COLLISION IN THE UPPER HARBOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 17

COLLISION IN THE UPPER HARBOUR.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

-Rie magisterial inquiry into the sinking of the parque Laira by the a.s. Wakatipu at the Victoria Wharf on Saturday was resumed at the Magistrate's Court at 2 p.m. on Thursday before Mr E. i£. Carew, S.M., and Captain Boyd, marine superintendent (nautical assessor). Mr Chamberlain appeared to conduct the inquiry for the Marine department, Mr Sim for the Otago Harbour Board and the captain and owner of the Laira, Mr F. R. Chapman for the Union Company, and Mr W. C. MacGregor for Captain Smith, the master of the Wakatipu. Mr Hosking now also appeared, for the first time, and stated that hs had been aiked to represent the underwriters. Thomas Roberts, chief officer of the Wakatipu, being called and further examined by MrChamberlain, said he had bsen in the Wakatipu about six months. The Wakatipu was an average steering boat. He was slightly acquainted with the. turn of the channel off Victoria wharf, and had often seen difficulty in taking vessels round that corner. The turn was very sharp. The state of the ti<?e might affect the steering, and *o might the fact of theic beiug very little water under the vessel's bottom. He had never taken any soundings in the channel. As far as his knowledge went, at the time of the collision all hands were at their stations and on duty, and all orders were carrisd out promptly and efficiently. He could not find any fault with what was done on this occasion ; uoiie at all. He said this from liis experience as a. se-mian. Had he been master he would have done the same himself.

To Mr Solomon : "Witness noticed out of fbe ordinary on coming vp c the channel until the vessel failed to answer her helm. Personally he bad no reason to believe at the "time they were coming up the channel that the vessel was close to the bottom. He did not, up to the time she •I'e-fased to 'answer her helm, have any reason to -.believe that she yras near the bottom. When she ■*V!cd to answer her helm he realised- that seme- » vv u <t W as wrong. Thfre plight have been several '-a>v>;.->s which, made the Wakatipu fail to swing round. The steering gear might have biokeu tiou'n. The engines might have bioken down. Mr Solomon : The captain might have broken down. Mr MacGregor : The cross-examination might have broken down. — (Laughter.)

Witness continued : The steering gear did nofc

break down nor did the engines. Another cause might have been that the ship was very near the ground. Ifc did not occur to him that, things

foeiDg normal, the cause might luve been that the steamer was a bad~-steerei*. He knew that the Wakatipu" was sluggish occasionally when not in

good steering trim. He could nofc say that wao a fast pretty well known. He had never said she was a bad ship, but he had talked it over with his brother officers that the ship was sluggish when j not in good steering trim, and thought he was in a minority on the point. He had not discussed the subject with the captain. The vessel was going at from two to two and a-half knots passing the wharf. They were about a ship's length from the . Laira when he noticed the Wakatipu refused to. answer her helm, and was heading for the Canterbury. He did not consider it inevitable that the Wakatipu then proved sluggish in steering ; she must have struck, because she might have come round on her helm sufficiently to clear the Canterbury. He had seen many vessels with sluggish helms' under similar circumstances clear a ship. | He did not think ifc extremely likely that she ! would collide with the Canterbury, but there was a chance of it certainly. With the joower the captain had command of in the engine room the Wakatipu had a much better chance of getting off from the Can•tevbury than of colliding. "He C6uld_ not say that putting the engines full speed asiern would i • alter her course to the starboard. The altering -of the course, 1 pulling her head to. starboard, was, he thought, the aofcion of "the engines 'and 'the anchor combined. This, might have ■ assisted to.bring her head towards theLaira. The , wind and tide would also tend to twififc her stern •round and put her head on to the Laira. He was ,liardly competent to say whether, if the engines .Lad not been reversed and the anchor dropped, j the wind and tide would have been sufficient to • heai the steamer on to the L.iira, but he did say j <hat when the engines were reversed and the ! anchor dropped the wind and tide, in his opinion, j had a very material effecb in drawing the vessel's j .head towards the Laira. J Do you think that any experienced officer -would have anticipated that rtsult?-Many | officers of more experience than I might have j opinions in the opposite direction. Some officers might think one way and some anolher. I certainly should have anticipated that that would be the result. Captain Boyd : You said just now that Captain Smith did all that he should have done. I understand you to gay now that you think he did wrong in letting go the anchor. Witness : That is not the idea I meant to eo**vsy. Mr Oarew : Do you think he did right ? 'Witness : I think he did right under the pirriiinstances.~ To Mr MacGregor : The ship seemed to hang for s. second or two instead of coming round to port. He did not know of his own knowledge whether she was smelling the ground or not. In many cases a vessel smelling the ground aft makes the helfn practically useless. If the anchor had not been dropped, in witness's opinion the steamer .would have gone into one or other of the vessels all the same, if she did not answer her helm or the engines did not bring her back in time. Witness had bean 19 years at^sea, an^l had had ■pretty good experience in steamboats. Under the circumstances Captain Smith did all that witness

