COLLISION AT SEA

Southland Times, Issue 23128, 19 February 1937, Page 12

COLLISION AT SEA

Evidence At Inquiry

COUNTER-ALLEGATIONS MADE

MELBOURNE, February 11. Conflicting evidence about the whistle signals given by the Kakariki was given by the master of the Kakariki and the master of the Caradale at the Marine Court of. Inquiry into the cause of the collision between the two vessels in Hobson’s Bay on the night of January 29, when the Kakariki was sunk and five members of her crew were drowned. The master of the Caradale, Captain Arthur Olaf Hansen, said that the Kakariki sounded only one whistle blast, which would indicate that she was turning to starboard, and the master of the Kakariki, Captain Thomas William White, said that he gave two blasts—the signal for a turn to port. Captain Hansen was the first witness. He said that the Caradale departed from the River Yarra at 10.17 p.m., bound for Sydney. He was in sole charge of the navigation of the Caradale from the time she left her berth until the time of the collision. Outside the river there was a choppy swell. The Caradale was bound for the south channel and, after rounding the buoy off the Williamstown pier, the course was S. one point E. He first saw the sidelights of an oncoming vessel as the Caradale was rounding the buoy, and he was looking ahead for the Gellibrand light. He saw a single masthead light and port and starboard sidelights After rounding the buoy the Caradale steadied on an S. a quarter E. course. The same lights were then visible about half to three-quarters of a point on the port bow.

Instruction to Helmsman Questioned by Captain C. D. Matheson (for the Director of Navigation), Captain Hansen said that it was the other ship’s duty to keep out of the way. He instructed the helmsman several times-not to allow the ship to come'over to port at all until the approaching vessel had been passed. Then the red light of the approaching vessel disappeared. Immediately he grasped the whistle lanyard to give a warning blast. As he did so he heard a whistle from the other ship. He said to the third officer, “Did you hear that blast?” and the officer said, “Yes.” He said, “It was one blast, wasn’t it?” and the officer again said, “Yes.” The helmsman agreed that he had heard one blast. “I saw then that a collision could not be avoided,” continued Captain Hansen. “I rang ‘full astern.’ I had no chance to go round the other vessel’s stem, and I did the only thing I could do in the circumstances—took the way off the Caradale.” Perfectly Clear Night Cross-examined by Mr F. P. Evans, for the master and crew of the Kakariki, Captain Hansen said that he did not have a man in the look-out that night. It was a perfectly clear night, and there was nothing to prevent the other vessel from seeing the Caradale or him from seeing the Kakariki. Captain White said that the Kakariki was inward-bound from Strahan (Tasmania). He had a man stationed in the look-out, but unfortunately that man had been drowned. The Kakariki’s lights were burning brightly. He was in sole charge of the navigation; his third officer was on the bridge with him. Captain White said that he first sighted the Caradale’s lights when that vessel was just clear of the riven entrance. They were right ahead at first, and, as they broadened out, he told his helmsman to “port a little.” The two vessels proceeded "green to green” until suddenly he saw both the Caradale’s sidelights, said Captain White. At once he gave two clear blasts on his whistle to indicate that he was turning into port, and, afteri an interval to allow the Caradale to reply, which she did not do, he gave two more blasts. He was certain that the Caradale made no reply. Sank in Few Minutes “I found that I could do nothing then,” said Captain White. “I could see that the Caradale was going to get me. I stopped the engines and put them full astern. The Caradale was then about a ship’s length away. She struck the Kakariki abreast of No. 1 hold at an angle of 70 to 80 degrees, and the Kakariki sank in two or three minutes.” t Replying to Mr E. R. Reynolds, for the owners and master of the Caradale, Captain White said that he would suggest that the Caradale was doing about 11 knots (full speed) at the time of the collision. The Kakariki at that time had almost stopped. Mr Reynolds: Can you suggest why the Caradale should have performed the extraordinary manoeuvres which you say she performed before the collision? Captain White: I can give you my opinion of what happened if you think that is fair to my brother officer. Suggestion by Witness It was not, of course, sheer wantonness? You do not suggest that the captain suddenly went mad?—No, but I can make another suggestion. I might suggest that he was not there—on the bridge—at that time. Then all his evidence has been a carefully worked out lie?—l will not condemn or try to condemn anyone. Does not that carry the imputation that all Captain Hansen’s evidence is a pack of lies?—l do not suggest that at all. He might have been on the bridge at the time of the collision.

Recalled, Captain Hansen said that he went on the bridge before the Caradale left the wharf, he was there at the time of the collision and he' was never off the bridge in the intervening period. He had done everything possible to avert the collision. Addressing the Court after evidence had been heard from members of the companies of both ships, Mr Evans submitted that the master of the Kakariki must be wholly exonerated. The story told by Captain Hansen’s supporting witnesses showed that they were “imperfect gramophone records of their master’s voice.” He and his witnesses had expected the Court to believe that a miracle had happened to the Kakariki’s lights. If their story was true the Kakariki must have taken a lateral hop out of the sea and in again. There was no escape from the conclusion that the tale was an agreed fiction between the captain of the Caradale and two of his supporting witnesses. Captain Hansen, having sunk a ship, was prepared to get out of the business and destroy the fortunes of his victims. Five Breaches Alleged Mr Evans submitted that the Caradale had committed the following breaches of the regulations:—(l) She had travelled at “break-neck speed down the river; (2) she had gone in a direction which she had no business to take and her master had behaved in an unseamanlike manner; (3) she deliberately had no look-out man; (4) her master had altered her course improperly; (5) she had failed to blow a helm signal when she changed her course. .. Mr Reynolds, in his address, said that there were versions of the collision so divergent that they could not be reconciled except by rejecting the claims of those who had been charged with the navigation of the Kakariki. “I am afraid that the importance of the issues, both moral and financial, has induced one side not only to endeavour to conceal the truth but also to assert what is false,” he said. “One can only be forced to conclude that there has been concerted perjury and a deliberate attempt to mislead the Court.” All would have been well if both vessels had turned slightly to starboard, continued Mr Reynolds, but the master of the Kakariki turned his steamer to port so that he would pass between the Caradale and the Gellibrand light. Mr Reynolds suggested that the motive for that was to take a short cut to the river mouth instead of standing east and going up the channel. The Caradale declined to cross ahead of the Kakariki and kept to starboard. Captain White then took a chance with the Kakariki and tried to accelerate his movement to port. That, it was suggested, was the-whole explanation and cause of the disaster. The prolonged and pronounced move-* ment to port was bad seamanship, and because of that, he submitted, the Kakariki must be found entirely responsible for the collision.

A cablegram last week stated that the Marine Court held that the master of the Kakariki, Captain Thomas William White, was in default through failing to keep out of the way of the Caradale when by his action in altering his course to port the Kakariki became the crowding ship with the Caradale on her starboard bow. The Court found that Captain White thus committed breaches of the navigation and collisibn regulations. The Court, hovzever, found that Captain White was not guilty of a gross act of misconduct. The judgment added that had both ships kept to their respective courses they would have cleared each other port side to port side, but the Kakariki altered her course to port, making the collision inevitable. Claiming £15,000 damages for alleged negligence in the navigation and control of the Kakariki, James Patrick and Company, Limited, owners of the Caradale, have Issued a writ against the Union Steam Ship Company arising out of the collision.