COLLISION IN THE UPPER HARBOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2301, 7 April 1898, Page 23

COLLISION IN THE UPPER HARBOUR.

THE LAIRA SUNK AT THE VICTORIA

WHARF.

" An extraordinary accident occurred on Saturday forenoon in the upper harbour, whereby a barque, lying alongside a wharf, where she might have been expected to be isamune from danger, waß souk at her moorings. The Union Steam Ship Company's steamer Wakatipu, Captain G. G. Smith, which had arrived -from Sydney, via Cook Strait, was coming up the harbour to her berth at the tongue whart, and when passing the Victoria wharf struck the barque Laira, Captain Hoigh, on the starboard side immediately forward of the mainmast, &n& pinned her against the wharf with such force that a fender which had been placed between the barque and it was driven through her port side, and fche wharf itself was actually canted. The steamer ran into the bar qua stem on, cutting through her side, and the Laira filled so rapidly that she sank in eight or 10 minutes, after which time all that was visible of her above the water was the tops of the deckhouses. She settled dewn on s.n even keel, but to provide against the possibility of her heeling over, «, fltout cable was bound round the mainmast and then attached to a powerful stake that had been driven into the wharf. The Wakatipu herself did net escape altogether without injury, as she sustained some damage to the plate b on ber starboard bow, and the ship Canterbury, which was moored ahead of the Lwra, suffered some damage to her jibboom and outrigger*.

Various suggestions were current ou S&turd&y in explanation of the occurrence. One was that the heel of tho Wakatipu grounded as she wae steaming up the channel, and that the bow canted round. Another version was that the Wftkatipu was believed to have grounded and that to get her off the engines were put fall speed ahead, and the steamer, which is not notorious for her steering qualities, failed to answer her helm.

Tfce Lairs, which is a well known trader here, is an iron batque of 492 tons register, and is owned by Captain J. Paterson, of Roslyn. Her jast voyage was made direct to this port from London, where considerable improvements were made in her to secure her reclassification at Lloyd's, this being in view of the arrangement that had been made to employ her as a wool ship. She was chartered for the wool season by Messrs J. H. Stanley and Co., under their contract with the Freight Reduction Committee, and she had taken on board at the Victoria wharf about 1100 bales of wool, besides a small quantity of skins and tallow, and she >as to have sailed during last week for Wellington to complete her loading, a large quantity of wool, ready dumped, awaiting her there: At the solicitation of a client, however, Messrs Stanley and Co. had delayed the vessel's departure- frem Dunedin, in order that she might take on board here a consignment of wool which was late in coming to hand. Until a comparatively recsnt date the owner of the barque sailed her himself, but she is now, as previously stated, commanded by Captain Hoigb. She sank so quickly that her officers and ship's company were unable to save their effects, the captain losing, amongst other things, his chronometer and papers.

The value of the cargo on the Laira is estimated at £15,000, and this is understood to be fully insured, but as the insurances are in the names of the various consignors, and are distributed over a large number of offices, it has not so far been possible to obtain a complete list of them. The risks on the cargo commenced, it is stated, from the time that the wool was placed in the shed. The hull of the L&ira is valued at £2600, and it also is insured. „

Large crowds of people visited the Victoria wharf on Saturday afternoon to sea the uncommon spectacle that was there offered, and there were again a great number of sightseers nn Sunday, when the Laira presented the appearance of having settled somewhat more deeply in the mud than on the previous day. The visitors on Saturday when the tide was low had not only the sight of the wreck itself to interest them, but were entertained by the sight of the. apprentices of the Laira swimming into one of the deckhouses in the hope of recovering some of their chattels. ■ Tenders are being invited for raising the Laira. Thia, it is believed, can be done without much difficulty, even though the cargo should not be previously removed from hec, expert opinion inclining, indesd^ to the view that the work of floating the barque can be accomplished as readily with the cargo in her »B otherwise.

Tuesday.

The following are the insurances effected ggpo fcfaa Laira and her cargo ;— Oo the bull,

£2000 ; of which the Alliance Company have a policy for £1000, the National Company for £250, the Victoria Company for £250, and the Imperial Company of Tokio for £500. The cargo is insured for £15,000 in the North Queensland Company, who aye reinsured as follows :— £2500 in the New Zealand Company, £2000 in the Thames and Mersey Company, £2000 in the Australian Alliance Company, £1000 in the Canton Company, £1000 in the United Company, and £4000 reinsured by the Wellington office of the North Queensland Company, who besides retain a risk of £2500.

THE NAUTICAL INQUIRY.

A magisterial inquiry into the sinking of tbe barque Laira by the s.s. Wakatipu at the Victoria wharf on Saturday last took plase at the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr E. H. Carew, S.M., and Captain Boyd, nautical assessor.

