THE GISBORNE COLLISION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16499, 27 March 1917, Page 7

THE GISBORNE COLLISION.

\ EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY. The nautical .inquiry ; into ;.• the circumi- stances connected with the '' collision in Gisboime roadstead on "March 1, between ",' the Arahura and.a Home liner wad conf■■" tinued at ! the Magistrate's Court, yester--5' • day,, before' Mr.' C. C. Kettle, S.M., and ;■•• the assessors, Captains} Reed 'and McKenzie. * 1 The evidence of Thomas Murphy, boat-, i:\-i swain on the! Arahura, -wascontinued.i}He "k } :-■ said when .he first saw the green and mast-. head lights of the Home .-liner-the'; chief ...I:' officer was on the foc'sle head of the • Arahnra. He did not report to the master " ;,:■. the lights 11 on the ' Arahura's port bow. "[:". Witness could see at 1 the- time 'that '; if - : the ~''., two vessels .- continued on their respective ,V .courses there was a risk of collision. V;Wit- ; / ness said positively that on the course the j Arahura was proceeding the Home liner ,would cross her bows. f'i That was when the Arahura was ? 300 yds away. He .". could then -see'i the .Home liner's slights'. " % moving, and she appeared to be going, at i about : three knots. -.■ - >'.";-- Francis j George . Mabb,''. third officer oh ' the Arahura, said when he first sighted 'f- -' the Home liner she had plenty of way on \ .. ..her. The Arahura swung \ to starboard • about three or ■• four points. The - Home }/i, liner followed .the Arahura up. -V; The more '" : the Arahura went to'.starboard? the' more '.>/ the Homo liner' followed.'. - The latter vessel •; 4 did not.seem to alter its speed at all, A ,', little before the ; collision • Captain Dryden /'ordered the engines full speed ahead and .-.:': :;.. the ■■ helm hard to starboard, s When wife j cess received the orders he executed them promptly, i .To Mr. McGregor: He had \ been on fc^ anchor watch, and saw the masthead light f of the liner ' from ,8 p.m. until just before the collision, He could see '-her hull dis- .•■ • tinctly, and the Wimmera did' not inter-1 .-, fere with his line of, vision. He first; noticed the liner moving when distant j - about .300 yds.- .The .'Arahura had. then ,y"~ travelled -a-quarter of •a - mile ; from her ( fei:; anchorage. As the liner.came nearer he saw the foam at her bows. The Arahura . was moving in a southerly' direction, while I V.'jho thought the liner was travelling on a westerly course. ' , _ j John' Donald- Nicholson, able-bodied sea- ' < man on the Arahura, said he was at the wheel on the night of the collision. ;.■ When. , ?T- h<* went on duty about 11 p.m. he saw the Wimmera...and the Home liner a short dis- , • i knee away heading :to the west.,: \ When ' ' the anchor was up he was given the order, ; .'■ "Hard to starboard." The Arahura was ; ... floing about half speed'as- she passed the ?;•'_ Wimmera about 200 yds ' away. He saw ; ?/ ifchS liuer on the port bow some distance : V 'off, and the Arahura continued on » her „ course of south-south-cast. 1-j. He^receivedj ,* an order to port his helm, and the vessel , paid off to starboard. . ; The liner-appeared'; \T"jo follow' The next ■ steering border"? ho ! >*' received was hard- a starboard, and tho . next thine witness know was the liner had '-' /'struck the Arahura.' , ; v •-. '", •- '$ , - "'To Mr. Richmond: He noticed a preen fa**; light and mast light on the liner. When . he went to the wheel he did not -' see any riding lights on the liner, and he was •' -under tho impression that she was movrV'iog. 'The onlv reason he had for -think- ■ tag the liner 'was under ; . weight was on. ■; account of hor ereen and masthead lights. ; E%l? Captain R. Cliff, instructor of naviga&§s& I & i> - Auckland, .gave" expert. evidence '- y'vv as : to-■ the . damage ' sustained : by the . Ara- .■ ggKra." :■- . ■, .._-'■ -. - , : -' ';•"' |§i|The inquiry was adjourned at this.stage Until 10.30 p'.m. on Wednesday. , }, | \.