THE COLLISION IN THE HARBOUR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7783, 29 January 1887, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE COLLISION IN THE HARBOUR.

NAUTICAL INQUIRY.

The inquiry iuto the circumstances of the collision between the Union Company's s.s. Omapere and the Harbour Beard's dredge No. 222 was resumed at the Resident Magistrate's Courtroom on Thursday morning before Mr E. H. Carew, Rear-admiral Scott and Captain Orkney, nautical assessors.

Mr W. D. Stewart appeared for Captain Smith of the Omapere; Mr J.A. D. Adams tor Captain Stewart, master of the dredge ; and Mr Mondy watched the proceedings on behalf of the Harbour Board.

James Hay, night watchman on the dredge, said that a minute or two after the Omapere was sighted through Boat channel the dredge gave a long, strong whistle. The dredge was heading over to Quarantine Island, and he did not see auy alteration ,in her course from that time. He could not say where the dredge was in respect to the channel, as he did not know the channel. The Omapere came on heading nearly towards the dredge, but he1 could see part of her starboard bow. If there had been no way on the dredge the Omapere would have gone across her bow. The Omapere was coming ou pretty fast. She seemed as if she wanted to get between the dredge aud Goat Island, but af tewards she seemed to change her course, and came end on to the dredge, so that he could see both her bows. If the steamer had kept on her port helm from the time when he first saw both her bows she would have cleared the dredge by going between her aud Goat Island. He could not account for the collision, except it was due to bad steering and the effect of the current on either one vessel or the other, or both. The dredge was steering her usual course—straight across.

To Mr Stewart: The captain of the dredge goes across the channel if he sees a vessel coming up; otherwise he keeps mid-channel. When the collision occurred the dredge careened over a little to starboard, and the Omapere pushed the bow of the dredge away from her.

To Mr Adams: Witness did not see the dredge heading- to Goat Island.

To the Court: Witness did not know which vessel was going the faster. At the time they struck the dredge was as near Quarantine Island as Goat Island—about mid-channel.

James Gardiner, labourer, employed at Goat Islaud by the Harbour Board, said that at the time of the collision he was at work on the ridge overlooking the channel. He saw the Oinapere keeping the ordinary channel aud going at her usual speed. After the whistle j from the dredge the Omapere slowed down, and he heard her bell ring and someone calling out ' very loudly from her bridge. This person also waved his hat from left to right, looking at the same time towards the dredge. The Omapere then started to steam again. She was steering in the direction of Quarantine Islaud, aud was going about three or four knots per hour. She i did not alter her course, but headed straight for Quarantine Island. The dredge was heading for Quarantine Island. The dredge slowed her speed until the collision, when : she was going very slowly. At the time of the collision the two vessels were close on the rocks of Quaran-■xEfe-mlSffra,i^ff-feer^SrirysarestDunedin. To Mr Stewart: When witaesTfev-'SK:jhe Omapere she was on the Goat Island side of tfie" channel, the usual courso for vessels going up. Simon Nelson, seaman on the dredge, said he first saw the Omapere when the vessels were within 70 or 80 yards of each other. The Omapere was on the Goat Island side of the channel, and was going across very quickly, heading for the Dunedin point of Quarantine Island, The dredge was losing her way very fast. She might have had a knot of way on her, but he did not think so. The Omapere must have had four or five knots ou her.

Thomas M'Millan, smith on board the dredge, said that after the whistle he saw the Omapere a good bit below the islands. He thought she was near the Quarautine Island side of midchannel. A man on her bridge was waviug his hand and his hat. If the Omapere had kept the course he first saw her going she would have run on the Quarantine Island. He never saw her right ahead of the dredge. To Mr Stewart: The dredge was going about the centre of tho channel until she got near Quarantine Island point; then she went a little over to Quarantine Island. The Omapere was never near Goat Island that he saw; she was on the Quarantine Islaud side of the channel. John Cowan, master mariner, said he was in a dingey near the outer point of Goat Island at the time of the collision. He saw the Omapere go up about mid-channel till about abreast of the punts, when she went in closer to Goat

Island. She appeared in about the usual course. Just then he heard the dredge whistle, and saw the Omapere's engines going astern. Just before this he saw the captsiin of the Omapere waving his hand from right to left, for the dredge to keep over to Quarantine Island. The dredge was coming down heading for Goat Island Point. She came straight down for the cud of Goat Island, and when close down she slewed over aud headed for Quarantine Island. The Omapere came pretty close to Goat Island side after the captain waved his hand, and then altered her course a little bit over to the Quarantino Island side.

To Mr Adams : When the dredge ported her helm aud swung she would be about 50ft from Goat Island. She had a little headway, but not much. He thought the Omapere meant to go round the dredge's bows because she could not

get between her and Goat Island. The dredge was at an angle across the channel when the collision occurred. To Mr Stewart: When the Omapere appered to be trying to pass the dredge her engines were going astern, and had been from passing the punts. The tide would have a tendency to slew her head round to port with her engines goiug astern.

George M. Barr, engineer to the Harbour Board, produced models of the two vessels, showing the damage done to the dredge. The cut extended to sft below the water line at the time, and was 9ft in depth. In addition to the cost (£7OO or £800) of raising and docking her, the repairs would cost £300 or £400.

Captain Smith, recalled by the Court, said that [nearing the punts the Omapere slowed down, and the engines never went ahead again. She had good way on at the time, having been going at full speed. He did give the order to starboard, because he saw that if he went any farther on the port helm ho would get struck by the dredge or strike Goat Island. He could not stop the vessel more than he was doing. He could not get on the Goat Island side of the dredge, assuming that she kept as she was going, so he had to pass on the other side; and while doing so the dredge ported, and then he ordered to port—thus countermanding his order to starboard, which had not been carried out.

The court intimated that they would visit the scene of the collision on Saturday, and give their decision on Monday.