could think of to prevent an accident. So far as 1 witness's knowledge extended Captain Smith was a careful seaman. To Mr Sim : He could not say, nor give an 'opinion on the subject, as to what would hava happened if Captain Smith, had dropped the port 'instead of the starboard anchor. ' Mr Chamberlain asked the bench about Mr Roberts's certificate. If there was not likely to 'beany charge against Mr Roberts he (Mr Chamberlain) would suggest that his certificate should be returned. Mr Carew : You do not suggest any charge against him ? Mr Chamberlain : No. The certificate was therefore returned. Mr Chamberlain said that he proposed to call Captain Fleming and Captain Spinks next as a matter of convenience, as they wanted to go away. They were not, however, his witnesses. Charles Fleming, at present master of the Wakatipu, deposed that he had been in command of a good many of the IT.S.S. Company's boats and knew Otago Harbour. He knew the place where the accident happened. He had liimself had difficulty in passing that spot in the 3Jnion Company's boats. The time he had the difficulty was owing to the ship " smelling " the giound. He was speaking of the time when he came up at half-tide in the large vessels. On March 9th he arrived off the end of the Victoria .wharf ia the Tarawera a,t 7a.m. He was drawing 17ft aft. The tide was half ebb, and Bhould have given him 19ft according to the gauge. In «a3?ing the green light the ship took a sudden run over towards the place where the Canterbury was berthed. At the time he thought this was Dwing to her "smelling" the bottom or even touching the ground. She refused to answer her helm, which was held hard a-starboard. She was feoing slow, and he gave her half -speed ahead, and she moved her head to port, answering her helm slowly. He gave her, against regulations, full speed ahead, and by that means just cleared the Canterbury's quarters, and had to take the starJboard anchor on board to do so. He had no ._ tloubt whatever the cause of the Tarawera not

answering her helm was her smelling .the 'ground ; the ship was a splendid steering vessel. He did not mean to say there was not 19ft of water there, feut a vessel forging ahead in shallow ''water would naturally draw to the bottom. The propeller running would all tend to take the water away from her, drawing her keel towards the ground. He had had similar experience in •other big boats. The Hauroto on February 17 came up at 9 a.m. The tide was about half -flood, lie was steering his usual course for the tongue wharf and when he got off the green light he was going dead slow, and she took a sudden run right WULjSLitia. Victor vriMfc g § m t fcer full

speed astern, and that threw her head clown the harbour. That sheering-off was also due to the vessel smelling the ground; there was nothing else to bring her over. The Hauroto was drawing 17ft 2in, and there Bhould have been 18ft 6in or 19ft of water in the chan-nel. Captain Smith had the reputation of being a careful commander. He thought Capfcain Smith had done what was sensible at the time the accident occurred, and could not suggest anything else that could have been done or any other precaution that should have been taken. He believed he would have done the same under similar circumstances.

To Mr Hosking : He had had difficulties even at flood-tide. There was less difficulty undoubtedly in coming up on the full tide. He would not care to come up the harbour with less than from lfl> to 18in of water under the keel They did lrjfc wait for the full tide ; they look the risk. They had had no accidents but severol narrow escapes coming up at the half tic(e. He had had one narrow escape, and within the same .month the vessel had touched the bottom' and run in ; but in that; case there was no risk of accident. No representations had been made by him to the Union Company, except that he had reported to the marine superintendent of the Union Company the case of the Tarawera. When he went fulJ speed ahead in the Tarawera it was as a last hope — hit or niiss. lie w^s not in the same position as Captain Smith was with the Wakatipu, and had not room to use the anchor.

To Mr Chapman : It was not a similar case, because when he put on full speed he was pointing to the mizzea-ma3t of the Canterbury, and the Wakatipu was pointing to her bow, and the Tarawera was coming up to her helm, although slowly at the time, The causes of getting over towards the Victoria whaif were probably the same.

