COOK STRAIT INCIDENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 6 February 1928, Page 4

COOK STRAIT INCIDENT

COLLISION NARROWLY AVERTED STATEMENTS BY TAMAHINE. PASSENGERS What appears from reports to have been an exceedingly narrow escape from a collision occurred in Cook Strait on Friday afternoon, when the intercolonial passenger steamer Maunganui and the Wellington-Picton' ferry-boat. Tamahine came into dangerously close proximity off Karoi or Tom's Rock, states the Marlborough "Express". _ Both vessels were scheduled to leave Wellington at three o-clock in the afternoon, the Maunganui for Sydney and the Tamahine for Picton. The Maunganui, a 7527 ton vessel commanded by Captain. A. H. Davey, cleared her berth first and headed down the harbour, followed by the ferry boat of 1989 tons, commanded by Captain McClellan. It is. understood that the Maunganui has a sea speed of 16 knots, and the Tamahine a speed of 16£ to 17 knots. According to information supplied to an "Express" interviewer by passengers on the Tamahine, the ferry-boat overhauled the Sydney steamer at about - the heads and set her customarv course along the North Island coast "/or Picton. The Maunganui was then on the seaward side of the Tamahine /fid astern of her. Thj two vessels followed a more or less parallel course until Tom's Rock was reached, when the Maunganui was seen to be edging over towards the Tamahine and overtaking her. The ;skipper of thV smaller .vessel, seeing that the Maunganui seemed to be about to cross his bow. rang "Stop" on the engine-room telegraph. Almost immediately three more bells were heard, and the passengers, from the motion of the vessel, judged that he had rung for full speed astern. At the same time the Tamahine was swung to port and, as the Maunganui by this time was just ahead, the bow of the smaller vessel was brought across the stern of the Maunganui. Passengers on the Tamahine who were in a position to observe the "incident were loud in their praises of the seamanship and judgment displayed by Captain McClellan, of the Tamahine, and state that only his presence of mind and the masterly way in which he handled his vessel'averted a disaster. Several of them prepared statements' giving evidence in regard to the incident, and, it is understood, placed these at Captain McClellan's disposal. On arrival at Picton, several passengers reported the incident to Constable Audley, who wap on duty, and this officer interviewed Captain McClellan, who admitted that the ships had had a yery close call. He stated that the Maunganui was only about 60 feet off when she suddenly' crossed the Tamahine's bow, without giving the slightest signal of her intention to do so. The Tamahine _was sent full speed astern, and the wheel thrown over only just in time to avert a collision, it being the opinion of the officers on duty that another four seconds would have spelt disaster.

The incident was referred to the local manager of the TJ.S.S. Co., but apart from statements he had heard from different passengers, he said he had no information in regard to the matter.