.