THE COLLISION ENQUIRY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3018, 26 February 1881, Page 3

THE COLLISION ENQUIRY.

(Br TELEGBArii.) AtrcKt-Aro, February £J5. George Muir, able seaman oh board tho Albion, deposed that he was at the wheel ■When the collision took place, which was right aft. He had a better opportunity to see the , schooner than the look-out man on account of his more favorable positidn as fegarde'd the smoke, but almost at the same indmoht that he saw her the look-out man gave a report. Nothing could then have prevented the collision. It was tho port quarter of the schooner that he saw. He saw no light on the schooner. If she had a light aft he could have seen it, but if as is usual with schooners she carried her light forward he could not have seen it, for the smoke obstructed his view of that part of the schooner. If a light had been in the main rigging he could have seen it. James Hunt, a passenger on the Albion, gave evidence that there was no light visible on the schooner.

"William Cross, master of the Isabella Pratt, deposed that half an hour before the collision he was on deck, and lights were then burning on the port and starboard sides of the schooner. He -went below and remained in his cabin till two minutes before the collision. He heard the mate call out to the man at the wheel to put the helm up, adding "He surely cannot see us." Witness came on deck and just as he got there he heard the mate and cook sho\iting to the Bteamer to starboard her helm. Ho could not tell how far they were then off _ the Bteamer, but he could see her green light. Anything he could do then could not hare prevented the collision. There was a man acting as look-oat on board the sohooner when he went below, and had been so acting for some time previously. The mate of the Isabella Pratt deposed that lights were burning on the schooner up to the time of the collision. Ho examined them after the steamer came in sight.