THE HARBOUR COLLISION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18322, 12 August 1921, Page 2

THE HARBOUR COLLISION

COURT OF INQUIRY, QUESTIONS FOR DECISION. PILOT AND CAPTAIN CAMPBELL EXAMINED. The Court of Inquiry into the collision between the steamer Calm and the barque Rothesay Bay off Carey’s Bay. Port Chalmers, on the evening of July 7, was opened yesterday. The court consisted of Mr H. Y. Widdowsou, S.M. (president), and Captains Sundstrum and Mumby (assessors). Mr F. B. Adams appeared for the (Marine Department, Messrs S. Solomon, and H. Brasch tor the master and owner of the Rothesay Bay, Mr A. C. Hanlon for the master of the Calm, and Mr J. C. Stephens for the Otago Harbour Board.

Mr Adams, in opening, recounted the circumstances of the collision. He recounted the arrival of the Rothesay Bay off the Heads and her being towed up and anchored off Carey’s Bay about 5.45 p.m. The Calm was proceeding to sea, and had been warned that she Irad to pass an inbound steamer (the Breeze) waiting at Port Chalmers, but was not warned regarding the inbound barque. There was no obligation that such warning should be given. Counsel submitted four questions for the court; (1) Whether the collision was not wholly or partly caused by the failure of Thomas Braidwood, the master of the Calm, in failing to have a sufficient lookout kept on his ship; (2) whether the collision was not wholly or partly caused by tho failure of Captain Braidwood to have the Calm sufficiently to the right or starboard side of the fairway or channel; (5) whether the collision was not wholly or partly caused by tho failure of Thomas Campbell, master of the Rothesay Bay, to display asd. keep displayed in proper position and burning visibly the regulation riding lights; (4) whether the collision was not wholly or partly caused by the failure of Frederick John Duncan, senior pilot to the Otago Harbour Board, to anchor the Rothesay Bay in safe anchorage, and, further, out of the fairway. Mr Adams added that it seemed to him that at tho end of the inquiry he would have to add a tilth question, whether the Calm m not immediately giving her name when hailed and not immod.atelv stopping to see whether the other vessel was not damaged so as to endanger her had failed in her duty. Thomas Campbell, master of the Rothesay Bay, said that the owners were the Australian Ship Activ (Ltd.). On July. 7 he competed a voyage from Hobart to Dunedin, leaving Hobart on Juno 28. The cargo was timber, and the vessel was drawing 16.2£t aft and 16.6 ft forward. They were taken in tow by the tug Dunedin about 2 p.m. when iz or. 14 miles from Uio Heads. Tne phot (Caplaai Duncan) came aboard about 4 o’clock, when just nisffio me iioaus. He took cnarge oi me iv, l lie say -bay, and had her towed up aux'easi ol Oiu'cy fa bay and ancuoretl Itlc,e aoout o.io p.m., me sumxwra ancuor being used wim oo lathouis ot cable to mo water s euge. U ituess nmiseu took, no soubumgs, and etui not mink any were lan-eu. ilie pilot, wittt ms looai knowleuge, woulu liuow the depms. It \fas getting very dark when they cast anchor, ana mo siuengnts were in .use some tune beiore tne snip readied me uiicnoiago; he coui-d not aenmieiy state wuen mey were lit. immeuiatejy tne anehor_ was let go the siataignts were taken in and nunig lights placed in position, two oi tnem, tne lorward ngnt in tne starboard loie nggiug on the lonvord fawhter, Zoit irom me deck. -the yards were braced stiaip up on the starboard tack. me oilier riding light was piacoa on the spanker boom uu, dil above tne poop deck, wmch is 3ft 7ni above mo mam deck, 'me lanterns were dioptenc lens lights. Witness produced the lanterns wneu Captain Fraser (marine surveyor) came to me snip, mo ceruneaie ot registry (put in) showed’ mat mo vessel s length was idO.dlt. Witness set a watch wnen the anchor was set, appointing an A. 8., C. Ghudon, mgnt waleninan. it whs by this time quite dark. Witness saw that the lignts were in position and everything secure belorc he lelt the deck. Alter ascertaining that everything was all right witness went below; no officer was on deck as they were going to tea. It was not usual to leave an omoer in charge oil deck in a sam harbour and at anenor. The pilot was with, witness down below. They iclt a shock aiid witness rushed on deck to see the cause. He saw a steamer on tho starboard bow, rusned forward and hailed title steamer irom the lorecastle head, calling, “What ship’s that?’’ He heard no reply. Witness looked to his lights and saw that both were burning brightly. The pilot, who hud rushed up alter witness, said: “Well, there’s one thing, your lights are all right. He found that the bowsprit had been carried away, the jioboon broken off at the cap and the scorn damaged, and all the head gear carried away. Witness gave orders to secure tho foremast and sound the well. Ho also got a lantern and looked over to see that the ship was not damaged below the water line. The well was sounded at intervals during the night, and the ship was not making any water. After he hailed the ••Bteamer she continued on her course down the harbour; she was in motion when witness saw her first. He did not see her return; ho should think ho would have been on deck ior about 15 minutes. The damage to the barque had not been repuired. . Mr Solomon slated that the estimated cost of repair was £2500. Cross-examined by Mr Hanlon: He did not know of his own knowledge that there were 30 fathoms of anchor chain out; he asked the mate how much there was, and tho mate told him. The change from the side lights to the riding lights after anchor was cast would not occupy more than two or throe minutes. He himself noticed a man walking along the deck with a sidelight while another was on his way up the rigging with the forward riding light. He thought the mate had the riding lights lit ready, as they were put out so smartly. It was rarely that a riding light was carried on the forestay of a sailing vessel. Whore a vessel was hanging to a tide with her tail up and down the stream a light on the forcstay had the mast behind it, whereas a light in tho rigging on one side of the mast could be seen up and clown the harbour. Tho object of tho two lights was to show that the vessel was over 150 ft long. To Mr Stephens; Tho day after the collision, or two days after, Captain Dunoan, Captain Shelton, . himself took sextant angles for the purpose of determining tho position of tho ship at tho time ot tho accident, using tho same sextant and checking each others angles. A plan produced correctly recorded the observations made. The reason given by the pilot why it would be necessary to anchor tho barque was that daylight would bo needed for tho tow to Dunedin. Ho knew also that it would be necessary to anchor till tho vessel had been passed by the health officer.

