ILL-FATED SHIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22726, 12 May 1937, Page 8

ILL-FATED SHIP

p SCATHING COMMENT I ' ||| SINKING OF HALL CAINE j JUDGE'S VIEW .AT INQUIRY [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] ||-j' SYDNEY. May 7 I i.' When presiding at a Court of Marine |i|' Inquiry into the foundering in calm |:!|! weather of the 213-tons steamer Hall fes Caine near Broken Bay, Judge CurI lewis made scathing comment on the ffflf' vessel's condition. "It was a coffin ship lif that should never have put to sea," | r.'j he said. pit Judge Curlewis found that the cause |]| of the Hall Game's sinking—fortunatelv without loss of life —was that || • . the hull was rotten - and the handjj ! ; i; pump in bad order. "AVe have had evitffij denee," he said, "that she was a patchIt;]! work job. She had to be patched every ||j year, and she was 25 years old. There f'ij had been cobra (ship worm) in her. |,| j The engines were not fitted with gov--1 >• ernors to prevent racing and there was |Uj no way of Controlling the racing expect 'J : by the wheel throttle, which was very Ij 11 slow. 111' "The Hull was Rotten" | j|f "The boiler was such that it was only i.j|i possible to have three inches of water 1 j;}; in the boiler gauge glass, otherwise || j there was not enough pressure to pro- §| ride steam," said the Judge. "The §§j boilers were imperfect; the pumps were |:|l imperfect. The reasons the ship sank |||j were that- the hull was rotten; the Iyf | hand-pump was in bad order and not Ijf j properly fitted with a strainer; the f.' other pumps could not be worked, beIi | cause the boiler could- not supply them |with steam; and the engines were not J | fitted with governors to stop racing. I I j On the whole, the ship should not have fj? gone to sea." , [JJJ. Luke Wright, secretary of Cam and j 0': Sons, Limited, the owners, said that I | the company made a practice of» ref placing her planks systematically from |! ' time to time. The replacements were inot done all at' once because it was a f i',| question of expense. » j "I thought so," commented Judge Ipi Curlewiii. "The trouble is that a ship t,!|j does not sink a bit at a time —it sinks | altogether." If Witness' Allegation [j ; To a shipwright surveyor who had 111 | detailed certain replacements, the |;j; Judge said: "It'seems to me that she jUj-f was getting rotten. I should suggest I i : that the only way to deal with a [! 1 wooden ship after 25 years is with an I h axe." 11; "Oh, no,'' replied the witness. "If | I they are looked after they are quite |>|j all right." I#l The Judge, smiling drily, remarked: ||| | "With new engines, new masts and a |f 1; new hull, she would have been a good jlli ship?" |]f 1 Captain W. G., Lawrence, secretary l||t of the Merchant Service Guild, said: I i|}* "There are a number of vessels in comi;| • mission which are a risk to the lives I ifi of the men who man them. I have seen |j| I them around the wharves —vessels in | if: which no seaman cares to ship. But i-lt what can they do? The job is offered, i'H they need the work and they sail in j:j • them. There is .no Government superi'l .vision of loading-, along the coast. Ex- ! 1 cepfc at a few Northern Rivers ports, 111 there is no competent harbourmaster ■l' or other official to decide whether a fi ship is in a fit condition to put to sea iff > or not. 1 ■ Secret List of Ships j i "With worn-Out old ships, loaded $! badly and put to sea with machinery : and equipment in poor repair, you have : ' all the factors frhich lead to a casual : alty," said witness. "It is one thing ; 1 to patch up a new ship' which has been If ] damaged in an ' accident. It is quite jf "• another matter to patch up a worn|f i out. ship. If the lives of seamen are if!;. worth considering, this patching of old • i .tubs must not be allowed any longer." |! The New South Wales secretary of the Seamen's Union, Mr. Herbert, said ' seamen had av, secret list of ships on I I which they never signed unless forced p by circumstances, because they conm\ sidered them death-traps. "I know six |f or eight small coastal vessels on which L I I always advise men not to sign," he I j said. "These ships are exempt from fj j the manning of the Common:J ! wealth Navigation Act. They are not 'lf. j even required under State Legislation i to carry qualified able seamen, firemen and greasers." Divided Supervision II The president of the Maritime Ser- [ ; ! Vices Board of New South Wales, Mr. I :: E. W. Austin, said his officers took I I : every precaution to see that ships operf | j aiing on State licences were in a proper jll condition to sail'. "An owner of a ves- <:. gel has the right, to elect whether he ij* shall aail under a Commonwealth certi- || { ficate or a State certificate," said Mr. If Austin. "The Hall Caine had a Com- \ ii;! monwealth certificate. Naturally, State I ; officers do not overstep their authority 1f to' inspect ships with Commonwealth j ;| j certificates." '