' Captain Spinks, a master "mariner at present in command of the Talune, deposed that he had been formerly in charge of .the Wakatipu for about one year and eight months. He always found the Wakatipu steered all right. At the bend toward? the Victoria wharf he had had difficulty, particularly during the lasi trip of the Talune. The ship thr-n smelt the ground there, but did not stay on ir. At that time the draught was between 16ft and 17ffc. The Talune did not answer the helm, and the reason for this wa3 that she was smelling the ground aft. He did not go out of his course, the reason being that the wind may have helped him. When in the Wakatipu

he had had experience on several occasions of the vessel smelling the ground ; and always with the same result, that she refused to answer her helm, i and generally ran against it. He knew Captain Smith, had served with him, and always found him to le a careful and competent officer. He had read in the newspaper of the circumstances under which the accident to the Laira had taken place. Nob being on board at the time, he could not say whether Captain Smith had done the

right thing. To Mr Sim : This spot was recognised by ship captains as a difficult place. He did not think it would have been easier for the Talune on the occasion referred to if she had come up at high water. If there was a foot of water under the ship he considered ir as safe as at high water. In coming up on the first half of flood there was a better chance of getting off if the vessel struck.

There was the rising tide to work with. There were two occasions on which he had difficulty. The one was at half tide ; the other was in going down at full tide. He had had difficulties with the Wakatipu in getting her round on several occasions at half tide. He had had difficulties 1 with her at full tide, in her smelling the ground — jat anyrafco she would not come round, 'i he ; difficulty was caused by smelling the ground, but in some cases aggravated by the wind. Coming up at full tide the chances of smelling the ground were less than at half tide excepting at the band. It would have dove no harm to have dropped both anchors, and might have i tended to cheek the movement. The dropping of i the starboard anchor should have checked the movement of Ihe ship's head to starboard. To Mr Hosking : He thought the tide might have something to do with vessels coming round the bend " smelling " the western bank. It elid not always bappeu. He could not tell why it happened. The tide or a gust of wind might set the vessel over. In the Talune's case he [thought it waa the tid», but could not be sure. | They were not out of their course, but it was difficult to keep within a foot or two of the same j course every t'mo. : To Mr Solomon : His experience was that a j vessel's heel touched the western bank opposite j the green light, and kept on doing so until she was clear of the Victoria wharf. The bank did not now extend so far, as there had been dredging recently. He thought it safe to come up the harbour with a foot of water under the ship. He did not think the difference in the width of the channel at high water and at half-tide was very great. He could never see any danger in the channel at either half-tide or full tide if there was plenty of water under the keel. That was the result of his experience for 20 months in the Wakatipu. In his opinion there was no reason why a vessel properly handled, under normal conditions, with enough water to float, should not get up the channel in safety. To Mr Chapman : A foot or two nearer the bank might make the difference between a vessel smelling the ground or being clear of it. Mr Chapman : In the circumstances would the captain have been doing his duty if he had failed to drop the anchor ? - I think that is a matter for his own judgment. He would decrease the risk of collision by dropping the anchor. Most captains would have dropped the anchor under these circumstances. i Captaixi Boyd (nautical assessor) : The impres- ! sion seems to exist that dropping the anchor would bring the ship nearer the Laira. Would not the very opposite occur ?— (Witness) In my opinion, yes. -The reason being that the ship forging ahead with the engines going astern, the anchor would get to the port side of the vessel and prevent the ship's head going a-starboard ? — Yes. At 5.45 p m. the inquiry was further adjourned until 2 o'clock this (Thursday) afternoon.

The inquiry into the sinking of the barque Laira by the s.B. Wakatipu at the Victoria wharf on Saturday was resumed at the Magistrate's Court afc 2 p.m. yesterday before Mr B. H. Carew, S.M., and Captain Boyd, marine superintendent (nautical assessor). Mr Chamberlain appeared to conduct the inquiry for the Marine department, Mr Sim for the Ofcago Harbour Board and the captain and owner of the Laira, Mr F. R. Chapman for the Union Company, Mr W. C. MacGregor for Captain Smith (the master of the Wakatipu), and Mr Hosking for the underwriters. Oscar Mackler, the third mate of the Wakatipu, deposed that he held % first mate's certificate, issued by the Board of Trade in London in 1896. He was on the bridge when the Wakatipu was coming up the harbour. His duty was to stand by the telegraph and ring» to the engine room in response to the master's orders. After passing the dredge she was not steering well, and refused to answer her helm when ifc wa3 hard a-starboard. What he meant by not steering well was that when the engines were stopped and she lost; her way, she would not answer her helm. Every ship required way on in order to eteer. He could not say what effect the stopping of the engines had, because he was attending to the telegraph. When off Ravensboume the captain told him the Wakatipu was smelling the ground, and his experience enabled him to say that that was the case on this occasion. She also appeared to be close to the ground when they went full speed astern. The wind on leaving Port Chalmers was N B. light, and when off the dredga punt the wind was blowing strong and thare was a pretty strong flood tide, running from two to three knots, probably more. The reason the ship did not answer her helm was, he thought, owing to a strong wind

being on her quarter and her being near the

ground, if not touching ifc. As the engines went full speed astern he was certain he felt her touch.

