DRAWN TOGETHER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10473, 31 December 1927, Page 9

DRAWN TOGETHER

SUCTION AND IMPULSION FORCES ACTED.

SHIPS WERE ON PARALLEL COURSE. • .

NAVAL EXPERT ON PERRY COLLISION.

WI.TNESS CRITICISES 1 E'NGIN-

JEERS’ EVIDENCE

“NOT FIT TO BE ON LINER

(United Press Assn.—Copyright;) ‘ (Received December 30, 10 p.m.) . ' SYDNEY, Dec. 30. Tile judicial inquiry into the Greycliffe disaster was continued.

•Mr. John Thompson, a member of the Institute of Naval Architects, Marine , Engineers and Mechanical Engineers, London, continuing Iris evidence, said he had been listening carefully to sec if there was any evidence that the Greycliffo turned to starboard, hut there was no evident-© that sin; did.

In reply to a suggestion by Mr. Justice Campbell that nlj observers were, otherwise occupied, witness said yes. lie supposed that the Grpyeiiffe would-ultimately have turned to starboard.

•In reply to a further question by counsel, Mr. Thompson said that in his opinion, forces, both suction and repulsion, operated when the Tahiti and the Greycliffe came together.

Then in answer to cross-examina-tion, witness said his deductions regarding the operation of the interaction did not necessarily fail if the speeds be estimated were found to be incorrect. He added there was no doubt that the two vessels had been steering practically parallel courses just before tin- collision. He was ol opinion tha't the angle of the vessels at the point oi contact was very slight. Replying to a question regarding the evidence of the Tahiti’s engineer's as to the engines not being properly warmed up at the time of the collision. Mr. Thompson said if the engines of the ’Tahiti took Irom ton o'clock in the morning to 4.30 o’clock in the afternoon to warm up. they should lie thrown overboard and the engineers with them. The witness then criticised the engineers. He said he had listened to their evidence, “and if they cannot, as tliev said, say what number of revolutions their" engines were doing going out of harbor that altornoon. they did not know their jobs, and were not fit to be engineers on a liner like the Tahiti.”

lit reply to a further question, witness said that with the larger type of vessels coming into Sydney harbor now. inter-notion could take place in almost any part of the harbor. It was quite possible that many mishaps which occurred opposite Bradley s Head had been due to inter-action although they bad been attributed to other causes.-—L.R.A.

GREYCLI FEE'S CAPTAIN CORRECTS EVIDENCE.

FELT WAVE STRIKE VESSEX

(Received December 30, 11.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dee. 30. James Kid, engineer and works maiitwor lor Svdncy J 4 oirios. J-tcl.j c/jiYo evidence that lie had no record of any repairs made to the steering of the Greyclilfo during tile mouth of October. ~ Captain Barnes, in charge ot uie Groyeliffc on the day ol the disasteii, recalled. gave evidence that he toll a wave strike the vessel just before tin- collision, but in a statement previously made to the police, he made no reference to the wave.

UNUSUAL INCIDENT SOME W EEKS- BEFORE DISASTER

Robert lvaye, Naval employee, stated that two or three weeks >ofore the disaster In- went to Circular Quay wharf to travel to Garden Island' bv the Watson’s Bay lorry, tliat day lie travelled by the Gn>eliifc After the vessel had gone 200 cards or 300 voids from the wharf she came hack to the wharf, and remained there about twenty minutes, tie saw the master of the Gietclme stand on the wharf lor a tew seconds looking at the stern of the vessel, and then go towards the ferry office. The master returned in about twenty minutes with another man. The two conversed while looking at the stun. He overheard part ol the conversation. The ferry left the whnrr and went backwards and forwards to swing round, and finally left the wharf with the other end first.

FERRY’S RUDDER PIN EG UN D BROKEN IN AUGUST.

Francis Ludcck, superintendent ot the Watson’s Bay Ferry Service, crave evidence that the master ot the Grevclifl’e informed him on August, o that he thought the rudder pm was broken, and that he had gone out from the wharf and found the rudder would not answer. Hie terry «• then docked and a new rnddu p fitted, when it was found that t»<old one was broken.

LINER’S ESTIYLVrED A 1 THIRTEEN KNOTS.

Frank Baker, ship's draughtsman at, Garden island, deposed that oil sneed calculations, lie worked out the speed at which the Taint, would have reached at the point of impart aS The'* Court adjourned till Tuesday. —U P. A.

COR ONEE ’ S INQUIRY AD - JOURNED.

dl*w*Tod 1 The Coroner’s inquiry into the Grevcliflo tragedy was adjourned till January 9.—-U-P-A,