GREYMOUTH BAR WRECK

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1932, Page 7

GREYMOUTH BAR WRECK

KALINGO OFFICERS’ EVIDENCE

SIGNALLING OF TOUCHING.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Wellington, June 16. With the calling of Captain Benton, master of the Kalingo, and the third officer, Carter, to give evidence relating to the signal that the ship gave when she touched the Greymouth bar just prior to the Kaponga stranding, the nautical inquiry into the wreck of the Kaponga concluded to-day, Mr. E. Page, S.M., announced that his decision would be given on Thursday next. Captain Benton said that when the Kalingo touched he felt only one bump, but after they had got away the chief engineer and the chief officer told him that they had felt a second very slight bump. When the ship touched he ordered the third officer to blow the whistle. The whistle made some sound, but not its usual shripk. The sound could have quite easily been heard from the signal station. In any case the noise of the whistle was not usually heard when a ship had touched. The signal usually only consisted of steam rising from the whistle. . He had arranged with Captain Gray, of the Kaponga, to signal if she had touched. . x He had been trading in and out ot Greymouth for oyer 30 years and had touched the bar many times. Cross-examined, witness said that none of the old hands on shore- would dream of waiting for the sound of the whistle. , Mr- E. Page: “There were people on shore who saw the signal. The harbourmaster, signalman and an officer on the Kaponga all concluded that it was your steam blowing off.” . Captain Benton said he could bring many witnesses to say that all knew that the Kalingo had touched. If he had blown the whistle a second time he thought that it would have been taken on shore to mean that he had touched 'twice. Carter corroborated this evidence.