THE FOUNDERING OF THE AUSTRALIA

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2694, 25 November 1882, Page 3

THE FOUNDERING OF THE AUSTRALIA

[press association telegram.]

[Per steamer at Wellington.]

SYDNEY, November 18. The following is a portion of the evidence given at the Austral inquest : William Hadden, laborer, deposed—l was employed on the collier Woonoona. On Friday evening at about eleven o'clock she went alongside the Austral, and made fast to her on the starboard side. I was acting in the capacity of foreman of trimmers, and also of one employed in discharging coal. Having made fast operations in connection with coaling her at once commenced. I was coaling through four ports. All the coaling ports on starboard side were open. I was using two aftmost and the two foremost ports. I had eighteen men in the Austral trimming coal. I continued coaling until two o'clock on the following morning through the four ports. When the one aft was full the door was not closed. Then I was coaling at the rate of about forty tons per hour. When I went alongside the Austral she had a slight list to port. The weather was calm and the sea quite smooth. The space between the bottom of the coaling ports and the water level measured about sft. I was coaling until ten minutes to four o'clock on the same morning, and then stopped in consequence of the Austral giving a, heavy lurch to the starboard, which brought the coaling ports down to the water. At about eight o'clock I noticed that the vessel had a slight list to the starboard. It was not sufficient to excite any apprehension on my part. At that time the 6pace between ports and water level was only two feet. I did not discharge any coal after ten minutes to four o'clock. Ido not think I placed more than 120 tons on board the Austell. The coal was trimmed as it was put aboard the vessel. I did not notice whether the list was gradually increasing previous to her giving a heavy lurch. It is my duty when coaling a vessel to load on the opposite side whenever she has a slight list on the one side, so as to restore her equilibrium. I did not do this on Saturday morning, because I considered the Austral perfectly safe. I was coaling the vessel at Circular Quay on Monday, the 6th inst. While doing so she took a heavy list to the starboard, and I was compelled, in consequence, to suspend work. She reeled over to such an extent that her coaling ports were within fifteen or eighteen inches of the water. Two collier loads of coal had been placed aboard the Austral in Neutral Bay before Friday night. I always thought the Austral was a very stiff vessel. Previous to her taking a lurch I never heard any noise on board. I was on the collier's deck when she lurched. During the night I examined the coal bunkers. I saw the men trimming. She never recovered her balance after lurching. About half an hour elapsed between the time of lurching and the vessel settling down. The collier was got clear of her within about twenty minutes. After the lurch the castings had to be cut, but before this could be done some of the collier's crew and a few trimmers jumped overboard. As soon as the Austral began to take in water I sang out to the quartermaster, but received no reply. I knew a night watch was kept on the vessel. I believe it was a quarter of an hour subsequent to the vessel beginning to take in water that I saw any of the crew on deck. I did not see the night watchman at all. I heard no bells sounded on the vessel. I walked around the deck of the Austral during the night, but did not notice the watchman. He might have been at his post without my noticing him. To the Jury—The Austral had a tremendous quantity of top hamper. About 140 tons of coal had been put aboard the vessel whilst lying at Cireular Quay. On the occasion of the ship taking a list at the Circular Quay, I stopped coaling at once of my own accord. I did not do so on Saturday morning because the list she then had did not, in my opinion, warrant my taking such a step. The Austral has eight coaling ports on the starboard side, and these were all open on the Friday night. They are on the same level. No suggestions were made, either by myself or by men under my control, to take the collier to the port side and coal there, in order to balance the vessel. I saw the chief officer on the deck at twelve o'clock. At the time she commenced taking In water there were eighteen men in the bunkers trimming coal. They escaped through the ports. When I was in the bunkers I did not observe any water in them. If the men had been called when the vessel gave a lurch they would not have been able to shut the ports and save the ship. The eighteen men escaped in about five minutes after the vessel gave a lurch. The men escaped by three of the ports.

Captain Murdoch was recalled and deposed—The beam of the Austral over ballast tanks is 45ft; at light load line, namely, at 20ft Gin her beam is 47ft; at the deep load line of 26ft Gin her beam is 47ft Gin. After going aboard I heard seven bells in the first watch, eight bells at midnight, and four bells in the middle watch. The usual custom when no passengers are on board Orient vessels while they are in harbor at night time is only to have one watchman on board.

