KESTREL-ROTOMAHANA COLLISION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13491, 18 May 1907, Page 7

KESTREL-ROTOMAHANA COLLISION.

I / 'AN INQUIRY OPENED. j NABROW WATERS REGULATIONS. I ' 'AS inquiry WATERS circumstances surAS inquiry into the circumstances suri rounding the collision Which took place at i tie Railway Wharf between the steamers Rotomahana and, Kestrel on the night of IV March 25 last was opened before Mr. C. !'"'■• C. Kettle, S.M.,- and: Captains Adamsoh ! a nd Warner, assessors, at the Magistrate's \k ' Court yesterday -afternoon. j Mr. S. Mays appeared for the Collector of Customs, Mr. v ' Nowton for the Devonport Ferry Company Mr. Haddow for the master of the Kestrel, ' Jit'. Clayton ' or the Northern Steamship Company, ' arid Mr.' PrtriUergast "for Captain Stephenson, master of the llotorna- |* ■ -liana. ■ ■ .'.."■ ■" ; '"'Mr. Mays'stated'that",the question at issue was the observance of the rule of the road, particularly that section relating to narrow channels. At the present time 50 : ; ' per cent, of the masters observed one rule i and 60 per" cent, the other. ; * Mr. Kettle: Do you mean to tell us that nothing whatever -has-been, done to give KiY; effect to the recommendations which the |IS Court made in connection with the Kupji- ;: mii -disaster. . ... ,/ ■ Mr. Mays: Apparently not. The outgoing boat, the Kestrel, kept a middle course, and then wont to starboard, while the incoming boat, the Uotoninluuia, kept ■ to port. It was "contended by the one side ,-.;■■ that the spot where the accident happened 'Carrie within the definition of narrow waters, while .the other k - side submitted that the locality was berthing water. '..".. ;■;' , - Arthur Stephenson, master of the .'Roto- ■! ■ '• nifthana, staled that lie was coining from - ! ';• . the Thames, arfd-intended to berth at No. 3 jetty. He slowed down as he neared the end of the Railway Wharf, and steered so as to clear it by. 200 ft.-, After passing the ferrb'concfeto' piles he saw the, Kesliei j showing her green light, and he or- ■ : dered the helm 16 L be • put to , star- . , board to" show the ,green to her. He • did not whistle. Both continued green to green until about 100 ft off the western tee, when the Kestrel showed her red. He im- . snedniteiy gave orders for full speed astern. u^-iThe Kestrel was heading in straight for.the ;, " wharf, and the Rdtoniaiiana struck her on '.."; . the port bow. He knew the regulations relating td narrow waters, but he did not consider they applied^in the present case. ; Me considered the space between.the ensy'r- ' tern tee of the Queeh--siieet Wharf arid the western tee of the Railway .;= Wharf as berthing waters, and therefore held that lie was justified in hugging the wharf. Wlien witness put his green light on to the Kestrel the latter was showing her green. It" was the mah at the wheel who drew > . his attention to the ferry boat. Witness ■was' on the bridge at the time. ■ To Mr. Kettle; He had never recognised the.'harbour as a narrow channel, and he knew of no recognised rule by which vessels came in and went out of the harbour. As regards speed going out they only went blow until they got clear of the wharf. • . To Mr. Haddow: The master of the Kestrel -'offended-: against ? regulation ; v ' 19, • which provides > that ' when '.two ; steam • vessels are crossing so a? to involve-risk of collision, the vessel which has the oilier on ;>t:■;■■ her starboard side shall keep out of the f^;);;'way of the other. ".'. The Rotomahana, -when . f-hts , struck the Kestrel, - had just ' about stopped. i.' ■ To Mr. Rrendergast: He relied on regit. -/ latum 19 in this .particular instance, and had the Kestrel 'observed it there would have been no collision. '">,-', To Mr. Kettle: Witness was quite. sure ;. 'that his red light was hidden to the Kestrel when he (witness) showed his green. .<, Matthew Scott, master of the Kestrel, stated that on leaving the Auckland ferry- '■",! tee at eight p.m. on March 25 "he gave ..; ~, the reg^lalion^ *«ts courEC* midway; between the eastern */;, end '(if the Queen-street Wharf arid the '~'; western end of the Railway Wharf.- He was midway and just inside the ends, of ;*: , the two,wharves, when he ■'saw the rod light, of a, steamer,, which he' afterwaict's discovered was the Rotomahaiia. The \r-s----sol waJs making up the harbour, v and he thought that she either might - have " been making; for' the Ponsonby Wharf or the Chelsea, Sugar Works. When the Kestrel's bow got clear, of the two tees lie -heard the oncoming 'i vessel . blow -.' one blast, and ;, he naturally,- thought that she was going ;.-.-•■ to starboard. Witness gave one blast in , reply, and altered his course to starboard, I ■■■■-.- shutting out his green light and" showing I his red t! The Rotomahana was still steer I ing. the; same course, showing her red) light. • Both vessels kept' red ■to red for .'' V ?bout seven seconds. The Rotomahana then altered her course to port, and show-, W 9 : ,*&\ both hefred and green lights. Witness' , miDwdiately* stopped his engines. V : ' The Rotomahana then altered, to starboard * again, and showed her red light. When . about 40vds or:soyds off the Rotomaham showed' .both her lights again. ' Witness gave three blasts and went full speed ' astern. The Kestrel was struck; on the • port bow. To Mr. Prendergast: What witness endeavoured to do was to get between the Rotomahana and the wharf. He did not, however, cross her bows in doing so. The Kestrel was going astern when struck. ■ Had .the Rotomahana signalled in time that she was going to port, witness would nave taken the Kestrel right out. , ' The inquiry was adjourned until halfpast nine on Wednesday morning..