Mr Chamberlain, collector of customs, conducted the inquiry on behalf of the Marine department. The inquiry was, he said, held under sections 237 and 240 of the Shipping and Seamen's Act of 1877. He would ask that all witnesses be ordered out of court with the exception of Captain Smith, who had a right to remain..

Mr Sim intimated that he appeared for the Harbour Board and for Captain Paterson, owner of the Laira ; Mr Solomon for Captain Ileigb, master of the Laira ; Mr Chapman for the Union Company ; Mr W. O. MacGregor (instructed by the New Zealand Shipmaster' Aesociation) for Captain Smith, master of the Wakatipu. Mr Sim asked that Captain Paterson be permitted to stay in court.

Mr Chamberlain said- that he had no objection. He would, however, point out that the Harbour Board were not concerned in the inquiry, so far as he could see.

Donald M'Callnm, harbourmaster, pointed out on the plan of the harbour the point where the collision occurred, about the middle of the Victoria wharf. There was from 17ft to 15ft of water in the channel st low water. The average at half- tide would be at least 2Jft more. The width of the channel was 375ffc at the lower end and at the upper end about 320ffc. There wag nothing shallower in the channel. The channel had proved sufficient for the requirements of the port for the last 12 years. Mr MacGregor asked leave to recall Captain M'C'alluni at. a later stage. He had not knowu tfcat the captain was to be called. Mr Chamberlain said there vreula be no objection.

George Gordon Smith, a master mariner, produced his certificate of competency, dated April 22, 1882. He deposed that he was master of the s s. Wakatipu on the 2nd iu«t., and had been so for about a month. He had brfen in charge of her several timep, and was chief officer of her for about two years. On th« 2nd iust. the Wakatipu left Port Chalmers at 8.45 a.m. The wind was light N.E. and the tide at flood. He was toM there was 3ft on the gauge, which should have given 19ft opposite tliß Victoria wharf. The draught of the "Wakatipu was 15ft Sin aft and 10ft lOin forward— that was medium draught. Before getting up to the Band ' dredge he stopped the engines altogether. That wa3 in accordance with the harbour regulations. The vessel was going past the diedge at from 2to 2£ knots. Roughly, the distance from th* dredge to the Laira was a quarter of a mil 3. Immediately tho ship losb steerage way and went ahead dead slow. Getting past the last post and the dredge in the straight chanricl he stopped three or four times. He found the vessel losing stetrage way, and gave her Bufficient way to keep her steering. Up to No. 1 poat she answered her helm. He then put the helm hard a-starboard, aud she did not answer. The heh» was hard over. He spoke to the man at the wheel, and asked him if the helm was hard a-sta' board. The man said, "Yes, sir." The vessel continued on a straight course instead of going round, her head pointing towards the ship Canterbury, which wes just astern of the Laiva. As this time he anticipated a collision ; put the engines full speed astern, and diopped the anchor at the same time. The effect of this was that it brought her head to starboard, but checked her very little. The Wakatipu then struck the Laira steen on, »i\d almost straight, 'ihe Laira was struck between the fore and main rigging. The Wakatipu broke three of her frames and damaged two of the plates on the starboard bow. The Laira was cut down, aud shortly afterwards sank. Witness before this had called out to the people on the Laira to stand clear, and so far as he could see they did so. After the collision the Wakatipu backed astern, got her ancboi' up, and proceeded to the tongue wharf. The Wakatipu steered, well as a rule, but was rather slow in answering her helm. The chief engineer was in charge of the engine at the time, and all orders were promptly obeyed. He attributed the collision to the fact of the ship not answering her holm. The collision took place at .about 10 a.m. This ha thougUt was partly due to the fresh northerly wind, vrliidh had increased steadily after leaving Port Chalmerp, and the strong flood tide, which the vessel was right in the heart of. Another reason was that the was "smelling" the ground, but not touching. He thought by her want of movement she was smelling the ground, but not touching. He did not know what the repairs would cost.

To Mr Sim : The Wakatipu was fclow in answering her helm under certain conditions, and he thought the reasoa for this was that she was a large t hip. The conditions referred to were such as those that existed on Saturday. It was only under such, conditions that she was alow in answering the helm. The last time previously he had noticed this was on going out of Lyttelton the same ttip when bound' northward. After the collision the Wakatipu steered all right in going to the tongue wharf. It was the starboard anchor that was dropped. The anchor did not seem to alter her course. It was the engine going astern that altered her course and directed her heid towards the Laira. He knew that would be the effect of what he did if she was not on the ground. If she had gone astern she might have missed both vessels, but it was not possible to get enough sternway on in that distance, though lie did not exactly know that at the time. The starboard anchor was the working one — the one always used. So far as he knew the port anchor was ready, but he could not say so of his own knowledge. He did not know it was not ready. If he liaa dropped the port anchor he did not think the effect would have been to take the Wakatipu off both ships. The effect would have been the same as droppiug the starboard anchor, only to ease her way a bit. It was high tide at Dunedin that day at 1.14 p.m. '

