MISHAP TO TUG

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 73, 23 September 1938, Page 10

MISHAP TO TUG

INQUIRY CONCLUDES

EVIDENCE OF MATE

"NO ORDERS GIVEN"

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day.

Further evidence was heard yesterday afternoon at the nautical inquiry into the sinking of the Auckland tug Te Awhina after a mishap during the berthing of the steamer Essex. Moses Thomas Morris, mate of the Te Awhina, said that after they had cast off from the Essex and were near the end of Queen's Wharf, witness called to the master of the launch Ferro to come to their assistance. When the Ferro came alongside witness jumped on board and gave a tow-line to a deck-hand for the purpose of towing. j "Half-way between Queen's and | Prince's Wharves the launch Presto came up," witness added. "I let go the line to the Ferro and jumped on to the Presto, got a line from Captain Probert, and passed it up to the captain of the Presto. Then I got another line on to the Ferro. Then I stood by. I did all this on my own initiative, considering that an emergency had arisen and that I was justified in what I did. I do not consider I should have waited for orders from the master. There were no orders given about anything." Witness added that he considered in the circumstances the action of other members in leaving the ship without instructions was justified. There was no sign of panic. To Mr. Barrowclough, for the Auckland Harbour Board, witness said that when they were moored to the Essex he had called out to Captain Probert that they were too far aft, but the master made no response. Witness concluded that Captain Probert was satisfied and did not repeat his warning. Counsel: Were there any other occasions when you had to speak to the captain about the mooring position? Witness: I did so either at the berthing of the Monterey or the Mariposa some time ago, when I was told that if 1 could do any better I could come up and do it. Because I was ignored on a previous occasion, I did not repeat my warning this time. Witness said he went on board the Ferro because there was no one else to make a line fast, the captain of the launch being the only occupant, and being engaged in steering it. DECKHAND CONGRATULATED. James Da vies, deckhand on the tug, said he heard the mate tell Captain Probert that the tug was moored too far aft, but the captain might not have heard. In his opinion the tug was drawn in, because there was an ebb tide and the Essex was moving forward, creating suction. Witness realised that they were getting into trouble, but he did not say anything, believing that Captain Probert would handle the position. Later, witness said, the situation developed so quickly that the captain could not have done anything. He did not leave the tug with the engine-room staff because he was standing by to make the launches fast. He heard no orders or remarks regarding the possibility of an explosion. At the end of witness's evidence Dr. Foden congratulated him on the way he had carried out his duties. "We cannot blame anyone because of the failure to put the pumps into action, because it appears that they would have been ineffective in the circumstances," Dr. Foden said later. Captain Sergeant, harbourmaster at Auckland, in describing arrangements for berthing the Essex, said that a strong ebb tide had been expected, and the pilot had asked that he should be allowed two tugs. The master of the tug was responsible for the position in which he placed his tug alongside the ship. To Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., witness denied that the William C. Daldy, being the more valuable tug, was customarily placed in the forward position, as that was safer. Witness also denied a suggestion that the William C. Daldy had ' got into difficulties with an American steamer. In his opinion the accident was caused through an error of judg- '■ ment on the part of the master of the Te Awhina in placing his tug so far ■ aft on the Essex. ; He declined to answer questions by • Mr. Moody as to who had given in- ' structions that Captain Probert was ' not to go back on board the Te Awhina, and Mr. Barrowclough objected that such questions were irrelevant. The Magistrate said he did not think , such questions had a bearing on the 1 inquiry. i POSITION OF TUG. ] Giving evidence when the inquiry ) resumed today, Captain F. S. Wainhouse, deputy harbourmaster and l. licensed pilot, said that it was usual . for the aft tug to moor in a position \ that was safe. He did not think it t would be possible to get an adequate system of signals. The tugmaster was I the best judge of the position to make / fast. He had seen Captain Probert berth a number of ships and he had , done so to the satisfaction of the wit- 1 ness. J To Mr. Foden, witness said that the t. tugmaster had the final decision as to .. where he would moor, and no officer t on the ship could order otherwise. { He believed no text book could be j written to cover all the sudden emer- j gencies. Every harbour was differ- t ent from others from a tugging point j of view. * To Mr. McKean, witness said that ( le tug should never be closer to the c stern of another vessel than 140 or 150 t feet. Anything less would be running t risks. There was a certain amount of r responsibility on everyone, but the \-, second officer of the Essex would be 0 justified in assuming that the tug would t maintain its position at right angles, fc All conditions were fairly favourable, t Captain W. A. Beswick, senior t pilot of the Harbour Board, said he c had never known instructions being n given by a pilot to a tugmaster as to v tne position he should take up. He had never known a tug to moor so v far aft that it was under the propellers. "Accidents of this sort would T never occur if tug-masters did their i duty. fi "Is that so?" asked Mr. McKean. | Witness: That is so. Captain David Burgess, master of the William C. Daldy, said that unless instructed otherwise the William C. Daldy's position was forward, though *? sometimes he had been told to go aft. * He had never been given precise in- tj structions at what point he should " make fast. The Te Awhina could i have given all the assistance necesj sary from a lead further forward. She \> was not required to slew. Captain 1] Probert was a competent tug-master, s This concluded the evidence. Mr. J] McKean said that the Court would c present a report to the Marine De-J a partment. * iv