COLLISION BETWEEN THE KOPUTAI AND THE WAITAKI.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2484, 23 March 1882, Page 3

COLLISION BETWEEN THE KOPUTAI AND THE WAITAKI.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TII/EGBAM.J DUNE DIN, March 22

An inquiry was held to-day before the Collector of Customs and Harbormaster into the circumstances attending the running into of the tag Koputai by the steamer Waitaki. The engineer and assistant engineer of the latter bad counsel present to watch proceedings, as also had the Union Company and Captain Hansby, of the Waitaki. The evidence showed that the Koputai was lying near Port Chalxers wharves, alongside a hulk, and that the Waitaki was coming in, and ran directly into her. Captain Hansby gave evidence as follows—" I gave the order to go astern ; I think at halfspeed. By the manner in which she gathered headway, I thought they must have made a mistake in the engine room ; so I telegraphed, "full speed astern." Still seeing her go ahead, I snook the telegraph up again to " full speed astern." I did this a second and a third time. I also sang out from the bridge, " Whatever are you doing:- Why don't you go astern r" Ido not think they could have heard me down in the engine room. I only did it as a last resource. One of the men at the wheel —I think, Newman —rushed to the engine room skylight, and cried out, "go astern full speed." shortly before this, the chief officer, Mr Richards, who was on the forecastle head, turned round and called to me, "She is still going ahead." I replied, "[ know it; but cannot help it; the telegraphn at full speed astern." We struck the Koputai abaft her eponson on the port side." Charles Brock, chief engineer, Eaid: —ln coming to the wharf, several orders were given. The first to which I paid particular attention was "stop" Then came "slow astern," " halfspeed ahead," "fall speed ahead," and "full speed ahead;" almost imu ediately after this the bell rang *' full speed astern," and rang fonr or five times, "full speed astern." The ensices were instantly reversed to fall speed astern. It took I consider, about Eix or seven seconds to carry out the order. While the engines were going full speed astern, one of the Eailors called out down the engine room hatch "go fall speed astern." I replied, "we are going full speed astern." I then felt her strike. __ To Mr Hackwor h—Wo were carrying very high pressure that day, 6Slbs. I have never heard that our telegraph worked wroDg before. I am certain that I did not work wr.n» this time. 1 have bean working the engines by a similar class of instrument for the last seven years. A person who had not been accustomed to work the tolegraph in the Waitaki might in a critical emergency place the handle over in the wrong direction, but if he looked at the dial it would be unlikely for him to make a mistake. The instructions, as telegraphed frcm above, I am perfectly certain were carried out below. The remainder of the evidence threw no further light on the cause of the mistake. It will all be forwarded to the authorities i Wellington,