To Mr Solomon : He had been in the Wakatipu for about three years, and had brought her into the Dunedin harbour, but not with a northerly wind. He had taken her into the other harbours under all kinds of winds, and had not found her steering affected to this extent before. There was not a gale but a fresh breeze He was not clear on this occasion whether the vessel was smelling the ground. He believed he mentioned when she was coming up the harbour that he thought she was doing so. When about off Ravensbourne he thought he mentioned the matter to the third officer. He did not say tha^t those circumstances were typical ones under which the Wakatipu failed to answer her helm. When they headed for the wharf the wind was on their quarter. That was the worst position for the wind to be in for the Wakatipu to answer her helm. The vessel answered her helm all the time up to the corner, when they turned and got the wind on their quarter. It never occurred to him that when they got the wind in that quarter she would not answer her helm. He partly saw now that having the wind on the quaiter greatly assisted towards the collision.

Mr Solomon : Do you not see now that the injury was to a very large extent caused by your not making sufficient allowance for the effect of the wind, being on the quaiter of the Wakatipu, upon her steering capacity when you headed for the wharf ?

Witness : I say the wind being in that direction assisted the accident, but I won't say that it caused it.

Mr Carew : Do you say that it assisted to a large extent ?

Witness : I will say this much : that it asaisted greatly. Mr Solomon again repeated his question, and Witness replied i*-^ he did not see what was suggested

In answer to further questions, Witness said he made all tho allowance he could for the effect of ths wind on. the steering. He never found the Wakatipu fail to answer her helm before like that.

To Mr Chapman : Witness had passed the point where the accident occurred many times before with the object of entering the basin, but he never passed bsfore under exactly similar circumBtances. The wind was freshening all the way coming up the harbour. The current of the rising tide was scttiDg up the chaunel in the same direction as the wind. The current would be running at the rate of a kuot and a-half, and it pursued the course of the chaunel until it got to about where the accident happened. It then spread out and got partly athwart 'the course He look all these circumstances into consideration iv manoeuvring her into the basin. It would not be advisable to increase the speed of the vessel there owing to the want of room. The reason for the haibour regulation against keeping up speed in passing the wharf was that the back wash would tear the vessels away from their moorings. Amongtt shipmasters the approach to the basin, was considered one of the mott dangerous parts of the channel, as there were three difficult angles to make in a very confined space. He had known of eevei al accidents there, and of several narrow escapes with steamers, large and small. He did not anticipate that the starboard anchor would bring up the vessel. It was not possible to bring up a vessel with the anchor in so short » distance. He expected it to check her way and ease the blow.

To Mr MacGregor : By "smelling" the ground ] he meant that the ship's keel was so near the i ground that she would not steer. A good foot was wanted below the keel to *teer properly With his vessel drawiug 15ft 6ia he would want 16ft 6in to Bteer her. When he got to Port Chalmers he was told that there was 3ft of water on the g^uge. He know what the last published report showed was the minimum depth of water in the Victoria Channel. That ought to give_ about 19ft in the channel opposite the Victoiia wharf, and that was about the shallowest part of tlie channel. When oft" Ravensbourne he could feel the vessel I touching the ground, and not &t?ering. He g&\ c ! her full sspjed for about four or five revolutions. She steered all right vi.til they got close to pile No. 1. Theie was eomething more than wind and tide that assisted the vessel in not steering. In i his opinion she was nearer the bottom than he j thought -she was— too near to steer well. No i ship could steer well if she wan s>nie]ling ; the ground. If there had been 19fl in the ' channel tbe Wakatipu would not have been ! smelling the ground ; nor yet if there had been 18ft or 17ft. He was satisfied that there must havfc been less than 17ft of water in the channel at the point where she refused to answer her helm on that particular day. The smelling of : the ground might take place at the stern when the bow v/as swinging clear. The effect of put- j tins the engines full speed astern would be to pull her head round to starboard aud~at; the same i time to check her way, whether she was smelling i tbe ground or not. He was doing hi? best; to back ; the veßsel from the ships in the harbour. There j was a bend in the channel just opposite the j northern end of the Victoria whatf. The effect i of that was to make the freeway of a. steamer | passing to tho tongue wharf extremely narrow, j The effect of berthing tbe Oanteibury at the j southern end of the Victoria wharf was to still I further narrow the entrance to the basin. He | did not think it was a safe place to berth ships ■ where the Canterbury and Laira were berthed, j Thi3 point was recognised to be the most difficult i place in New Zealand to navigate a steam ship, j The ship Euterpe was towed up by two tugs to the same wharf that afternoon at high tide, and she ran into tbe Canterbury, although her berth was / actually abead of the Laira. j

