SUNKEN BRITISH LINER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20111, 23 November 1928, Page 13

SUNKEN BRITISH LINER.

[NEW YORK INQUIRIES. MORE EVIDENCE HEARD. BEHAVIOUR OF CREW. OFFICER NOT OBEYED. WATER IN COAL BUNKER. By TeWranh—Prertu Association—Convriclit Australian nml N.Z. Press Association (Received November 22, 0 23 p m.) NEW YORK. Nov. 21 Tho main inouirv into tho loss of the British liner Vestris, off tho coast of Virginia, was continued to-dav boforo Mr. Frank O'Neill. United States Commissioner. Willi him as advisers wero tho British and American nautical experts, Captains Henry MrPonkcv and E. P. Jessup Mr. Charles IT. Tuttlo, Attorney for New York South, again conducted tho proceedings. A definite course of action was decided Tipon at tho suggestion of Captain McConkuy. This was:— ft) That tho former captain of tho Vestris, Captain Carey's predecessor, should be called; (2) that tho Commissioner and two naval experts should inspect the steamer Vnuban, a, sister ship to tho Vestris; (3) that tho threo main points to ho determined were—(a) the actual cause of tho sinking, (b) the actual cause of tho loss of lives; (c) tho cause for tho delay in sending out an S.O.S. call.

The hearing (lion proceeded along these lines. Crew Refuso to Obey Some Orders. Tho first officer of the Vestris, Mr. Johnston, was recalled. lie said members of the crew had refused to obey some of his orders just prior to the disaster, and that some were not at their posts of duty ■when the order was Riven to launch the lifeboats. 110 was still able to control his men, howover. Witness said ho ordered one officer to enter a lifeboat, but the officer walkod nway, ignoring the command. Ho also said he heard water running into tho coal bunkers, but could not reach the spot because of tho coal. He reported the matter to Captain Carey, who went down lielo\y on the Sunday morning with witness, and inspected tho bunker. They could not find where tho water was coming from. Continuing, Mr. Johnston said ho got away Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 7 lifeboats. ' They vero not properly filled because thero was not sufficient time.

Valuable Aid of the Experts. Tho appointment of tho two experts apparently has changed tho entire atmosphere of tho investigation. Too emphatic questioning and a lack of complete familiarity with nautical terminology on the part of the questioners had previously tended to distort tho perspectivo of the proceedings. The milder manner of Captains Jessup and McConkey and their familiarity with nautical terms has elicited more ready replies from witnesses. There is a tendency on the part of the newspapers every day to interpret the meaning of statements by witnesses and to draw conclusions for t?ie purpose of their head lines. Long articles have appeared, •written by alleged marino experts. Some of these assert that shipowners are mainly responsible for marine disasters. Expressions of opinion from all sorts of 6onrces have been published. Fcfr instance, there was a motion introduced at the convention of the American Federation of Labour asking the Department of Justice to have an inquiry held into rumours to tho effect that tho cost of salvago wag a consideration which caused the Vestris f.o be left to her doom. Tho motion said tlieso rumours had seemingly increased the inclination to condemn British seamanship and to attribute negligcnco to men who cannot dc.'encl themselves. Second Investigation Proceeds. Tho inquiry into the inspection of the lost liner Vestris instituted by tho Department of Commerce and conducted by Mr. Dickerson N. Hoover, supervising inspector-general of tho Steamboat Inspection Service, was continued to-day A reporter who had interviewed Mr. Frederick Sorcnsen, master mariner, who was among the rescued passengers, gave evidence. He denied having misreported Mr SoiTiise". Another rescued passenger, Mr. J. B. Thivalle, said tho port window in his cabin was cracked and tho packing was missing. This allowed water to ehter every time waves struck the Vestris. He had entered tho last lifeboat wlu'cb was safely launched. Thero was no officer _and no member of tho crew in that boat. It carried 22 persons. Four of them had to bail out water all the time. 110 did not believe the boat was greatly damaged by its pounding against tho sido of the liner.

No Cowardice Among Officers. .\ first-class passenger who was among llio.se rescued, Mr Edward Margin, said he was standing near lifeboat No 8 when lio saw a large hole in it near the water liiio. A sailor tacked a piece of tin over fho hole, lint witness told the first nffi cur, Mr. Johnston, lie was not going m that hoat. He then entered No 10 boa I. This hoat leaked nil the time The lantein they had was defective and nine of twelve flares were also defective. Finally they had to transfei 20 of the £1 people in the hoat to another one, because thev feared Iho first one might founder. At no timo did he see any evidmico of cowardice on tlio part of the officers. Two officers of the steamer American Shipper, which went to the rescue of the Vostris, tho chief officer,, Mr Eric Nelson, and tho third officer, Mr Conrad Oswald, said they believed the lifeboats vero in good condition Captain Cummings, of the American Shipper, said nono of the five lifeboats picked up by his ship were overcrowded. All of them could havo held other pnsCengers'. Mr. Edward Walcott, representing tho third-class passengers, said lifeboat No. 9, in which ho was rescnud, leaked badly Mr. Edward Ohman, second officer of the American Shipper, said the lifeboats of tho Vestris* were in good condition Only No. 5 contained any water and there were only a few inches in that*

Mr. James Short, surveyor of hulls for Lloyds, said ho hrt(examined the cargo hold and ballasfi tatfs of tho Vestris .on August 31. ' lie Sound tho vessel in very good condition. Hio second officer of tho Vestris told wilicss a door which had figured prominent in the investigation was often leftoo n to provide fresh air for tho stewards and the crew. 110 did not get tho imprssion that tho door •was occasionally left open without an officer's permission. Mr. Short said* tb lifeboats were in splendid condition wfen ho mado his last ins'poction. Ho belitfcd tho boats wero built with the Vestris That would make them 16 years old. Captain William Brainba, who was master of the Vestriswhilo Captain Carey was away on a holidty recently, said tlic disaster was a mystery to him. He wished ho could unravel it. Tho* Vestris was one of tho finest ships habad ever had iu his life.