GREYCLIFFE INQUIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1927, Page 7

GREYCLIFFE INQUIRY

NEW ASSESSOR APPOINTED. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Nov. 15, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, Nov. 15. Captain F. Jolille has been appointed by the Commonwealth Navigation Department as an assessor in the TahitiGrcycliffe collision inquiry in place of Captain Howell. THE INQUEST CONTINUED. FORMAL EVIDENCE TAKEN. Received Nov. 15, S.IO p.m. Sydney, Nov. 15. The adjourned inquest regarding the Greycliffe disaster was continued to-day, (he coroner refusing to adjourn the inquiry further because of the approaching sitting of the Marine Court. He stated he did not intend to take to-day any evidence except that of identification of the bodies and possibly that of a couple of witnesses who returned from New Zealand to-day.

Ceeil Sharpe, chief officer of the Tahiti, gave evidence that he was on duty on the forecastle of the Tahiti when the collision occurred. The vessels were holding parallel courses and the Tahiti was going about seven knots an hour. Witness was half-way up the forecastle when be heard the first eras!). He looked over the side and saw the Greycliffe across the Tahiti’s bows. Witness-had gone to'give some orders to the boatswain when lie heard shouting and rushed back along the deck. Then came the crash, There was nothing to indicate that the Tahiti had changed its course when he reached the bows, The Tahiti was crashing through the upper works of tire Greycliffe. Tiie latter listed heavily and appeared to sink right under the Tahiti’s stem. He then gave instructions for the accident boats I to be launched, which was done, and the lifebelts were thrown overboard. In reply to a question, Sharpe said the vessels before the collision did not appear to be converging. From the time lie first saw the Grcycliffe in collision it was only thirty seconds until the ferry disappeared. He could not remember hearing any blast of the whistle before the collision. The inquiry was adjourned till Deeeni-