Mr MacGregor produced the harbourmaster's raport as to the depths in the Victoria channel, the report being the one published on the 28th. Mr MacGregor said ho wishtd to put in the newspaper report. Clifford Johneou, engineer, produced his firstclass ceitificate, issued at Wellington on the 10th. January, 1888. He also produced the engine room log of the Wakatipu. The vessel, he said, passed Port Chalmera on the morning ot the 2nd inst. He was in charge of the ensine. She stopped at 9.23. He received the following orders : " Half -speed ahead " at 9.26— that was leaving Port Chalmers ; the next order was " Slow " at 9.45, when getting towards the whaif ; " Stop " at 9.58, when somewhere about the dredge; "Ahead slow" at 10.5 "Dead slow" at 10.7; " Stop "at 10.8 ; "Full astern "also at 10.8 —practically the same order; ".Stop" at 10.12; "Slow ahead" agiin at 10.13 He felt the collision slightly ; that would bs about 10.12 The engines were then going full speed astern. She stopped finally at the Jongue wharf. All orders from the deck weie obeyed promptly. To Mr Sim : There was uo " dead alow " on the telegraph ; that was why it appeared in the book as "ahead slow." To ring slow after that, as w*s done, meant slower still. Each order as received was_ marked on a blackboard and aftei wards copied into the book. The order to atop at 953 was interlined in the book. He had forgotten to put it in

Mr Chamberlain said that in compliance with the law he had asked Mr Johnson to hand in his certificate. It was for the conrfc to say whether there were aiiy grounds for detaining it. If not, be (Mr Chamberlain) would suggest that the certificate should be handed back to the witness.

Mr Carew asked if the solicitors had anything ta say on the point. There was no response. Mr Carew (to witness) : You are aoing away st once, I uuderstajid? Witness : Yes. Mr Carew : We see no objection to giviDg it back. The engineer's certificate was thereupon returned.

Mr Chamberlain said that the captain of the Wakatipu desired to make an explanation in respect to one point in his evidence. G. G. Smith, /bping thereupon recalled, said : I wish to make this statement with reference to a. question from Mr Solomon this morning implying that I had nob taken sufficient precautions against this N. K. wind. I may say tbat we did not get this fresh N.E. wind until we were abreast of Ravensbourne, and I beg to state that there is no precaution that could be taken from there np to the tongue wharf otherwise than by proceeding on, as we had no room to turn and no room to snehor.

_Mr Solomon : D.o I understand you to say that with that vessel, which steered as you say, the collision was not to be avoided ' Witness : We did not expect a collision. But with the vessel steering as she was ?— She would steer well enough if off the ground. It conies to this, does it not : under the circumstances existiug in that harbour on that day, and with the vessel you had, she was bound to run into one vessel or another? You could not turn, you could not anchor, and she would not steer ?— I say that in passing Ravensbourne the wind was pressing me. You find these things as you go along. I say there was no room and wo could not anchor.

You could not steer, and there was no room to turn or to anchor ?— I ea,y that we would not T>robably have gone up to Bavensbournee if the wind had been as strong at Port Chalmers.

To Mr Sim : He was not satisfied as to the time to a few minutes. The order to " stop" was given when they were off the dredge. After that it wa3 "stop and slow ahead, stop and slow ahead." To Mv Chapman : He had no reason to fear he would find the channel too shallow for steering when he got up to the Victoria wharf.

Thomas Roberts (first officer of the Wakatipu) handed his certificate dated 30th July, 1893, to the court, and deposed that nothing unusual took place before the Wakatipu reached the sand - pump dredge on Saturday. Before reaching the dredge the master stopped the engines. A fresh breeze was blowing from N.E. to N.N.E., and the tide was flowing at about a knot and a-half. Witness was in his usual position on the fore-castle-head, and noticed the ship was heading towards the Canterbury. At that time she should have been swinging more to port— towards the tongue whaif. She appeared to hang there for a second or two, and he thought there was something wrong. Her head was not swinging round as it should have done, but her way was not stopped. Almost exactly as he noticed this . the cantain s&Bg out something from the brides

He did not quite catch his first order, and it was repeated immediately, and was "Let go your anchor." This was done without any delay. The starboard anchor was let go. ,The starboard anchor was the working anchor. The anchor was all ready for use. It was hooked on, and was ready for lifting, which would take half a minute. Letting go the anchor would check the vessel's way very little, if anything. Her way had been checked some time before by the engines going astern. When the anchor was let go the Wakatipu was not more than a half-ship's length from the Laira. Immediately after the anchor was let go witness went off the forecastle-head to keep the passengers back, fearing that some of them might be iniured in the collision that was inevitable. His fear was that some passengers mi«ht be injured by spars falling. At this stage — 2.40 p m. — the inquiry was adjourned uatil 2 o'clock this (Wednesday) afternoon.