WILLYMA PIONA COLLISION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10819, 9 December 1902, Page 4

WILLYMA PIONA COLLISION.

' . TJhe Marine Court— fridge and • Captain's Janies Sim\}spii"and J. L. Fawk^f (assessGrsy-dplive'red its rcsefved Secision in ? the • N6V 1 .District. .Court, Sydney, " re, centijr. in jthe' matter of the inquiry int<_ the" circumstances attending the collisior which took place in Sydney narbour be< tween-the steamers; Wiliy*ma- (owned "b^ the Adelaide Steamship Company; Limited and the Fiona,.- (owned;,, by the Colonia" Sugar Company), 'on October 23. H« Honor said- the' collision was caUsed parti} by the Willyanva, r without apparently alij . default on. the,' part, of-lier ittastcr or thosV in. charge- 6f her, getting too'iar to thr northward when ,' passing Circular. Qiiay. an.d partly the' fact that the master of the .Fiona failed to see the Willyaina ii tim« to 'avoid a -collision. In relation tr the "Willvania, the Court, condemned thf practice a'dojjtei by her officers- of kcepint; the. forward- derrick apeak -when the shir was hi ; jnotion • it, was possible that thai fact might, by bKstTiicyng the headlight 'have contributed to the 'accident. In lela "• tiou -to' 'th^^ Fiona, the Court should, caution, the captain for- having" failed to prb; pearly identify a green light, t which t waf , probably that of -the Willyaiiia/ admitted to^ha.ve been seen by him somet ime before tlie Sccidefffc^The .Court- was' of opinion ' in regard to both masters, • that the iaci that there iT was,-,a larpe mimber of ferry %oa^s, ; mostly brightly -lit -up, erossine^thr harbour about the time, of the collision.' - tended to' confuse -their' action in 'safely handling their shins, and -so conduced to •Ine'-accident. Both masters appeared ie have exercised every cafe in relation to the ferxy boats,