A juror—Do you not think the Austral had too much top hamper in proportion to her beam ? The Witness—l am not a naval architect, nor yet a scientific man. As captain, I have learned all I can, but I am not in a position to give an opinion upon a point of that sort to the jury. Notwithstanding that the vessel took a heavy list at Circular Quay owing to the coal not being properly trimmed, I had not the slightest doubt as to the safety of the vessel, when after having all the coal trimmed at Circular Quay, I took the vesel to Neutral Bay. I would not allow the vessel to be moved from Circular Quay before I had the coal in the bunkers trimmed. Before hauling out I took all precaution. I considered it necessary for the safety of the vessel. I considered one watchman quit;; sufficient for the safety of the ship. The Austral was built under special survey. If all the water ballast tanks had been full that would have given the ship greater stability. On Friday morning I consulted the chief engineer about ballasting. He agreed rv-ith me that the ship was perfectly safe. The whole of the coals and cargo were in the very bottom of the ship. This would not have a tendency to make the ship tender, but on the contrary, would have a tendency to stiffen her. If the weight was greater at the top than at the bottom, the ship would, when she gave a lurch, have capsized. The weight at the bottom was 1000 tons, irrespective of the weight of the machinery, whieh was 1000 tons. As soon as th« chief officer became acquainted with the fact that the vessel had taken a list he made me a'n »re of the|circumstance.

William Cruickshank, marine surveyor for Marine Board, deposed—l was called upon to examine the machinery of the Austral on several occasions since her arrival this time. Last Wednesday I suggested that a length of the shafting should be removed from the funnel. It the length next the engine. I had observed a flaw, hence my recommendation. That length weighed ten or twelve tons. I do not consider the removal of that weight from the bottom of the ship would have affected her stability in the slightest degree. When I examined the machinery I found three other defects in other parts of the machinery. I did not examine the sluice valves and sea cocks. When I saw the vessel there was nothing in the defects of her machinery to render her unseawoj^.hy.

John McDougal deposed—l am chief engineer of the Austral. I have supreme control over the engine room and machinery. The weight of the engines, boilers, and other machinery was about 1000 tons. The sluice valves and sea cocks were on the starboard side of the engine room, and below water mark. Nearly all the cocks and valves were in a straight line. The boiler cocks were on the port side. There were six blow off and suction cocks on the port side; on the starboard side about thirteen cocks and valves. It was not possible for water to have got into the ship through the valves and cocks unless they had been left open. If they had been left open the water would have flowed into the ballast tanks until they were full. "When the tanks had become full no more water could have come into the ship, provided the man holes of the tanks were closed. All the man holes of the tanks were closed on Friday night. So far as my department was concerned there was no possibility of any water entering the ship through any of the sluice valves or sea cocks on Friday night. I was in theengine room for the last time at about ten o'clock on Friday night. Everything then appeared to be all right, and there was nothing to excite alarm. The entrance from the upper deck to the engine room was locked at ten o'clock. The ship appeared to me to be pretty well upright. I was not ashore that night. There was only one ballast tank full on Friday. It contained about 111 tons. So far as her ballast was concerned on Friday she was in my opinion in a safe condition to be at moorings. The ballast required by the vessel in order that she might be shifted from place to place with safety was 400 tons in dead weight. The tanks have sufficient capacity for SOO tons of water The first thing that aroused my attention on Saturday morning last was the chief officer running along the upper deck calling out, " All hands on deck." I got up at once and found that the ship had listed over on her starboard side to the coaling ports. I heard water rushing into the vessel, and I at once got on board a collier. I remained on the collier some little time, and saw the vessel gradually sink, until finally she touched the ground at the aft end.

To the Jury—l do not know the cause of the vessel taking the list at Circular Quay. I have nothing to do in my capacity as engineer with what took place on deck. The coaling of the vessel came within my department. It was not possible for anyone to gain access to the engine room or stokehole on the night of the accident. The coaling ports are usually left open when the vessel is in harbor, whether coal is expected or not. It is part of my duty, as chief engineer, to look after the coaling and trimming, and I have to perform my duty in that direction both by night and day. Morris did not call me on Friday night; he should have been called by the men on the collier. I have nine assistants, exclusive of a boiler maker I could not say whether the ship was light when she hauled off into tU.» .stream. Ido not think it is unsafe to leave the coaling ports open in harbor. Coal might be brought alongside at any time. It would take about three hours to open the ports. There was no water in any of the boilers except the donkey engine boiler. The water in the boilers increases the draught of the vessel about 3in. I had no opportunity of attempting to save the Austral, as I only saved my own life with difficulty. I cannot form any opinion as to the cause of the vessel's foundering. I only know of one similar accident, and that is the Royal George.

