GREYCLIFFE DISASTER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 16 November 1927, Page 12

GREYCLIFFE DISASTER.

STORY 01'' THE COLLISION. OFFICER OF THE LINER, GIVES EVIDENCE. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. SYDNEY, Nov. 15. The adjourned inquest regarding the Greycliffe disaster was continued today, the coroner refusing to adjourn the inquiry because of the approaching sitting of the Marine Court. He stated he did not intend to take to-day any evidence, except that of identification of the bodies and possibly that of a couple of witnesses who returned iroin New Zealand to-day. . Cecil Sharpe, chief officer of the Tahiti, gave evidence that he was ou duty on the forecastle of the Tahiti when the collision occurred. The vessels were holding parallel courses and the Tahiti was going about seven knots an hour. Witness was half-way up the forecastle when he heard, the first crash'. He looked over the side and saw the Greyclille across the Tahiti’s hows. Witness had gone to give some orders to the boatswain when he heard shouting and rushed back along the deck. Then came the crash. There was nothing to indicate that the Tahiti had changed it .s course when he reached the bows. The Tahiti was crashing through the upper works of the Greyclille. The latter listed heavily and, appeared u> sink right under the Tahiti’s stem. He then gave instructions for the accident boats to he launched, which was done, and the lifebelts were thrown overhoard.

In reply to, a, question, Sharpe said the vessels, before the collision did not appear to be converging. From the time he first saw the Greycliffe m collision it was only thirty seconds until the ferry disap]>ea,red. He could not remember hearing any blast of the whistle before the collision. The inquiry was adjourned until December 28.