To Mr Sim : The first order to " Stop " wa3 iiiveu iust before .jmchiau dreclee, Ho

could not say how many times the order " Stop " was given before the collision. All he could say was that they were just keeping steerags way and navigating with caution. He was a stranger in this harbour and did nofc know the chart, and ib was no use asking him about ib. He knew that she was smelling the ground off R ivensbouxne, bub c mid not describe the indication further than to say that he felt her touching ifc, and dragging the length of her keel, and she was stirring up the mud.

To Mr Hosking: He had been about six years in steamers. The Wakabipu had no way of her own when passing the dredge. They afterwards gave her a few revolutions full speed ahead. He oould nob say what the orders were af Ler that. The book which was kept on dtck, and held the orders from the bridge, was away in the Wakatipu. He could not say how much speed was necessary to give her steerage way. He had not bsen long enough on the Wakatipu to judge. He could not remember whether there were repeated changes in the orders to the engine room bptween Ravensbourne and the sand pump. Witness made no entries in the deck book of fcbe o r dars he telegraphed to the engine room, but he wrote them on a piece of paper, and entered them afterwards. He thought he could find that piece of paper.

To Mr MacGregor: The vessel was ia the channel when she touched afc Raven3bourne, and at No. 1 post ; he should say about 60tfc from the post. The bottom was, he had been told, soft mud. If it had been rock there would have been a hole in the Wakatipu's sbern. He would not be surprised to learn that tha Lair* had settled 4fb in the mud since she sank. That went to show that the stuff was silting up.

Henry Easlon Wallis,- first officer of the Lmira, holding chief mate' .3 certificate of competency issued by fchs London Board of Trade, deposed that he was on board ths L iira on tho 2nd inifc. He heard commotion and shouting on"the Wftkatipu, and looked towards her. He Ihouglil she was goiog towards the Canterbury, and would catch her on the atarboard bow. The Wakatipa was aboufc lOOffc away when he fiVsfc saw her. ' So far aa he could judge, she van going ab about six knots — fully that. He could not see which way the screw was going, but saw the starboard anchor go. She must have swung round, bub he did nob nobice her do so, and she struck the barque just tboub the forward swifter of the main rigging on the starboard side. The Laira waa made faßt by the anchor chain forward, and the collision carried away the chain moorings, the barque ] being driven astern into the Canterbury, and | the Canterbury's stora cutting 4ffc or s'fc into the L&ira's poop. The barqae sank within four or five minutes. There was no time to save anything, "He rushed down into the cabin and got hold of the captain's chronometer, but; saved nothing else. The' master was nob on board. No person was injured.. Afte»Btrikiag bhe Wakatipu went Sibtern, stayed in one position two or threa minutes, and then went to her bantu. There was & fresh breeze from the N B. ; he could not gay it was a «trong breeze. The cargo on the Laira consisted of about 1100 bales of wool, seven or eight baleß of rabbitskins, and about 15 barrels of tallow. There was about 20fb between the cargo fore and aft, and ifc was thare the sleimer struck ; she did not touch the cargo. The bwqua was not half full of cargo.

-To- Mr Hosking-: He had not seen the Wakatipu coming up the harbonr, he had just come on ' deck. There was no one on the look .out at the time — there waa no occasion for ifc. The port anchor did not go. If the port anchor had been ieb^jo the Wakafcipu. would have stood a better chance o£ keeping away from the Laira, bub he could not say ib would have prevented the collision. Dropping the starboard anchor he thought would bring her towards the Laira. The Wakatipu cat the Laira down to the bsllasb. The collision was one of very considerable force. Hs was not aware that the damage could hava been done simply by tb.9 weight oE the vessel, and in his opinion the Wakatipu was going six knota.

To Mr MacGregor t He was nob brought up from below by the shouting on the Wakatfpu; fchab started after he came on deck. When he first saw her the Wakabipu was about 100 ft off ; perhaps a. little more. As soon as he saw the Wakatipu was coming for the Laira he sang ouh to the rest to clear out, snd jumped on the wharf. He could not say how far the Wakatipu was from them when he sang oub to the men to clear out. Ha sang out and then cleared out. He was not the l&st man on the ship to jump on the wharf. It was a case of every man for himself. The thing could not be stopped, and the only thing was for everybody to clear. The whole thing only took a minute or two. He was prepared to contradict the statement that the W&kafcipu was going through, the water from 2 to 2£ knots. She was going more than that. Sac was going about six knobs. He did not notice -whether the Wakatipu's engines were working or nob. He was on the look-out for a man in the starboard rigging. If the man had come down a bib faster the steamer would h&ve struck him, and he sang oufc.to the man to look out. If the Wakatipu had struck straight on she mighfc have cat the barque in two, bub ifc would take a tremendous blow to cub deep into the ballast.

