MAGISTERIAL ENQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1931, Page 5

MAGISTERIAL ENQUIRY

PROGRESS WRECK.

(By Telegraph —Per Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 22

Mr Campbell said that the loia went out again at 9.30 am. There were live extra men on deck. They reached the Progress about lI.SO. He considered the closest they got was within a mile of the short?.

Questioned further in regard to operations the first time out, Campbell said it was the ship surging about which caused the messenger to part. They never actually fired the linethrowing gun. The position of the Progress was such that to manouevroclose to her was dangerous. In the first place the 'Progress was tide ridden. The tide was driving the Toia one way and the wind and sea another. Captain Ness of the Holm*Coy., was aboard and there was no argument with him whatever. If the captain of the Matangi says when lie went past in the morning he could have gone inside the Progress what do you .say {■ I should say he knows his own ship better than l do. It is a twin screw ship, and if he saw a ship in that position, why didn’t he do it? Witness had been captain . of the Toio for five years and was well ho quamterK with her capacity and behavior in all classes of weather. In heavy weather and high wind it is most difficult to handle. In his opinion it was not intended for the class of work entailed. Witness said when he got astern of the Progress he could see the rocks. It was not safe, and' he wanted to get out as quickly as he could. Had it been reasonably possible to have gone hack and do something he would have certainly ha ye done so. To have gone hack and tried to pick up a line astern of the Progress would certainly have been running an undue risk, which he considered he was not justified in running a-s he might have got himself into a corner and been unable to get himself out before he was' on the rocks. If there had been sufficient seaw&v he would have tried.'