ENQUIRY INTO THE WAITAKIKOPUTAI COLLISION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4341, 23 March 1882, Page 3

ENQUIRY INTO THE WAITAKIKOPUTAI COLLISION.

[Pbb Pbess Association.]

DUNEDIN, Mabch 22,

An enquiry wns held to-day before tho Collector of Customs and the Harbourmaster, into tho circamstanoes attending the running into of tho tug Koputai by tbe steamer Waitaki. The engineer and assistant engineer of tho ktfcer had counsel present to watoh tho proceedings, as had tbe Union Company and Captain Hausby, of the Waitall. The evidonce showed that the Koputai was lying near the Port Cbalmers wharves alongside a hulk, and that tho Waitaki was coming in and ran directly into her. Captain B-insby gavo evidence as follows:— I gave the oidor to go ustorn ; I think at hu 1 1 speed. By the manner in which sho gathered headway I thought thoy must have made a mistake in tho engine-room, so I tslographed : " Full speed astern." Still seomg her go ahead I shook the telegraph up again to ' Full epeod astern." I did thia a second ond p. th'rd timo. I also sang out from tho bridge : "What over are you doing ; why don't you go astern." I do not think they could havo heard me down in tho ongine-room. As a Jist recnurao, one of the men at the wheel, I think Newman, rushed to the engino - room skylight, and" cried out; "Go astern fullspeed." Shortly beforo this, the chief officer, jj_> Richards, who was on the forecastlebead, turned round and collod to mo : " Sho is sti". going a'icad." I replied: "I know it, but cannot, help it; 'be telegraph is at fu'l speed ii3t,ern." Wo struck r.ho Koputai abaft her sponson on tho port ride.

Charles Brook, rliief engineer, sn'd : In coming to tho wharf s-ver.il ordors wero given; the first of vhich I paid p;i;l.!euh>.r attention to was, " rttop." Then carao : "Slowaslorn," "Half-speed ahead," "Fullspeed ahead," and " Full-speed aheai." Almost immediately aftor this, tho boll rang : " Full-speed astern," and rang four or five times, "Full-speed astern." Tho engines wore instantly revorsed to full-speod astern. It took, I considered, about six or seven soconds to carry out tho order. While the engines were eo ; ig full-speed astern, ono of i,ho sailors culled out down tho onginoroom hatch: "Go full-speed asturn." I replied: "We uro going full-speed astern." 1 then folb her striko.

To Mr Hackworto : Wo wero carrying very high procure that day— 65Iba. I liavo never hoard that our telegraph workod wrong beforo. lam certain that it did not work wrong this timo. I havo been working engines by a similar class of instrument for tho last seven years. A porson who hud not boen accustomed to work tho telegraph m the Waib-.ki might, in a critical emergency, placo the handle over in tho wrong direction, but if he looked at iho dial it would be unlikely for him to muko a mistake. Iho instructions us telegraphed from above, I am porfectly cortain, wero carried out below. Tho remainder of the ovidonce throw no further light on tho cnuso of the mishap. It will all be forwarded to tho authorities in Wellington.

[PBOSI OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Tho evidonoe taken to-day at the enquiry i:iio i!vj ciueo ot tho coM-'nicn hftwecn tbo WaiUki and Koputui appears to mako the

wholo. affair a greater mystery than before. The captain averred he gave orders to go astern, and this is corroborated by witnesses who were standing on the wharf and vessels close by, who saw him puahing the indicator to starboard (which signals Hstern). Three porsonß in the engine-room swear tbe signal, givon wero attendod to, while tho*o on the wharf swear tho propeller was not reversed before the collision took place.