THE MAOEI-ZITA COLLISION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18512, 24 March 1922, Page 7

THE MAOEI-ZITA COLLISION

INQUIRY AT WELLINGTON. CONFLICTING EVIDENCE. (Fbom Ouk Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, March 23. An inquiry into the cause of the collision on February 26 between the ferry steamer Maori and the auxiliary schooner Zita, which took place 45 miles from Lyttelton Heads, was held here to-day before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., and Captains James Broadhurst and G. W. Airey, master mariners. Mr J. Prendeville appeared for the Marine Department, Mr D. Jackson for the owners and officers of the Zita, Mr Kirkcaldie for Mr Morgan (chief officer of the Maori), and Mr P. Levi watched the proceedings on behalf of the "Union Company. _ Captain Hans Joansen, master of the Zita, gave evidence that on the night in question at 4.10 a.m. he was called out again, as a steamer was crossing the Zita’s bows from starboard to port. Witness could see the steamer’s head and port lights. The steamer passed .the Zita at full speed, after carrying away the bowsprit, figurehead, part of the starboard bulwark, and a part of the port rails. Witness had only been on deck a couple of minutes when the steamer passed him. The Maori cut into the Zita’s bowsprit. The Zita’s lights were burning at the time. He was called too late to see die actual collision. Witness explained’ with the aid of small models, bow the collision occurred. Ho could not tell in what position his helm was when he came up on deck. He did not look at it. The cabin was only about Bft from the helm. The night was quite clear before the collision occurred. He saw the steamer’s port light inshore at 3 o’clock, before he went down. He had been sailing on the ooast for 16 years. John Williamson, first mate on the Zita, said the vessel was sailing on the port taok at two knots. There was a light northwest wind. The sailing lights were burn- . ing. There was no masthead light. At 3.45 he picked up a steamer’s light five or six miles away, two points on the port bow. He described the course steered. Tlie Maori or mo up showing her red light. At 4 a.m. she was still on the Zita’s port bow. Then the Maori opened up her green light, and then, as they came close, she altered her course and showed the red light. The weather was dark, but clear. After the collision the Maori touched the vessel again, but no damage was done by that touching. To Mr Jackson: The sails of the Zita did not prevent her lights being seen. He was positive that he did not alter his course. Before the collision, his last order, “Hard a starboard,’ was of no avail, because the ship had no way on. When the Maori showed her green light, witness went forward, and had a look at the Zita’s lights, which were both burning brightly. He then held up and waved a white light to attract attention. The Maori would be about three miles off. The weather was dark but clear. The fog set in after the collision. The Maori did not signal that she was changing her course. Mr Kirkcaldie examined the witness in regard to the courses they were on when live miles apart.—Witness said the Maori was on a course S. by W., and the Zita on a N.E. by N. course. Mr Kirkcaldie asked the court to note this statement, because as neither ship had altered her course the vessels would by the time the Maori (going a mile in about four minutes) reached the Zita be wide apart. Counsel asked witheee to describe the evolutions the Maori would have to go through from the positions they were tu at 3.45 a.m. Witness said the Maori would have to change tltrco points, and then before «he could strike the Zita on the starboard bow she would have to alter her course by nearly half a circle. Counsel: Do you really ask the court to believe that?—Witness: Yes, that wag what happened. Witness added that the white tight ho showed was a hurricane lamp. He thought such a white light could bo seen at three miles. Yrjo Gronoos, an A.B. from the Zita, who was at the holm at the lime of the accident, gave corroborative evidence. The Maori was crossing his bow when he got the order to go hard a-starboard. The only alteration he saw in the course of the Maori was from red to green. The Zita would be heading. N. by. E. when she was struck. H« saw the green light of the Maori on the Zita's port bow. It. Amy, an A.B. on the Zita, who was at the wheel from 2 to 4, said he also saw the change in the Maori’s lights from reel to green. The Zita’s course was changed a . few minutes before the collision. To Mr Jackson: Had the two vessels kept on their courses they would have cleared each other. The alteration in the Zita’s course did not cause the collision, because she had little way on. The fog came on rapidly after the Maori struck tho Zita. Captain B. Irwin, of the Maori, said that up to Cape Campbell the weather was remarkably clear. Ho was called at 4.12 a.m. -v the chief officer, who told hint he had just collided with a schooner. Witness went at once to tho bridge. The engines were then full speed astern. He got the Maori back to the schooner as quickly