NAUTICAL INQUIRIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13452, 31 May 1907, Page 6

NAUTICAL INQUIRIES.

' 4 "■'- "' : \ ,• ' ~• '}■ -• M ANURKWA-VESP ER COLUsiO.v '' A NA ? n ™' inquiry wa, opened' h{L"% Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., and Cartifl! Adamson and McKcnzic, in the £3|V lrat«'s Court yesterday afternoon, «ng the collision between th. J* Manurewa and the scow Vesper a „2?s Tiritiri, o„ M S v a , ly Vesper had her mamma, carried aw a t and the Manurewa, lost her main loJj yard, mam topgallant yard, and a <L» titv of her head gear. -Mr. Shew appeared for the Marine ru ' part merit, Mr. McGregor for Captain B ~ dick, of the Wspor. am] Mr. McV« gh L Captain Xillson, of the Manurewa. '° T J Captain Frederick Ferdinand Xt!!.™, |of the Manurewa (tonnage 327 net! that on May 23, !,„ 4 S L"'' ,£? Edithburg, South Australia, to Auckland jAbout a-quarter to two a.m. his arid Z' i other vessel collided. ' The wind *1 moderate, about west by «,mh, and .l! sea was smooth. The night was cloudy and the moon had just set. Witness and 'the second officer were keeping a lockout The Manurewa was going about three j knots. The lights- were the | one, ami were m good order and burning brightly. Witness was on the port tact I when he w\v the Vesper approaching p' ! immediately gave orders for the helm to be put down. He thought that the otW vesse 1 had -seen him, and was goj n2 t« pass under his stern, so ho went back os his original tack (the port- tack). ' ru' | shouted out, but the Vesper did no change her course, and went past the bo„, of the Manurewa, with tho result that the jmasts came in contact. Thinking that th#. Vesper might want assistance he ordered a boat. out. The captain of the Vesper asked for a line, but. as they were in the hold witness was unable to "give him one. Later flu' captain of the Vesper told, him to proceed on his way as he was all righ* Witness signalled to Tin in the morninV that, there had been a collision llie Vesper must have altered , her course from the time when witness first- saw her to the time of the collision. Not until she came alongside did he see anyone on the Vesper. Then he saw two men. To Mr. McGregor: Witness paused Fist. Rock, Kawan, after eleven o'clock the pre. vious evening. He was on the starboard tack, and continued so until within a mile of liri Island. Then he went about and came on the port tack. Ho had been on that tack from forty to forty-live minutes when he saw the light of the scow Vesper. When ho went about ha called all hands on deck. When witness first saw the red light the Vesper must Have , been about one-third to one-half a mile away. The night was overcast, but witness could see' the run of the Kawau Island. He considered that the red light of the Vesper should have been visible for one or two miles. When the collision occurred the helm was down. At this stags the Court was adjourned until Jialf-pa6t nine 011 Saturday morning.

I THE DAWN-KANTERI COLLISION. ; ; The inquiry into the circurastances surrounding the collision which took place between the s.s. Kanieri a st<nel steamer of 116 tons, and the -auxiliary, ketch Dawn, of 15 tons, off - the Railway Wharf, on March 26, was con- | turned before Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., and Captain Adamson and Mr, J. Wann, in the jMagistrate's Court yesterday afternoon.' Mr ; . A.'Hanna appeared for Captain Kelly, of the Dawn, Mr. J E. Trendergast for Captain Meyers, of the. Kanteri, and Mr. Clayton for the Northern Steamship Company, owners of.' the Kanieri. . The case had been adjourned from the previous afternoon in order to allow counsel to address the Court. v Mr. Hanna said that the Kanieri had not compiled with the harbour regulations as reKurds narrow channels. _ He submitted that the point where the collision occurred wa« a narrow- channel, and that the Kanieri should have kept to starboard. . ■ Mr. Kettle, said that the Court. .unanimously of the opinion that the places* a narrow channel, and that the Kanieri should have kept out. .Mr. Hanna further submitted that the Kanieri had committed a breach of the regulations for the prevention of collisions bystopping, thus rendering her helpless to take any action to prevent a collision. Mr. Prendergnst contended that the Dawn had also failed to comply with the regulations. She was a steam vessel within the meaning of the Act, yet she carried no whistle to enable her to give warning. ~ Although the. evidence was conflicting, he submitted that the balance was in favour of the Kanieri. Had the Dawn remained station-' ary there would hare been no accident. ' The Court said that it. would give its decision in writing later.