TAINUI DISASTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12777, 22 October 1919, Page 8

TAINUI DISASTER.

THE NAUTICAL INQUIRY. SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. The nautical inquiry in connection with the loss of the coastal steamer Tainui on September 16 was continued to-day, when the last witness for the Marine Department, who has been seriously ill, but is convalescent, gave his evidence at the Christchurch Hospital. The subsequent proceedings took place at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court.- The constitution of the Court of Inquiry ■is as follows: President, Mr S. E. M’Carthy, S.M.; assessors. Captain Felix Black (coastal pilot, of 'Wellington), and Mr W. J. Le Cren (Christchurch). Mr Le Cren appears as engineer’s assessor. Mr S. G. Raymond, K.C., represents the Minister of Marine (under whose authority the nautical inquiry is being conducted). Other representatives are: Mr G. H. Buchanan (New Zealand Refrigerating Company, owners of the Tainui), Mr O. T. J, Alpers (Vacuum Oil Company, Ltd., owners of the oil), Mr T. b. Weston (Steamship Owners' Association), Mr B. W. White, of Messrs Duncan, Cotteriil and Co. (Merchant Service Guild and relatives of Williams and Howard!, Mr J. R. Cuningham (widow of Captain Cowan), Mr H. F. O’Leary, \Weliington (relatives of Townsend, M’Lean and Fullen), and Mr W. T. Young (Federated Seamen’s Union) GANG LEADER WITHOUT A SAY. Oliver Archibald Nolan, a waterside worker and resident of Lyttelton, stated from, his bed in the Christchurch Hospital, that he was employed on the Tainui on Septenlber 16. After unloading a truckful of goods he was engaged stowing benzine in the forward hold until about 4 p.m. Mr Raymond; What was the condition of those cases? Witness: Well, they were not good, not bad and not an average, if you understand me; but to put the whole thing in a nutshell the cargo was not the worst I have seen, yet it wa® a bad one. The cases were leaking badly. Mr Raymond; What was the percentage of the leaking cases, approximately ? Witness: I estimate it was from 8 to 10 per cent. That would be a fair statement. Mr Raymond; How long have you. been engaged in loading vessels? Witness: About twelve years. Mr Raymond: Yon are the one in charge, or were on that day? Witness: Yes, I was leading man in the hold, but without a say. Mr Raymond; What do yon mean by that? Witness: Simply that the master and mate gave the orders to me and I carried them, out. BENZINE LIKE. A SHOWER OF RAIN. Continuing his evidence, witness said it was a hard thing to say how many cases were sent back on deck. Some of the slings came over with benzine leaking like a shower of rain. From the forward hold probably 60 or 60 cases were sent back on 'deck. The order he got from the mate was that every case that went down the hold was to bo turned over and if it did not then leak it was to be stowed. The mate’s orders were observed ,as far as possible. Ho was only one among four. At four o’clock the "hold was not full. The skin of the ship was then damp from the dripping all day of benzine. At 4 p.m. the mate called out to witness to come on deck. Witness was asked by the mate whether the space left had been squared off or not, as ploughs were to be taken in. “GOT TO DO AS TOLD." Witness said to the mate, “What? Well you can put them in yourself." The mat© replied, “Well, I'have cot to do as I am told." Mr Raymond; Why did you not put the ploughs in? Witness; Because I had a little too much . sense for that. There is too much friction among such cargo for mv liking. T would not put the ploughs in. Continuing, witness stated that leaky cases and good ones all went into the > forehold, but when he went to work in the afterhold at four o’clock the cases going in there seemed to have been picked out. There was no comparison between them and those thn? went into the forehold. Witness told the mate that he could use his own men for _ the final stowing of the ploughs in the forehold and hia men would work the gear. If any of witness s men helped in the hold he was not aware of it. THE ENGINEER’S PRESENTMENT Subsequently witness heard Greenwood, the engineer, say to someone on deck: “Is that right?" Witness also heard him say, just after: “ That’s done it; we won’t get there." The forward hatch was battened down when the last ip* o * ™rgo .was put into the after hold, ibis last lot of benzine was not of a condition tS complain about. Some of it was rejected and placed on the after deck, probably about twenty casesWitness took particular car© in loading the after hold on account of what took place on the previous loading, when the cargo was removed. BENZINE SMELLING STRONGLY Witness smelt benzine when he Went on at Ba.in. and he pffssed a remark to the mate: She’s smelling prettv strong this morning, Mr Stevens/’ The mate rephjjd- “Yes it could not be helped. The hatches could not be opened coming from Timaru.” The benzine, said witness, was there from the previous cargo. , T °.r M B Cui,in | 1!im: Witness worked for Mr Pnng, the stevedore. He could not remember whether ho said anything to the mate about the cargo, but thought he did .during the da|!’ All heard the order to turn over leakv cases* To Mr White: The captain was about a good half of the tun©. Witness saw Mr Smellie on and off all day but did not see Mr Needham at ad’ Witness did not, he thought, disouM the matters of the ploughs with Bring There ivouid.be no doubt that Bring ana the ships men would stow Hho Ploughs all right But witness was in stowed ‘ h ° d whe a. the .ploughs were MOVEMENT OP CARGO POSSIBLE. To Mr Young: No dunnage was used in stowing the cargo-' The cases were stowed fore and aft and athwart ship at intervals for strengthening purposes. The cases would not stow close to the wings on account of the run of the ship There would be a certain amount of overlapping, which would leave a good deal of room for-the cargo to move if tee ship laboured at sea The .time when witness finished work’ mg m the after-hatch and on the ship would be about five or six minutes to