ARAHURA NAUTICAL INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3035, 23 March 1917, Page 6

ARAHURA NAUTICAL INQUIRY

THE DAMAGE TO THE VESSEL. gy Telegraph—Presa Association. Auckland, March 22. ' At the nautical inquiry to-day, Mr. George Fraser, managing director of Messrs. George Fraser and Company, engineers, said he made an examination of the liner , and of the Arahura. He considered the injury to the liner was caused by the Arahura passing across her bow from starboard to port. The Arahura Btruck a side blow to the stem, and with a rebound passed rotmcl the stem of the liner to the port side, crushing the plating and stem. , The starboard plating was drawn, port plates crumpled. ,The stem "of the liner was fractured across the weakest pai-t.' Witness considered the liner was stationary at the time of impact. So far as the hull of the Arahura was concerned, the only damage was a fracture about three foot long, which could ba' repaired by the renewal of two plates. Her plating was marked, and indicated that the injury was caused through contact with the liner's broken stem. The liner had not penetrated the hull of the Arahura, the latter simply being crushed. From his examination he would say the Arahura struck the liner when the latter was practically at a standstill. Judging by.the appearance of the liner's stem, he would say the full force was giren by the Arahura. The Araliura's roll-ing-cliocks were not damaged. _ Norman M'Leod Matthew, second engineer of the liner, gave evidence similar to that of his superior officer. _ Charles Elvy, lamp trimmer on the h'ner, said that on the night of the accident he found the port light defective. An oil lamp was lighted, and placed jn the port-screen. The inquiry adjourned.