COLLISION IN PORT CHALMERS HARBOR.

Evening Star, Issue 3586, 20 August 1874, Page 3

COLLISION IN PORT CHALMERS HARBOR.

An official inquiry into the collision between the p.s. Comerang and cutter Hope, which took place in Port Chalmers harbor on August 8, was held at the Custom House to day, before Mr Hack worth (Collector of Customs), and Captain Or ney (Deputy Harbor-Master). The inquiry was held at the instigation of the owner of the Hope ■who was represented by Mr Joyce ; Mr G. S. Bredrick appearing for the owners of the Comerang; andpaptain Russell for the Insurance Companies. Vm. Julier: I am master of the ketch Hope, I have been at sea twenty five years off and on. I have no master’s certificate. I am the owner of the ketch, trading under a Customs license on the coast of New Zealand. On Saturday morning, August 8. I was beating up the Lower Cr-jss Channel of Port Chalmers Harbor. I was standing on the starboard tack. I then observed the steamer Comerang, distant about a quarter of a mile, abreast the Timaru light-ship coming up to Port Chalmers. The Clyde lighter was running down towards the Hope, J crossed the Clyde’s bow ph thg starboard Rck. ? ' ' I stood' then within one hundred yfcrds of the' middle black bCaff n. I then Jut the vessel round in slays. When rohnd, observ d the Comerang 300 or 400 yards off. At that time I was about 150 yards off the bank, and was then nicely full. The Clyde, after I came roun l, had crossed my bow. The Comerang was coming towards me, passing by the Clyde on the starboard side, and when about 200 yards off me portecl his helm (it being flood tide, fifst quarter!. After a lapse of two or three minutea, the pott gponsons ‘of the steamer struck the starboard side of my vessel, carrying away the stanchions ami bulwarks. The paddle wheel was going at good speed, and broke the deck of my vessel, and cut her side down to the water’s edge, ciusing the sea to rush into her hold, and immediately sinking her. At the time the steamer struck my vessel, I was just gathering headway, but l had HP steerage way, Wg had a pfld 11 the 1 effect 1 it had was to set the Hope to windward. After the accident happened, it was seven or eight minutes before she sAn*-. - The steamboat blew away to leeward, ■ and the Hope came away to windward. After the damage was done the Captain of the Comerang stopped his boat. Captain Hughes then asked me what cargo I had. I told him grain and potatoes for Waikouaiti. At the time of the collision seeing the broadside out of my vessel, and the Comerang’s stern coming close to my Vessel, J sprang on bpayd tfle steamer. When pnf hpard, ppi-'captain asked me about nay cargo, The two other men on board my vesel were unable to get on the steamer, being forward. The captain of the Comerang immediately lowered h)s boat, and did his beat to save the men and cargo, and towed the ketch on to the north bank. I produce a memo. I made of the accident. The cargo was consigned to order. I believe a portion of it was insured. The vessel was partly insured; her value being L 350, and the insurance ipn hgr L2QO. I my private Ipas to bp Ifdflfl/’ I aip certain that the paddle-wheels were revolving at the time of the Accident, and* I believe, were going at full speed. I should say she was going at the rate of six knots. When I first saw the steamer, I was standing across the middle channel, and was about a mile off the Timaru Jight-ship, The helm was bard down. In py opinion I could not go further on to the jtkrMif'd tacit, bigaufee J y'as drawing too much water, and cpuld not flepenid on the vessel staying. I have bean thirteen years working vessels up and down the harbor. Mr Brodrick : When you saw this collision was inevitable, did you take any steps, and, if any, what steps to prevent the same ? Did you alter the helm in any way, . Witness : I could do nothing, there not P e mgfsnfflcipqt time. J, was powerless, x. Gb * die > '■hip.ownrf And Winer, rort Chalmers j 1 remember Saturday, 8 hj August, I was at my residence, Carey’s Bay, about 8 30 a.m, on that day. I saw the steamer Comerang through my field-glass, at the Timaru light-ship. 1 saw the Comerang coming up the harbor on the port side of the channel. The Hope was standing acrors on the starbord tack. The Clyde was running down rather on the off-side of the mid-channel. The Hope stood across to the port side of the channel as far as was pru’ent, providing the steamer did not alter her course. I then saw the Hope heaving stays, and at the same moment the Comerang ported her helm. The Comerang Up to tfle Hbpp. The steamer ported her hejtn.i' She then appeared to be at right angles. As- soon as I saw the Hope going and the Comerang porting her helm, I said to myself there would be a collison. Owing to the course the Comerang was taking I saw that a collision under any circumstances was inevitable. [Witness here complained of tpe manner in aHiicli his evidence was retired.]- I afterwards saw that the Comerang Had closed on the starboard of* the Hope. Both' vessels seemed to drift a considerable distance up the channel before they got l ejea*. The Hope went ph the weather quarter, anfl tfle steadier wept tp leeward, t Saw a ppat apd p hpe ppt ppt from the fttfypr aftd wade fast to the Hope. The

steamer commenced towing. The Hope then went down by the head, turned over, and sank. By the Collector : I am not interested in either vessel in any way. By Mr Joyce: I have been ia charge of sraad vessels for the past twenty years, both here and in M 1 bourne Vessels going up a channel should keep on the starboard .-i e. William Tutwell: I was a seaman on Ho P e on tbe Bth of the month. When 1 first s=aw the boats, the Hope was off the red and black beacon ; the Comerang a t the lightship, coming up, and the Clyde was well over on the north shore, rnnmag down some distance up. We had within fifty yards of the beacon. omerang was leading towards us from the South Bank, about 300 yards off, when we went about. She was heading straight up, as if going inside—between us and the bank. We had just hauled out the bowline, and were nicely full on the port lack, when the collision took p ace. The wheels of tbe Comerang were revolving when she struck us. I think the vessel was sunk by tbe paddle-wheels. The steamer was going about five or six knots per hour. Alfred Alston ; I was a seaman on board the Hope at the time of the collision on Saturday, August 8. We were on the port tack at the time, and having nothing to do I was watching the steamer coming up. We had been on the port tack about three minutes when the steamer struck us amidship on the sponsons. She did not stop the paddles till a length ahead of us. Ido net remember much more, but was taken up and conveyed home in safety. James Ure Rusgell, master-mariner and marine surveyor for several of the Insurance Companies : I have been on board the cutter Hope, but have not made a special survey, knowing this inquiry was pending. I found that two of the vessel’s top-s[de planks had been cut down. The covering board had been smashed and was gope. My was that the datpage was done frotp above and not from below. In my opinion tbe damage was done by the paddle-wheel of a steamer. This was the case for the prosecution. Captain Scoones, master-manner, holding a certificate, had been at sea for thirty-four y«?rs. He was on board the Comerang on August 8, The only thing that could have been done by the Hope to prevent the collision was to haul down tbe staysails. He had scarcely time to do anything at all. Everything was done on board the Comerang to prevent the collis on ; the master doing all in bis power to avoid it. He was quite sure that the engines . were not revolving at the time. In the state of tbe tide the steamer and the Hope could have gone within 23ft of the south bank. Had the Comerang kept on the right side from the lightship the collision would not have occurred. [Left sitting.]