FERRY TRAGEDY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 24 November 1927, Page 6

FERRY TRAGEDY

COURT OF INQUIRY GREYCLIFFE CAPTAIN'S EVIDENCE. NO ALTERATION IN SPEED. Sydney, Nov. 23. At the Greycliffe inquiry Frank Gibson, second officer of the Tahiti, gave evidence as to the movements of the Tahiti similar to previous witnesses. He said he saw the Greycliffe bearing in on the Tahiti, she having changed her course three points to port. He heard the pilot give the orders “Stop port,” “Stop starboard,” and “Full speed astern.” Only a few seconds elapsed between the first and last orders. The Tahiti then swung towards Bradley’s Head. The impact occurred a few seconds after the Tahiti was put astern. Witness thought the Tahiti was doing about eight or nine knots at the time of the collision, not more. This closed the evidence for the Union Company. William Barnes, captain of the Greycliffe, was the first witness for the Sydney Ferries Company. He deposed that when he left the wharf he gave the order “Full speed ahead ” as he had a clear run ahead. He found slight difficulty in keeping the ferry boat on her course, as she had a slight inclination to swing, and he had to steady her. Witness said he was standing on the starboard side when he heard two blasts. He looked over his shoulder, but did not see anything. Then he stepped across to the port side and saw the bows of the Tahiti right on his port quarter, a few feet away. As he stepped across to that side lie felt a wave at his stern which swung him to port. He immediately stepped back to the wheelhouse and pulled about two spokes of the port helm on her. Then the crash came. Porting his helm should have altered liis direction to starboard, but it did not take effect. After that the Greycliffe swung rapidly round the bows of the Tahiti and went down. The Greycliffe was doing between nine and ten knots. There was no alteration at all in her speed.

KNEW NOTHING ABOUT CHARTS Asked what was the source of the wave that caused him to' alter his course, Captain Barnes said, “From the Tahiti, I suppose,” He absoluteup denied a suggestion that the port window, through which he looked, was too dirty to see through. He also gave a negative reply to a question whether he had left the steering house after he departed from the Garden Island wharf. Witness admitted that he knew nothing about charts. He steered by the compass and at night by the harbour lights. Captain Barnes said all the ferry boats were erratic in steering, but the Greycliffe was not more erratic than the others. He suggested that the wave from the Tahiti threw him farther across the bows of the steamer. He would have been hit anyhow, but the wave put him across at a greater angle. He could not have got away, but he might have got a more glancing blow if there had been no wave. Mr. Justice Campbell directed that a diver examine the locking gear and pin of the rudder in the Greycliffe wreck. Captain Barnes added that he was on his usual course, which entiled a move north after passing Bradley’s Head. He had to contend with the ebb tide, south wind and right-handed propeller, which tended to pull the Greycliffe to port. Frederick Jones, deck hand on the Greycliffe, gave evidence that he saw the Tahiti “coming at us at a tremendous speed and then came the smash.” He estimated the steamer's speed at 15 knots. Though the Greycliffe wreck has been brought, close inshore, it still lies in 30 feet of water. Divers are continuing the search for bodies of the missing.