as possibly to give assistance if necessary. Assistance 'Was not necessary. Tho foe was settling clown when he _got on deck. He could ascertain the position of the schooner only by her signals. There were three port glasses broken on the Maori, and a washboard on the port quarter. _ The Maori was scored all along the port. side. There -were no dents. The. usual course from Co’>o Campbell to Godley Head was steered by the Maori. To Mr Jackson: It was a rule of the U. 8.8. Company that ho hod to be called if the weather became foggy. He was not called. If there was danger of a collision tlie rule was that a vessel changing its course should signal the change. Alt the damage was done when tho vessels first touched. If it had not been for the Zita’s white flare he could not have seen her in the fog, at the time h© went on deck. Robert George Coyte, second officer cn tho Maori, said ho held a master’s certificate (London). His watch was from two lo four. It was clear up to tho end of his watch. Ho saw no vessel approaching right up to four o’clock, when ho was relieved, though ho then had a good look round with 1 is glasses. He handed over to tlie first officer. To Mr Jackson: The lights of the Zita, had they been visible, should have been seen about eight minutes before the collision - i.e., allowing for tho speed at which iho Maori was going. Ho saw no lights at all. She passed 4ho Wahine at 2.8 a.m., and heard her sound her fog signals. There wore patches of fog in-shore, on which course the Wahine was proceeding northwards. Tho fog was coming from tho south right on the shore. It was possible that it was coming up with the Zita, and that Iho Zita might have been on the edge of it, in which case the Zita might lime seen the bigger ship, though the latter could mil. see the Zita. G. B. Morgan, chief officer on the Maori, said ho went on duty at 4 a.m. The weather was clear. He limacd round, but saw nothing. At 4.10 he sighted a red light, a point and a-half on the starboard how. He gave the orders “Port. - ’ ' Port good.” ■‘Hard aport.” and the vessel came right round in a circle. When his ship was swinging on the port, helm he saw both side lights of the Zita, then he lost the red light and toaw the green. Ho realised that she was Altering her course also. Iho positions were so close that he could do nothing but keep the Maori on the port holm, and cross tho Zita's bows. Had he not done so ho would have rammed the Zita. Ho rang “Pull-speed astern’’ when the ships came together afterwards. From the loom of tho Zita’s sails he could tell there was a fog. That was the first indication ho had of a fog. To Mr Jackson: He saw the vessel only two minutes before the collision, She. was then half a mile away. The look-out reported a light on the starboard how, just after lie gave the order to port. Tho Zifa’s lights were clear enough when he saw 1 them, -re could see it was a sailing vessel. He could not have starboarded his helm half a mile off to make it perfectly safe. If the Zita had kept her course the collision would have been avoided. By no other means could the collision have been avoidrs I. Ho contradicted the first witnesses, who said that the collision was not caused by the Zita's stmTonrdiicr. Had the coarse not been altered Iho distance when llic vessels passed would have been about fifty feet. Mr Jackson: Do you consider that a safe margin?—Witness: Well, it’s all the margin you nave. Mr Jackson: Could vou not have given more? —Witness: No. Impossible. To Mr Kirkcaldie. witness said he had 'been three years at Home in the antisubmarine service. There was no time to give sound signals. His duty was to give way to a sailer, and when he saw the Zita’s port light ho tried to keep port to port. The Zita changed her course almost at the same time, evidently endeavouring | to keep green to green. j To the Bench: The reason they could not see the Zita was probably because she was in the fringe of a fog bank. Th« Zita might see the Maori’s lights, hilt the Maori could not see the Zita’s.

John M'Kenzie, A.B. on the Maori, who was the lookout at the time of the collision, said he could see well over a mile. He saw the Zita’s red light, then the green, and then the crash came. The fog came down a little bit after he had been keeping a careful lookout. To Mr Jackson: From the time he saw the red light till the collision would be between four or five minutes. From the time he saw the green light till the collision would be a couple of minutes. Charles Martin. A.B. on the Maori, said the orders he got to go to port indicated that they were very close to, something. At a guess he might be on duty from seven to nine minutes before he got the_ order. A couple of minute's later the collision occurred. To Mr Kirkcaldie: Witness was on the port helm when the lookout bell was struck. The lookout and the chief officer must have seen the Zita’s light about the same time. Counsel for the Marine Department suggested that the question for the court was whether the first mate of the Zita or the first mate of the Maori was responsible for the collision. The Court reserved its decision.