STRANDING OF THE RONA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15874, 13 July 1922, Page 3

STRANDING OF THE RONA.

CHIEF OFFICER AND THE TRAW'LER'S LIGHT.

ADMITS ERROR OF JUDGMENT.

SAYS NO BLAME

ATTACHED TO

THE CAPTAIN

per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night

In opening the case for the Marine Department at the Rona inquiry, Mr. Mays said that though at the preliminary inquiry the chief officer took all tho'blame, counsel considered there was some responsibility on the captain. It would have been a simple matter for Captain Wallis to have fixed tho corns* to take the ship in perfect safety between Flat Rock and Kawau. There was not reason indicated why Captain Wallis departed from the ordinary practice that in leaving and entering port the captain shall be on tho bridge and shall fix the course. Mr. Meredith (for Captain Wallis): Does my friend suggest that ho was entering the. port? Mr. Mays proceeded that the port of Auckland was not- confined to the channel between the mainland and Rangitoto. In the ordinary course a ships navigation was always the captain's responsibility. It seemed to him that tho captain was called upon to justify his not giving the course, and leaving the bridge when they were going into the narrow waters even though the officer left in charge was an experienced man in port* and held a harbor pilotage exemption certificate. It was an axiom of the sea that tnc master was responsible for tho navigation of the ship, especially when entering and leaving port and that, to his mind, was the most serious element for consideration in this case.

Grantley, the chief officer, continuing his evidence, said he had his mind made up .to turn, when about a mile from the light; certainly not under a mile. He saw the lights of a vessel ho took to be a trawler. When tho course was altered to the light ahead he saw two white lights, and he thought sometimes a red light, about two points on tho starboard bow. Ho put his glasses on these lights, and concluded that it was a steam trawler going about south-east-He was correct in his assumption. It was a trawler. While he was watching the trawler it remained to the. westward of Flat Rock. He thought the trawler was coming- between the Rona and her course around Flat Rock. Mindful of porting his helm when he arrived at tho turning port, he was carefully observing the movements of this vessel. The Flat Rock light at this time was about on a level with his eye as ho stood on ihe bridgo about 35ft. above the water level. Standing on the bridge, the light seemed very much further than the trawler's light, which appeared to be approaching more quickly than the Flat Rock light. The trawler's lights appeared to be distinctly between him and the course he intended to make around Flat Rock. He would not take the risk of going between the trawler and Flat Rock. Having made up his mind to go behind the trawler, he did not change his course; to starboard. He was at a much higher angle above the trawler's light, than the Flat Rock'light, and he thought that he was approaching the trawler very rapidly. He had the impression that he was much further off Flat Rock light than off the trawler. He did not alter his course to starboard to pass behind the trawler, because he thought that he was at a safe distance from her. The trawler's light seemed to keep closing in until the Rona struck Flat Rock. Then he realised l that the trawler was on the other side of the rock. He would solemnly swear that, when he thought he was about a mile off Flat Rock and got instructions to pass inside, he gave the order "Hard aport." His reason was to get rid of the trawler by coming around promptly and rounding, the light. Ho thought it was a time to act promply. There would have been no difficulty in altering the course a mile further back. Within a minute of two after asking the captain whether he would pass inside, the Rona struck the rock. "I was utterly deceived by tho light, ' said Grantley, referring to the light of the trawler which, he said, he had judged to be much nearer than was the case. He honestly thought the trawler was between him and Flat Rock light. Grantley .continuing, said that any bright white light was deceiving, and every man at sea would back him up. It was an exceedingly difficult thing to gauge one's distance from a light, especially a. bright white light. He tried to estimate his distance from tho light and made an ewor of judgment. He still maintained that he thought lie was a mile off the light at the time he made the turn. He had taken the ship round the light many times, and had used his judgment whether he was a. mile or a mile and a-half away when he turned, but this time ho misjudged I his distance. When about to pass "the light there should be a margin of safety and, in this case he was in error.

Mr. Meredith: Putting it broadly, you, as you have already said, made an error of judgment in estimating your distance from the light?—Yes, that is so. You do not suggest that any blamo for the unfortunato accident can be attached to Captain Wallis?—Absolutely none.

