GREYCLIFFE TRAGEDY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16505, 24 November 1927, Page 7

GREYCLIFFE TRAGEDY

FERRY CAPTAIN’S STORY DIFFICULTY IN STEERING REFUSED TO ANSWER HELM. (Elec. Tel. Copyright-United Press Assn.) (Received Nov. 24, 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 23. At the Groycliffe inquiry, Frank Gibson, second officer of the Tahiti, gave evidence as to the movements of the Tahiti, similar to previous witnesses. He said lie saw the Greycliffe bearing in on the Tahiti, she having changed her course three points to port. - He heard' the pilot give orders to stop the poi't and stop the starboard engines and go full speed astern. Only a few seconds elapsed between the first and last orders. The Tahiti then swung towards Bradley’s head. The impact occurred a few seconds after the Tahiti was put astern. Witness thought- the Tahiti was doing about eight or nine knots about the time of the collision, not more. This closed the evidence for the Union Co. William Barnes, captain of the Greycliffc.. was the first witness for the Sydney Ferries Co. He deposed that when he left the wharf he gave the order “Full Speed Ahead,” as he had a clear run ahead. He found a slight difficulty in keeping the ferry boat on her course, as she had a slight inclination to swing, ahd he had to steady her. He was standing on the starboard side when he heard two blasts. He looked over bis shoulder, but did not see anything. Then he stepped across to the port side and saw the bows of the Tahiti right on his port quarter, a few feet away. GREYCLIFFE SWUNG ROUND. As he stepped across to that side, he felt a wave hit his stern and swing him to port. He immediately stepped back to the wheel house and pulled about two spokes of the port helm on her. Then the crash came. Porting his helm should have altered his direction to starboard, hut it -did not take effect. After that Greycliffe swung rapidly round the bows of the Tahiti and went down. The Greycliffe, under these conditions, was doing between nine and 10 knot-s. There was no alteration at all in her speed. In reply t-o*a question as to which side did he decide it better to go before the impact, Barnes said: “To starboard,” and be gave bet a port helm. He pulled the wheel to starboard and she never responded. Had she done so the ship would have gone to starboard. Asked what was the' source of the wave that caused him to alter his course, Barnes. said, “From the Tahiti I suppose.” i • He absolutely denied the suggestion that the port window through which he looked was too dirty to see through. He also gave a negative reply to a question as ,to whether he had left- the steering house after he departed from Garden Island wharf. Witness admitted that be knew nothing about charts. He steered ’ by tho compass, and at night by the harbor lights. ALL FERRIES ERRATIC.

Captain Barnes said also that all ferry boats were erratic in steering, but the Greycliffe was no more erratic than others. lie suggested that the wave from the Tahiti threw him farther across the bow? of the steamer. He wbulji have been bit anyhow, hut the wave put him across at a greater angle. He could not have got away, but lie might have got a more glancing blow if there had been no wave.. Captain Barnes added that be "'as on his usual course, which entailed a move to the north after passing _ Bradlev’s head. He had to contend with an ebb tide, south wind, and right-handed propeller, which tended to pull the Greycliffe to- port. » Frederick Jones, a deck hand on the Greycliffe, gave evidence that he saw the Tahiti “coming at us at tremendous speed, and then came the smash.” He estimated the steacnei s , speed at 15 knots. ■, Though the Greycliffe wreck lias been v. brought close inshore, it still lies in 30ft of water. Divers are continuing the search for bodies of the missing. Mr. Justice Campbell directed that a diver examine the locking gear and pin. of the rudder in the Greycliffe.