STEAMER COLLISION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1637, 29 December 1905, Page 3

STEAMER COLLISION.

further PARTICULARS.

AN ASSISTANT-STEWARD’S • STORY.

Another story of the disaster was

told by Mr Samuel Hill, of Summer street, Eden Terrace, who was on the Kapanui on Saturday, in the temporary capacity of assistant-steward. He states that jnst before the accident occurred he was with the fireman (Mr T. Aiton) on the after-deck. They were keeping a lookout for the Clay- I more. As they approached the Gael, which was on their starboard side,

they mistook her for tho Claymore, but as tho vessels passed in the darkness they observed that it was a smaller boat, and concluded that -it was the Orewa- Aiton then crossed over to the port side and exclaimed: “Here’s the Claymore now.” “ I then ran up behind him,” to continue on Hill’s story in his own words, “and by this time the Claymore was right upon us. I looked up and said. ‘So- it is.’ I sang out < look-out,’ and the next thing I knew was feeling the shock of the collision. The Claymore s.truck us aft, opposite the ladies’ cabin door, and the Kapanui at once began to fill, and she sank very quickly. _ On being questioned regarding the cause of the collision, Mr Hill said he did not know whether the Kapanui’s port light was out, but his observations regarding the movements of that vessel appear to substantially bear out the statements of other eye-witnes3es. “She seemed,” he said, “to shoot round towards the shore after passing the Gael.

COLLISION AS SEEN FROM THE CLAYMORE.

Mr J. B. Keed, the well-known Auckland barrister, a pasenger by the Claymore, said that he was talking to a gentleman upon the .deck in front of the bridge, when he saw a white boat suddenly appear in front of the Claymore’s dow, about 10 yards or 15 ■ yards ahead. He immediately exclaimed, “ By jove, there’s going to be a collision!” but he was almost inclined to believe that it. was a hallucination upon his part, when suddenly there was a crash and a shock, which threw his companion forward upon his hands and knees upon the deck. ■‘Did you see how the vessel struck ?” the interviewer asked. “Yes I did,” As far as I could say it was at right angles, amidships, slightly towards the stern.” Eesuming the narrative, Mr Eeed said that immediately before the impact occurred he heard the captain of the Claymore exclaim: “Where are your lights ?” and as far as he (the speaker) could see, the Kapanui was carrying no light 3. Another well-known lawyer, who was a passenger by the Claymore, said he was upon the bridge talking to a fellow passenger when he suddenly saw a white vessel appear in front right across the Claymore. He immediately exclaimed, “ By heavens, we are going to run > into that boat J” and almost simultaneously he heard the captain of the Claymore remark, ~ There is going to be a collision! The captain of the Claymore then blew his whistle, and put ion “ fullspeed ” astern. As he did so the skipper exclaimed, “ There is no red light showing, and he asked the Bpeaker as to whether he had seen one. The passenger in question replied that he had not. He informed the pressman that the only light that he had seen was a green one. Mr A. W. Blair, said that while standing upon the port side of the Claymore his attention was drawn to the fact that something was wrong by hearing the engine telegraph go and tne captain of the Claymore call out in a loud voice, “ You had no port light.” On looking up he noticed the Kapanui a few yards ahead, right across the Claymore’s bows, and also saw that what the captain said was correct - that the Kapanui was not showing any port light. The impact then took place, the Claymore striking | the Kapanui almost amidships. “Did the impact seem to you to be a very severe one ?” asked the rerter.

* ‘'No,” replied Mr Blair, “it did not; but we must certainly have struck the Kapanui very hard.” A SEiM&N’S ACCOUNT.

Charles Morgan, an ordinary seaman of the Kapanui, was also interviewed. He said: — , “I was standing on the starboard side, and before I knew whore I was X was knocked clean off my feet by a sudden shock, and turning round I saw the Claymore’s bow on to the port quarter deck abaft the ladies’ cabin door. I then went aft to the boat deck, and let go the fall of the life-boat. The steamer sank so fast that the stern of the life-boat got caught under the aft davit. I pulled off my boots and struck out for the Claymore, and reached the side just as the boat of that steamer was leaving the falls. I then got into the boat, and gave all the assistance that I could in rescuing the passengers, after which 1 was provided with a dry suit of clothes.” On being asked if thore was any coafusion amongst the passengers, ' Mr Morgan replied that there was : very little excitement, everybody ' keeping very cool.

Tor the second timp in a very few years the Christmas festivities of Auckland have beon saddened by one of those sudden tragedies which come like a bolt from the blue, says the Auckland Herald.. One would have

imagined that to steamers ao'oustomod to ply ouv harbor waters they were as familiarly known as Queen street, and whatever risk of collision there might be from stranger vossels, our own coastal steamers would bo as safe among our consorts as in dry dock. Yet on Saturday night, tho popular Christmas Eve, tho Claymore and tho Kapanui mot in collision, off the Dovonport shore, and five livos wore lost whon tho Ivapanui sank. In sympathising with the friends and relatives of thoso so. suddonly struok from life to doath, wo can do no more than point to. tho tho profound sadness which overspread the city as rumour of the tragedy was passed from mouth I to mouth. It was immediately felt that the loss was a, personal one, and there was no merrymaking yesterday at which kindly thoughts were not I constantly given to those whose feasting had been turned to mourning by this most woeful happening. Nor was it without solemn and _ earnest gratitudo that, it was as universally recognised how easily thS' Claymore might have 'accompanied the Kapauui to the bottom, and how providential was tho escape of that crowded steamer from a fate that might havo draped a hundred homes in the sable symbol of death. But Awhile we profoundly sympathise with the sorrowing, and are uhf'eignedly thankful that Auckland was spared what might have been the deadliest tragedy that has I ever befallen our home-staying people we must not forget that it is the public duty to discover the specific cause of this most grievous happening. The public may rest satisfied that in the official inquiry which will be held the circumstances will be thoroughly sifted, and it will then bo time to insist that necessary precautions shall be taken to prevent any possibility of recurrence