GREYCLIFFE INQUIRY.
CONCLUSION OF HEARING. COURT'S DECISION TO-DAY. DETERMINING THE CAUSES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received January 6, 11.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. SYDNEY. Jan. 6. The addresses of counsel at the inquiry into the Greycliffe disaster have been concluded, and the judgment as to the causes of the collision will be delivered to-morrow.
Mr. W. A. Holman, counsel for the Commonwealth Director of Navigation, in addressing the Court, said the evidence of the Tahiti's personnel tended to show that the Greycliffe was almost in contact with the larger vessel when the double ring to stop was given to the Tahiti's engine room. The Greycliffe must have been under the bows of the liner within 15 seconds of any change of course. An analysis of the- facts showed that the Tahiti was already in dangerous proximity to the ferry boat before the latter made to turn. If any story of a change of course on the part of the ferry boat were to be accepted, it must be accounted for in one of two ways. One was that there was some change of course made by Captain Barnes, for some reason. The other was that there must have been an involuntary change of course caused by the bow wave of the Tahiti. The only other hypothesis was that the Tahiti deliberately ran the Greycliffe down.
In reply to a submission by Mr. Holman that the pilot on the Tahiti, Captain Carson, determined to take the risk of a close shave, to take the risk of getting through by the narrowest margin, Mr. Justice Campbell, president of the Court, interrupted and said there was nr question of a deliberate intention to take a risk. So far as he saw the situation, there was no position of a deliberate choice between a dangerous course and a safe one. He saw no reason to think that had come into the matter at all. Mr. Holman concluded by submitting that the Court would find that the Tahiti was travelling at an excessive speed, but that the proper steps were taken on the liner after the collision.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19838, 7 January 1928, Page 9
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351GREYCLIFFE INQUIRY. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19838, 7 January 1928, Page 9
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