Carl Carlson, a stevedore, deposed—l had the contract for the trimming of coal on hoard the Austral. I left at ahout a quarter to twelve o'clock for the shore, leaving Hadden in charge. Coal was being supplied to the Austral on the Btarhoard side. "When I left the vessel then she had a slight list to The vessel's crew had nothing Trhatever to do with coaling. I saw the chief officer of the Austral when I went alongside. He told me to coal on the same side as I was then on. Hadden's duty as foreman was to see that the coal was properly discharged and trimmed. He should have moved round to the port side, and the commenced coaling when he saw that a list bad been established on starboard, so that the vessel would be kept upright. To the Jury—l coal all Orient boats. I was not on board when the Austral took the list at Circular Quay. I was sent for on that occasion by Hadden. I proceeded at once on board the Austral and found her over almost on her beam ends. Subsequently, I went on board the "Woononar, which was then alongside. One of the vessel's fastenings had slipped off its hold on the quay. The Austral was not then, resting on the collier, and her starboard coaling ports were distant from the water level about ISin to 2ft. "When the ve«sel took a list at Circular Quay about 230 tone of coals had been discharged from the collier into her. I was called on Monday morning after the Austral came alonside the Quay in consequence of the vessel taking a list. It was about six o'clock. I saw the chief officer concerning the list, as I became somewhat afraid cf it. He said he could do nothing. I asked him if I could have an interview with the captain, and he said yes. I then accompanied him to the captain, and asked him if I could carry some coal across the deck to the port side, as it was impossible to coal the vessel on the starboard side in consequence of the heavy list. The captain replied that his instructions were to coal through the starboard ports. It took five hours to jilace the vessel on an even keel, and this was brought about by trimming on the port side. Captain Murdoch then explained that he did not allow any coal to be carried acr»ss the deck from one side to the other for the purposes mentioned, but, in order to restore the equilibrium, the cargo was discharged from the starboard side.

To the Jury—l deemed it prudent to keep all her port holes closed. After the experience I had of the Austral at Circular Quay, I Ehould then have taken the coal over the deck. I do not consider any ship safe .ying at her moorings at Nautical Bay with all her ports open, exposed, as the Austral was, to sudden gusts and squalls. 1 think the bottom of the coaling ports was about 4ft distant from the water level when I went alongside the Austral on Friday night. The list was thoroughly rectified before the Austral left. Circiilar quay. I consider the ship would not have been in a fit state for receiving her coal with a list that brought her ports within two feet c£ the water. If the vessel were on an even keel and her ports that distance from the water there would have been no danger whatever in coaling.

Captain Murdoch (re-called) deposed—l do not consider the Austral had too much top hamper.

The latest evening- news says the divers are busy at work on board the Austral, occupied in closing- in the vessel, in some cases closing in with canvas and battens, and in others with iron plates with indiarubber washers and iron screws. The yards and top hamper are also being- sent down by the officers and crew, and everything is being got in order for the pumping gear, as soon as the time arrives for using it. One of the many accidents to which divers are subject took place yesterday afternoon, whereby the life of George Murray was son] ewhat seriously endangered. He had been down for some time, when suddenly he found the supply of air stopped, and, before he could get outside the vessel, he fell insensible on the cabin floor. The attendant at the pumps on deck immediately found that the screw of the airpump had become disconnected from the pump, but by the aid of assistance, and the prompt use of the life-line, the man was drawn to the surface', and the of his helmet having been at once broken, the man, after a short epell, recovered consciousness and was able to go homo. The Austral is lying in six fathoms of water at her bows and ten fathoms at her stern. All the available skill in Australia is being bro ught to bear to raise her with safety and "despatch. A famous diver named Nelson, who was engaged in the floating of the Sorata, with one or two others, have come round from Melbourne to assist at the Austral, and Mr Armit, who it will be remembered arrived under the company's instructions at the time of the Sorata mishap, has also left London for Sydney.