KESTREL-ROTOMAHANA COLLISION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13495, 23 May 1907, Page 6

KESTREL-ROTOMAHANA COLLISION.

THE i INQUIRY CONTINUED.

DEFINITE REGULATIONS WANTED.

The uiquiry into the circumstances surrounding the collision which took place at the Railway Wharf between the steamers Eotomahana and Kestrel on the- night of March 25 list, was continued before Mr. C. 0. Kettle, S.M., and Captains Adamson and Warner, assessors," at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mr.' S. Mays ;. appeared for the Collector of "■. Customs,' Mr. Newton I for tlia*. Dovoripprt > : Ferry Company,. Mr. Haddow for the master of the Kestrel, Mr. Clayton for the Northern Steamship Company, and Mr. Prendergasfc , for Captain -Stephenson, /master of the ■■ Rotomahana l . • Neil - McArthur. ; who has acted in the capacity of ma<o on the Rotomahana' ', for the last three years, said he was on- the look-out: at the time of the collision. .When approaching -the. Railway; Wharf a, long blast was blown by - the RotOraahaiia's whistle. Aft they passed the wharf going at a slow speed he heard a whistle, and saw a ferry steamer ; leaving the wharf. Then the course of. the Rotomahana was altered to show the green light to the Kestrel, -which >wa3' showing the ! i green sideilight.; ; When'; within ,a-"hundred;* ie4V~ the Kestrel suddenly showed its red light, crossing the Rotomahana's bows. Witness' ves sel was then put astern. It was at a standstill when the collision occurred, the Kestrel being struck on the port bow. The Rotomahana t was following its usual course. ! 'In reply to Mr. - HadtioW' witness said that ferry boats ought i/O keep out of the road of ocean-going steamers. , ! • I = Mr." Kettle Should : not the Rotomahana have- given two short blasts on the whistle when she went to-port as a direction to the Kestrel? h v ; '' ;■"■•".■■'-.-■'. ■ ■ t ■' Witness: Yes; .but it has never been done in berthing- waters. . ' " ' George Arthur Nairn, an A.B. on the Rotomahana, and who was at the wheel before the collision, also gave evidence. Captain Stephenson, of the Rotomahana, recalled, said that' his whistle' sounded before ■ the Kestrel's. ; It •' was quite impossible then for the Kurd's captain to have seen the Rotomahana's red light. ; . - . ' Alfred H. E. Elkin, a passenger on the Kestrel at the time of the collision, said that the Kestrel's whistle was blown shortly after leaving : 'the, ferry ..tee,, and, about aquarter of a minute afterwards the Kestrel blew three blasts. .Witness next ; saw the Rotomahana's red light, which was showing until the time of the. collision. When u.e collision occurred the ferry steamer was almost stationary, if not going astern, and the ; Rotomahana was 'going".about tnree miles an hour. ;; -.' \ ;■..>" ■ -~'. - Several 'other -witnesses gave evidence on ! behalf of Captain - Scott, and then counsel addressed the Court. ■>.■;■■!■■ ■)-■<•:■■'■/:■ • ■> Mr. Haddow submitted that under the narrow r ohannels and crossing regulations Captain Scott had acted rightly in the matter. , Mr. Rrondergast submitted that it 1 was the 'duty'-of the jnaster of .the Kestrel to' stop and ascertain, what course the Rotomahana. was i going to take. ,_■-■.;-• ! Mr. Mays, as 1 representing the public and official interest in the inquiry, drew attention to the following; points:—(l) That rule No. 48 of s the Harbour Board regulations, which provides that a vessel must give one blast of the whistle when passing or; rounding wharves, was, on the evidence adduced in the f inquiry in conflict With article 28 "For the Prevention of Collision at Sea,' which says that one blast of the whistle must "indicate that the vessel's . course is being directed to starboard. (2) That the Court decide whether the entrance to berthing water in question can be considered to come under the "narrow channel" rules. (3) That the Court pronounce it* opinion as to. whether, definite;and, binding regulations : should not : be made "by the Harbour Board for the guidance of vessels entering and leaving what was known" as the "commercial basin.*'. Nobody was more anxious than 'I shipmasters themselves that definite rules should; bo ■* made- in this direction. There had been two collisions and a serious risk of a third at this very entrance within 36- hours. (."'• - - ; To enable the Court to deal with this last question; the inquiry .was. adjourned" until Saturday morning so that the evidence of the ; harbourmaster ; (Captain A Duder) might be taken on the, points raised. ;; ~.'•; •