To Mr .Solomon: It would be 10 or 15 minutes after he went below that the collision occurred. After the accident the Kothosay flay was lying in much the same position as when ho wont below. The riding lights were put out fully 25 minutes beloro the collision occurred. There was no regulation that the forward light should bo placed on the forestay. The general rule was to hang the light in the rigging. To Mr Adams: After the collision the only light ho could ace on the Calm was her stern light.

Captain Jfraser, Government surveyor of ships, stated that on the morning of July 8 he wont down to the barque. Ho inspected the two riding lamps. The forward light was in accordance with the requirements and the after light was in excess of the requirements. The lanterns were in good order. To Mr Hanlon: He measured the height of the forward light and found it. some feet lower than the master had said, 23ft Sin above the deck. To Mr Solomon: Had he been master of the vessel ho would certainly have hung the forward light just where it hud been hung. Captain Dimean, senior pilot with the Harbour Board, said he boarded the barque just inside the Heads between 4 p.m. and 4.20 p.m. as near as he could reckon from subsequent happenings. There were no lights burning when ho wont on board. There was a recognised anchorage at Carey’s Bay. Ho had been a pilot with I ho Otago Harbour Board for 14 years. Ho had frequently left vessels in the anchorage at Carey’s Bay; it was a safe spot. The position of the vessel as mdrked in the chart of the sextant angles was approximately where he left her. If the weather was good and the ship not expected to lie any considerable time, it was customary to moor with only one anchor; it was a safe method in a channel such as that at Carey’s Bay. As near as he could estimate the time the anchor was dropped would he about 5.30 p.m. He gave 30 fathoms of chain to the water’s edge. There was no occasion to take soundings; he know the depth (33HJ. The tide had chopped on the gauges, but the flood etreaoi

was still running up in the channel very slowly. After the anchor was let go the barque swung round with (ho flood a little way; she would lie almost athwart the channel just for a moment or two. When she reached the limit, of the 30 fathoms she pointed towards Carey’s Bay. but only for a short time—live minutes or so —after which she swung gradually till the bows were pointing towards Port Chalmers. He himself observed her till she occupied that position. It was getting dark, but he could distinguish the wharves at Port Chalmers and the objects used for the anchor hearings. Witness heard someone say something about putting up the riding lights; he also remembered being asked by the master on the way up the channel how far they still had to go and his ordering the side lights out. Witness could not definitely state times. It would bo, he should think, about a-qnarter to six whenthe master and himself went below, and the collision would have occurred five or ten minutes later. When witness reached the deck tho Calm would be two or throe lengths away, heading down channel. Ho heard the master of tho barque hail, the steamer, but he did not hear any response. The head of the barque was pointing, as near as he could make it, to tho dock. The barque's riding lights were burning bright. Most of tho crew, he thought, were on tho forecastle head when he remarked on the lights To Mr Hanlon: As near as they could get to it the ship was moored in the middle of the fairway. It was the place for anchoring ships below Port Chalmers. If the master of the Calm had kept on the starboard side of tho channel—as he should have done —he should not have come within hundreds of feet of the Rothesay Bay. There was no reason that witness knew why he should have gone over to the barque at all. It was usual to steer an outward bound vessel by the white light on the starboard side of the channel.

Mr Solomon produced the Act to show that it was a crime for a master not to proceed down channel on the starboard side of the channel. Any man who had any knowledge of the port and had passed his examination should know all about tho anchorage; it was part of the examination. Witness’s instructions as a pilot were to anchor anywhere between Port Chalmers and the Heads; the anchorage off Carey’s Bay was the most suitable. To Mr Stephens: By anchoring the ship in the middle of the fairway ample room was left for ships to pass on either side. Assuming it to be a danger to anchor tho ship in the centre of the fairway it would be still more dangerous to anchor on either one side or the other. The reason for anchoring in the centre of the fairway was to allow sufficient room for the vessel to swing according to how she might be affected by the wind or tide. The court adjourned till this morning.