GREYCLIFFE TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1927, Page 2

GREYCLIFFE TRAGEDY

COURT OF INUIRY

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.]

SYDNEY, Nov. 16. The Commonwealth Alarine Court Inquiry into the Greycliffe disaster, was. resumed. Air Holman, counsel for the Commonwealth Director of Navigation, stated that no theory as to the cause of the accident would he submitted by the Director of Navigation at present. He added that in the evidence so tar collected by the Director of Navigation there was a certain amount of conflict between independent witnesses who had seen from different points of vantage, tlie accident or vessels moving just before the accident. Then he mentioned that tlie course of Watson’s Bay Ferries, leaving Garden Island, and that of overseas vessels necessarily crossed and that an overtaking boat had to keep out of the way of the vessels that was being overtaken, but the latter must maintain her course and speed unchanged. The permits were provided under the Harbour ’lrust Regulations. For overseas vessels on the Western side of Port Denison, the speed was six knots, and on the Eastern side, eight. The ferry boats were exempt. There were no regulations as to the routes ferries should take. Then, after stating that the evidence that the Tahiti was travelling about eight or nine knots would lie given and that other witnesses would place the speed higher, Air Holman said the questions to be submitted to the Court, inter alia, would he: AYere the Greycliffe and Tahiti navigated in a proper seamanlike manner, what were the speeds at the moment of the collision, and was the speed of either excessive. Did the vessels comply with tlie regulations for the prevention of collisions and was the collision caused or contributed to by any wrongful act or default of a person or persons, and, if so, who P

Captain Clarke of the ferry steamer Burrabra, said that when he, from his boat sighted the Grovcliffe and Tahiti, they were on almost parallel courses, slightly converging. He saw a change of course on the part of the Greycliffe which altered the course to port. She seemed to swing about a point and a half to port. There was no change of course by the Tahiti. He heard no whistle except his own lour blasts. When he steadied down on his course he was doing about thirteen and a-lialf knots, and appeared to gain on the Tahiti very slowly. The Tahiti kept on her course and his vessel the Burrabra was almost astern of the Tahiti, about three cables length distant, and then the Greycliffe disappeared from bis view. She was shut out by the Tahiti before the Greycliffe sank. When be saw her again she was across the Tahiti’s bows. lie would not say the master of the Greycliffe steered there ; he might have been knocked.

Witness could not estimate the distance between the Greycliffe and the Tahiti before the former went to port, but they did not appear far apart. The Greycliffe rolled on the starboard side. It all happened in thirty seconds.

In reply to a question, Clarke said that there would have been no danger of a collision if the Greycliffe had not altered her course. John Barry, able seaman, and gunner on the destroyer Success, said he saw the Tahiti coming two hundred yards behind the Greycliffe. The Tahiti was about fifty yards out from the pontoon at Garden Island and appeared to be travelling between twelve and fourteen knots.

In reply to a question, witness said that part of his naval training was to estimate speed of vessels. "Witness stated that he saw the ferry alter her course, but the Tahiti did not.