GREYCLIFFE DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 31 December 1927, Page 3

GREYCLIFFE DISASTER

(Australian A N.Z. Cable Association,). ENG INKER’S STATEM ENTS. SYDNEY, Dec-. 30. The Judicial Inquiry into the Greyeliffe disaster was continued to-day. Wm. Thompson, continuing to give evidence, said he had been listening carefully to see if there was any evidence that tlie Greycliffe had turned to starboard, but there was no evidence that she did. In reply to a suggestion hv Mr Justice Campbell that all the observers were otherwise occupied, witness said “ Yes.” He supposed that the Greyeliffe would ultimately have turned io starboard.

In reply to a further question by counsel, Mj- Thompson said that, in his opinion, the forces both of section and repulsion operated when the Tahiti and Greycliffe came together. Then in answer to cross-examination, witness said his deductions regarding the operation of interaction did not necessarily fail if the speeds he estimated were found to lie incorrect. He added: There is no doubt that the two vessels had been steering practically parallel courses just before the collision. He was of the opinion that the angle of the vessels at the point of contact was very slight. Replying to a question regarding the evidence of the Tahiti’s engineers, as to the engines not being properly wanned up at the times of the collision. Mr Thompson said that if the engines of the Tahiti took from 10 o'clock in tho morning to 4.30 in the afternoon to warm up, they should bo

thrown overboard, and the engineers with them. He then criticised tho engineers. lie said he had listened f-> their evidence, “ And if they cannot, as they said, say what number of revolutions their engines were doing while going out of tho harbour that afternoon, they did not know their jobs, and were not fit to lie engineers on a liner like the Tahiti.” In reply to a further question, witness said that with the larger type of vessels coming into Sydney Harbour now. interaction could take place in almost any part of the Harbour. It was quite possible that many mishaps which occurred opposite Bradley’s Head bad been- due to interaction, although they had been attributed to other causes.

James Ividd, Engineer and "Works Manager of Sydney Ferries, Ltd., gave evidence that he had no record of any repairs made to the steering gear of the Greyclilfe during the month of October. Captain Barnes, in charge of the Greyeliffe on the day of the disaster, recalled, gave evidence that lie felt a wave strike the vesssl just before the collision, but in a statement previously made to the police he had made no'reference to the wave.

Robert. Kaye, naval employee, stated that two or three weeks before the disaster he went to the Circular Quay Wharf to travel to Garden Island by the Watson’s Bay Kerry. That day, he travelled by the Greycliffe, and after the vessel had gone two hundred or three hundred yards from the wharf, she came hack to the wharf and remained there about twenty minutes. He saw the master of the Greyeliffe stand on the wharf for a few seconds, looking at the stern of the vessel, and then go towards the ferry office. The master returned in about twenty minutes with another man. The two then conversed while looking at the stern. Ho overheard a part of the conversation. The ferry left the wharf and went backwards and forwards to swing round, and finally left the wharf with the other end first.

Francis Ludeck. Superintendent of Watson’s Ray Ferry Service, gave evidence that the master of tiie Greyelilf had informed him on August sth that lie thought the rudder pin was broken, and that be bad gone nut Irom I lie wharf ami lutiml the rudder unuld not answer. The ferry was then docked and a new rudder pin fitted, when it was found that the old one was broken. Frank Raker, ship’s daughtsman at Garden Island, deposed that on speed calculations lie bad worked out. the speed which the Tahiti would have reached at the point of impact was at 13.1 knots. The Court adjourned till Tuesday. SYDNEY, Dee. 30. 'flip Coroner’s inquiry into the GrevclillV tragedy'was adjourned till January 9 tli.