HARBOUR COLLISION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13722, 11 April 1908, Page 9

HARBOUR COLLISION.

J " SINKING OF THE MOONAH. I] _ NAUTICAL INQUIRY. , CONFLICTING EVIDENCE. ;■ • THE nautical inquiry into the collision ' i -n the s.s. Wairuua and the ketch S in the harbour, on the night of 1 if Teh 10, when the latter vessel was sunk, . *" commenced at the Magistrate's Court Siy. Mr. C. C. Kettles S.M., preST Captains Adanison and Mckenzie Sm associated with him as assessors $> S Mays appeared for the Collector of • Customs, Mr. McGregor for the captain of [ th e Moonah, Mr. A. Hanna for the captain and officers of the Wairuna, and Mr. [ K McYeagh for the Union Steam Ship Company (owners of the Wairuna). Mr Mays stated that on the date of the " collision, at about 10.30 p.m., the Mooiiali -«as 'inward hound, with 140 tons of.coal from Kiripaka. There was a conflict of evidence as to which way the wind was blowing, those on the ketch saying it was a' northerly breeze, and those on the steamer declaring that it was blowing from the north-east. At any rate, the Moonah came along the northern side of the harbour under a fairly free sheet, and stood up to the point of the. wreck. At the time she-was struck she was heading directly in shore, towards Stanley Bay, but the reagaa for this was explained in that her captain .-"shook her up" and brought her broadside on to the steamer's bow. The Wairuna left the Hobson-street Wharf at JO o'clock, backed out stern first, aud then went ahead between the cable steamer Iris end Stanley Point. When she had rounded the stern of the Iris, her course was southeast by south, half south, but this was changed to south-east, and the Wairuna continued on that course until the moment of the impact. Each vessel was carrying proper lights, according to its respective class, ,nnd they were all properly burning on that night. 'Air. Hanna: We admit that the ketch's lights were burning, but we don't admit that they were proper lights. Mr. Mays said those on the ketch declar- ' ed that when they saw the Wairuna she was showing her red light, while those on ;the 'Wairuna stated that when they saw the ketch she was showing her green light. Men aloft on the Wairuna said that she "blew two short blasts aud that the ketch, notwithstanding this, came ■up with the wind and flood tide, and ran right across her bow, with the result that the colli- " sion occurred and the Moonah was sunk. There was direct conflict of evidence here, , also, as to the number of blasts given. The captain and crew of the ketch declared that they only heard one. THE WAIRUNA'S CASE. ' James Robinson, captain of the Wairuna, stated that he passed the Iris about T : 200 ft clear, and was then going about fiveknots. After he changed his course, he ; noticed the ketch about half a mile ahead. She was'showing her green light. ' Witness, thereupon, starboarded his helm and gave :. two short blasts to signify that he was going to port. Just before he blew the whistles the chief officer, who was on the ■■'" lookout, reported that there was a craft . ahead showing her green light. As soon . as the Wairuna got green to green, witness • gave orders for the vessel to proceed .at .'half-speed. After this the green light ahead seemed "to close in on him. Witness

thereupon gave two more blasts, starboard- - ed ; feis* helm a little more, and thenveased -• up slow. By - this time the green light ahead -was. a point and a-half oil his starboard bow.. He next saw the vessel's green, and red lights together, and gave orders " in quick succession for the Wairuna to pro ceed slow astern, and full speed astern. The oncoming vessel's green light then disappeared. Witness ran to the telegraph himself, and '" shook it up" for the engineer ■to put en all the speed -he- could astern.i; The Wairuna's engines had been , going full speed astern for two or three minutes when the sailer crossed her bow. She seemed to come dropping down on -.: the steamer with wind and tide. "When . the impact occurred the steamer was not ' t making any headway. She was swinging round slightly to starboard. . Witness then gave the order for the engines to stop, ; his reason being that he did not wish to . ;:; sweep the steamer's bow ever anyone in the water. He ordered a boat to be lower- . Ed, and threw a lifebuoy, with a patent light attached, over the starboard side, where he heard men's voices.. Witness examined his lights and found they were all right. The third officer, who was on the bridge, gave the time as 10.26. Witness then anchored. The steamer's boat returned with three of the crew* of' the ketch, arid when he asked if all were '' there, he was informed that one man was missing. Another man had been thrown on board from the scow's masts. Witness then had , a thorough search made for the , missing man, but without avail. At the same time he put a red light on the £;■■*.;'; peak of oil? of the masts of the scow, .which was sticking out of the water. Af- ;. ter attending to the wants of the men v saved, he had them taken ashore. The sky that night was overcast, and the moon obscured. There was no ram. The wind -.'was moderate from the north-east. The > ' -Wairuna's lights were electric. The mast- ;. head 'light (32 candle-power) could •b» seen at sea up to seven miles, while the j-' side lights (16 candle-power each) could . be distinguished up to five miles. -.'. „ To Mr. McGregor: He was very anxious • to get out that night. He left the wharf - a considerable time after the advertised time of departure, but that was not an >■ .uncommon thing with steamers of the Wai- ;'. rasa's class. As far as he knew, all the \ hatchways and tarpaulins were on when '_•:"•■• the vessel left the wharf. It would hare V been a, dangerous thing for him to have crossed the Moonah's bow within so short a distance. He had no right to do such ' a thing under two miles. Had he kept his :■; course and speed he might have just brushed past the Moonah, but he was not supposed to just brash past. He could not say how far the Moonah came across to /meet him. It was a most extraordinary V thing tor a mariner to to. He never saw the Moonah's red light until almost imme- '■ diately before the collision, when the ketch v altered her course. To Mr. Banna: When he first saw the : Moorish he thought that she was directing / her course to the' Auckland side of the har- ' ;*" .faour. | KETCH MASTER'S STORY. • Joseph do Siivu. master of the ill-fated :v; ketch, stated that on March 10 he- left ■ with coal for Auckland. He had four of a crew. On sounding the North /' "Head, at about 10.20 p.m., he steered up the harbour between the Iris and Stanley "J. Point, his intention being to anchor near • the hulk in Stanley Bay. He had his side , lights binning, A light northerly wind was blowing, and lie came up the harbour l" practically under full sail. Fred Smith, ' /■ the man who was drowned, was on the lookout. With the wind as it was, and the flood tide, lie could easily .make his way without tacking. Just before getting opposite Devonport Wharf, he gave the oidev to lower the topsail, and the men :f, were engaged in doing this when he' saw - . 'JiJsht-"white lights ahead. Presently he ; -aw a red light and sang out to Smith. '~"'' Whose red 'light is that. Is any vessel in the way''' Smith... about five seconds biter, replied, Steamer coming down." The oncoming vessel was between the Iris • oid Stanley" Point. Witness' kept his course, intending to pass red to .red. He kept his eye on the steamer, which was . coming pretty fast, and when he reckoned she was about two minutes off he put his helm down and l-.*t the ketch come up to the wind. As soon as he did this the steamer blew one whistle, which witness took to mean that she was going to starboard—just what he had done himself. The Wainma struck the Moonah amidships. She (the Wairuna) was then going six or . seven knots at the least. She could iwi . have been stationary, as no vessel of the ssoocah'b class, drifting up against her ;' ' bow, would have been sunk. It was the ketch Unit was practically stationary. ■ Witness b?.d been at sea for 36 years, and had noted as master off and on for 35 years. ~ He. hid never met with a collision before. The jnyuiry was adjourned until 9. 30 , - . a.m. to-day..