HARBOUR FATALITY

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 30, 27 January 1933, Page 7

HARBOUR FATALITY

Inquiry In Progress INQUHST IN CONJUNCTION EVIDENCE OF CAPTAIN MARTIN (Per Press Association) NAPIER, Jan.. 26. The marine enquiry into the disaster at the entrance to the Inner Harbour on Wednesday night, December 28, when ten men were drowned as the result of a collision between Richardson and Co.'s vessel Tu Atu, bound for Wairoa, and the launch Doris, returning from the Roadstead with 28 watersiders aboard, was opened at the Napier Courthouse yesterday morning before Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., Captain J. W. Holmes, of Gisborne, and Captain L. C. H. Worrall, of Wellington, marine assessors. The adjourned inquest was taken in conjunction with the proceedings. Mr. J. Prenderville, of the Crown Law Office, with Captain Whiteford, nautical adviser to the Marine Department, represented the Collector of Customs. Mr. Prenderville also represented the police regarding the inquest proceedings. Mr. H. B. Lusk appeared for Captain Martin, of the Tu Atu, and also for Richardson and Co. Mr. P. J. O'Regan, of Wellington, appeared on behalf of the relatives of all the deceased, with the exception of those of the late .Mr. Norman Lowe, for whom Mr. M. Gleeson appeared. Mr. M. R. Grant, with .Mr. T. H. R. Gifford, represented the Napier Harbour Board. Mr. A. E. Lawry appeared on behalf of Mr. J. T. Fenwick, owner of the launch Doris, and Eric Mentzer, who was in -charge at the time. Mr. J. Roberts represented the Napier Waterside Workers’ Union, and the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Federation. Mr. Penderville asked leave to furnish the Court with a certified chart of the position of tlie Commonwealth and Dominion Line’s Port Brisbane, which was lying in the Roadstead and from which vessel tlie watersiders were returning by the Doris. A report by the master of the Port Hunter, also in the Roadstead at the time, was also put in. At this stage an adjournment was made to enable members of the Court and counsel to inspect the Tu Atu and the Doris and to proceed by launch to the scene of the disaster. Captain William Martin, master of the Tu Atu, said that when proceeding down the west side of the channel he saw a white light from the launch Doris. Keeping it in view for some time without noticing any variation in its colour, witness suddenly saw the light flash across his bow, and a second or two later the launch struck.

Eric Mentzer, who was in charge of the Doris on the night of the tragedy, said on seeing the lights in the channel he thought them at first to be those of some vessel stuck on its bottom in the channel. As he approached the lights of the Tu Atu swung more over to his starboard bow. The Tu Atu was on the west side of the channel, and witness considered he could not have passed on the west sed of the other vessel as he might have run on the rocks. He saw the red light of the Tu Atu a moment before the collision.