Howard Clarkson, second officer of the ship Canterbury, holding a Board of Trade certificate of competency, deposed that on the 2nd insfc. he saw the Wakatipu coming up the harbour. He did not take much notice of her, and could give no opinion as to the rate at which ahe was travelling. When she waa below fchs Laira he noticed that something was amiss, and that eha was pointing to the Canterbury. She swung to starboard, towards the Laira. He thought the Wakabipu was going more than two and a-half knots, but could not say at what speed she was going. Did not notice how the engines were going. She swung round more after the anchor was let go, and with that struck the Laira. Ho did not think that letting go the anchor would have much effecb then. He could nob venture an opinion as to whether the master of the Wakatipu was correct in what he did.

To Mr Sim i• If the course oi the Wakatipu had not been altered she would have passed the Laira and run into the Canterbury. She swung pretty sharply round to starboard. If the port anchor had been dropped he thought ib would not have had much eff »cb.

William Grocotfc deposed that he had been before the mast for 16 years and had been 25 years at sea. He was cook and steward on board the Laira, and waa amidships on the barque on the morning of the 2nd mat. He first saw the Wakatipu about three lengths away, heading up the harbour clear of all the vessels. Her course changed suddenly, and she came at & tremendous speed, as if she was going to strike the Canterbury on her bow. He estimated the speed afc seven or eight knots. She was about two of her lengths off when he heard a lot of singing out. When one length off she dropped her starboard anchor, and this did not seem to stop her way much, but to head her on for the Laira, and she came on and struck the barque a slanting blow from forward aft in the main rigging, carrying away the forward moorings, and driving the barque into the Canterbury's bow, The Lair* sank within five or six ttiMts& fts SPttld eo6 «oe tty £»gioe»j_bj!i i\

seemed to bim they were gfifg£.fehe&d from the rate she was going. He vtus not too esoited ab bhe time bo be sure the evidence he now g?.vo was correct.

To Mr Hosking : If the port anchor had been thrown oufc and had caughfc ground ifc would have slewed her head in the opposite way. Had the W&kafcipu continued straight on from the position she was in three lengths away she would have cleared everything.

To Mr Chapman: Two lengbb.3 away, or between two and three lengths away, she turned in towards the Canterbury. 'He could nofc say what caused her to turn. She gave two separate turns to starboard. He was sure she was going all of seven knols.

To Mr MacGregor : When nearly about her length off, the Wakatipu dropped her anchor If the length of the Wakatipu was 300ffc she wa<s at least 250fc off when she dropped- her anchor. The speed of the Wakafcipu could nofc have b?en leaa thsn seven knots ; it was, he thought, more than seven but nob more than eight.

To Mr C*rew : He thought the collision took place fcwo or three seconds after the anchor was dropped ; he could hardly judge.

Eric G. Lebmoneu, an AB. and acting ! boatswain on the Laira, deposed thab on the j morning of the 2nd inst. he was working beside j the after-hatch. He saw tha Wakatipu passing the Baud pump. Could not form any idea as to j her speed. He next heard people singing out, ] and saw the Wakatipu about three of her own I lengths off. bhe seemed to be going six or j seven knots. Could nob see bhe rudder or tell ] which way her eogine* were going. The Waka- j tipu was pointing towards bhe Caufcerbury, and | her course did nob change until the anchor wa3 dropped. After the anchor was dropped the Wakatipu started to slew, aud she headed for the Laira, striking her in the fore part of the j main rigging. The blow was rather a heavy j oue. 'l'he forward chain moorings and the after moorings carried away, and the Lair& was driven down on the Canterbury, sinking in about five minutes. To Mr MacGregor : The Wakafcipu mighr have been about 90fb or 100 ft from the Laira j when she dropped her anchor, and ahe struck j the barqae a minute or two afterwards. The ; dropping of the anchor did nob seem to check the speed of the Wakatipu.

Mr Chamberlain remarked that he could nofc find that any of the Laira's crew knew anything bayond what had been given in evidence, and asked if the bench desired to have any other members of the crew called.

Sir Caresv replied in the negative.

The inquiry was then adjourned until & p.m. on Thursday, 14th, insb , and the court rose ab 5.30 p.m.