Mr. Cutten: How close • were you to the light when you struck % the rock?—Witness: About 200 feet, and even then it seemed much further away. How could you make a mistake between 200 feet and' a mile?—lt sounds impossible, but it happened, and the only explanation I can give is that the bright white light ahead deceived me. Further questioned by Mr. Cutten, witness said the look-out man called out just prior to altering the course. Tho report did not worry him in tbe least, as he considered it superfluous at the time. The look-out man had reported the trawler about 15 minutes before striking.

Mr. Cutten: And that trawler took up a good deal of your interest?—A certain amount.

Were you looking at it with your glasses?—Yes. What was the last time?—Just prior to calling to the captain. You have already told us that yon got the report from the look-out just before you spoke to the captain:— Yes.

And were you looking at tho trawler at the time you got the report from tho, look-out?—Very probably I was. You were worrying move about the trawler than the light?—l was more concerned about the trawler at the time.

You had just got a report Irom the look-out, and you w<sro interested in tho trawler. Why did you want to obtain advice from the captain?—l cannot ray, unless it was that I was being more than ordinarily careful. It does not look like being more than ordinarily careful as far as the results are concerned. That is the tragedy of it. Witness said tliat it was an incomprehensible fact, and he had made a grievous error of judgment. Ho was (>n the bridge attentive to his duties and for such an error ofjugdmenfc to happen seemed almost impossible. Mr. Meredith contended that the captain could not be held responsible. for the mishap, as he had with him a chief officer he had known for ten years —a man who had been familiar with the locality for 13 years and had lieen in the, habit of taking vessels through there day and night. Ho held the same certificates as the captain, with pilotflfe exemption for th's. port, and probably was marked out for the next promotion to the command of n ship. Evidence to the effect that in iho eonditions prevailing it was unnecessary for the captain to take charge of the vssel on passing Flat Rock or to s ; et the eomniifs bearing was jgivfen bv W. F. NorbuiT. master of the Mana'i, F. D.orling. of the Clansman, T. W. Haitltain of the Ngapubi, and Captain C. E. Hood, marine surveyor.

The hearing was adjourned. AUCKLAND, this day

At the Fiona inquiry Thomas Braifhwaite. master mariner, said that as mate ho had taken a ship past Flat Rock light without the captain being on the bridge.

He would have 6et a course for the light and altered it when a, mile or so away.

William Ross, master mariner, said if a, master had confidence in his mate be wag justified in leaving the mate in charge. U. T. Grantley, chief officer, re-called, said when the ship struck she was within 200 ft of the light. But when ho gave thei order to turn, thinking he was about a mile off, the ship he now knew must have been about 1000 ft off the light. He was honestly deceived by tho light in approaching. The Court adjourned at the. chief officer's request to view the ship and beeonxo acquainted with tlie exact .position of the bridge and where the'persons concerned in the inquiry at the time of tho mishap.

RONA SHOCKINGLY DAMAGED

STEM CRUSHED LIKE EGG-SHELL.

The fearful force with which the J steamer Rona was misguidedly driven on Flat Rock was illustrated by her battered appearance when she was placed in dry dock at Devonport (slates the Star.) The ill-used steamer's stem below the later line has been crushed in literally like an egg-shell as far back as the break of the forecaste bead, a distance of some fifty feet, and her crumpled plates are split in several places. It seems astonishing that a. vessel should sustain so terrible an injury and remain afloat. Not only is the stem stove in ; the Rona sustained other severe injuries caused by striking on an alleged uncharted reef when hauled off Flat Rook. There is a large, deep dent in her bottom underneath the bridge, with three or four other indentations between amidships and stern on the port side, the largest being about 50 feet from ner rudder, whilst her port bilge-keel is crushed flat against her bottom side for a distance of about 120 feet, showing that she scraped sideways against the rocks coming off for half the length of the ship. Had it not been for the protection of this tremendously strong hilcw-koel. it seems evident th.it the Rona's plates on the port side must have been badly crushed and pierced and the ship sunk. The work of repair will take manv months. When seen by a Star reporter, (he mate was apparently resentful of the newsnaner man's presence. He refused permission to interview flip captain, declared that th«re was no information to give the Press, and seemed ancrrily shocked at the suggestion that photofanh of the. injuries sustained by the shin when be was in charge of tTi" bridge should be taken for publication. "The captain has other things to think about. He does not want to see yon—he told me so." he informed the reporter.