THE WAIHI-MOHAKA COLLISION.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 5359, 2 December 1885, Page 2

THE WAIHI-MOHAKA COLLISION.

Blenheim, December 1. f ",<•< ;'jAt . the Resident, Magistrate's - Court '„ to-day the informations against Captain of the Waihi for, not sounding f?f:ftjie;whistle when entering the harbor; on U uwfr-night of the collision with theMphaka !|f £8$ not .exhibiting the'jf oremast" and ; side, j flights ,v?ere gone on with, the evidence ; iJJiowed that the whisle was blown, just ? (before and just after > crossing the /bar, alio on the flats, and a minute before the I j collision.: It was contended, for the defence ( <7j^iati;his was sufficient in the .other: casW It was admitted that on entering [the river the practice was to take ; down the 1 foremast; light and screen the side lights .irithpieces of canvas, in order to avoid the.. >j j|^^_and w jhadows which prevent , ,the - -proper" navigation of ] ',l the narrow riverj .^irtdch is full "of bends and lined with 7?%fltews. Manning stated "that" he was. j compelled to adopt this course from :the 'dangerous condition of the Opawaj'which _•■ had been neglected for years, notwith-" standing frequent complaints to the River , Board oh the subject. He added that : hiding the lights' v was d6rie v from no carelessness or negligence, butdeliberately pandjtfor the^safe.ty.fpf, his vessel. The s_*%illowB at' ; the bend where ■thV_collisTon" took ~ place "were Twenty Feet' high, and . had both steamers carried lights, the^collision could not -have been averted. TlieVWaihi could not have expected to meet the Mohalca, as the latter would have .gojie^fout^ajj,, ebb tide which *:. was contraryl,fo|the s "general rule. Several "legal objections^ -werpiraised for the defence, but ]th^h^ef A^ppint was that the regulations!|o^s|a-|going vessels do not apply within^^ver,Jwhere the captain was justified in] using!his : bwn discretion, and that it wasjie^OTsary ;^.f6r v .the safety of the Waihi tha,t j^e)^slro]alcl^[o, what he did. Pilot Sims^rWeflffifton; who was among the .vitne^seB^lfpr^ure,,. defence, stated that he genera|ly r !i ; Hroaght . steamers from their moorings ~in ; \yel!.ington Harbor to i the wharf without -side lights. Allen, '- R.M., reseryed'his decision in both cases until Th^d>y; ; : : : '.\ ; ;f