PROGRESS INQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1931, Page 6

PROGRESS INQUIRY

(By Telegraph —Per Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 21

At the Progress inquiry the Harbourmaster, Captain Spencer, gave evidence that he first knew of the Progress when it was thrown on the screen that he was wanted. Witness inquired about the position of the Progress, and at 9.10 p.in. Captain Petersen rang witness, wanting to know if the tug should be sent. Mr Nees, Holm and Company’s representative, would not take the responsibility upon himself about the tug. Witness gave them half an hour’s grace, and then, learning from Beacon Hill that the wind and the sea were increasing, lie took steps to send the tug out on his own responsibility. That would he about 9.40 p.m. His instructions were to get the Toia ready and away as soon as possible. Counsel: Was there any discussion regarding payment for tlic tug? Witness: None whatever. Captain AVorrall: I take it that the delay, if any, between 9 a.m. and 9.40 p.m. was concerning the responsibility for sending out the tug, and not regarding payment for the tug. Witness : Quite so ! Witness said he could do nothing more after giving orders to lS cnd out the tug, except to make inquiries from time to time. At three-thirty a.m., he got a message, by telephone, from Beacon Hill, from the Toia, that the -Progress .was dragging., and she could do nothing further. The Magistrate: Hid. you order the Toia back? Witness: She came back on her own initiative.

Askpd what led up to the Toia being sent Out the second time, witness sa>ct that he took the responsibility on himself. Witness was out at Island Bay before o a.m. He took a bearing on the Progress, and found that she was not dragging. When daylight came she wa s labouring very heavily. She was about a mile off the Bed Rocks. The

Toia was .further ahead, and out to sea. He came into town about nine. He ordered the Toia out again. From your observation you must have thought the Toia could have done something still. Witness: Well, it was a ticklish job But if von ordered her out, you must have thought so? Witness: Well, you must realise 1 am an older man than Campbell. I am a head of the Department at the present time, and would take more risks. He went out in the Toia himself. Witness said that no discussion Whatever took place between Captain Holm and himself about towage or salvage The Toia went through the Heads at full speed. SIGNAL STATION REPORT. The report of Abe watches at Beacon Hifl during tire, time that the Progress was broken down was put in by Raymond Ernest Osborne, officer-in-charge of the station. He said that during the time that he was on watch, from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., he did not think that the Progress shifted her position at all. He estimated that the Progress was about a mile and a-half off shore. Witness said that he saw the Toia go out. She was making heavy weather of it. She only just got out.

HARBOURMASTER’S VIEW

WOULD HAVE TAKEN TOIA * CLOSER.

WELLINGTON, May 21

When the Court resumed Captain Spencer, in reply to Mr Watson, said that the Toia was a very awkward vessel to manoeuvre in heavy weather, unless she were well loaded. Are we to take it that she is not efficient for manoeuvring in heavy weather in Cook Strait?

Witness: I hardly know how to answer that question. If she is close to land, she naturally requires room to ■move, and you’ve got to allow for that in a heavy sea.

Was she as efficient as the Terawliiti, or more efficient, for the purpose of bringing the Progress in on that night? Witness: I would not like to express an opinion on that. Captain Spencer said that if he had been in the vicinity of the Progress, he would have preferred to he handling the Terawhiti. Were the weather conditions had enough to prevent the tug Terawhiti going out that morning? Witness: I don’t think that tnere was anything to stop her going out. Witness said that, knowing the Toia was on her way to the Progress that night, he had felt sure the tug would pick her up, and bring her in. He had no anxiety once the Toia was being got ready for sea. W T hen he heard that the Toia had not picked the Progress 11 P, ho instructed Beacon Hill to ask the master of the Toia if he had used his gun. That is a raesonable step to take?

‘Witness: Well, that is the last, if it is not possible to get a line on in any other way. What is the range of the gun* Witness: One thousand feet. Witnes s was under the impression that the Toia replied that he had used his gun. From your observations, do you think it would have been possible to manoeuvre the Toia under the stern of the Progress, to leeward? Witness: Well, it could have been done; but a grave risk would have been taken. Would you have done it? Witness: Considering my age, I think I would.

Witness said that lie was in charge of (the Toia when she went out the second time. There wa s a fairly heavy

sea running, he continued. The Progress was under sail, hut before he could get to her, she was ashore. How far in did you go to land when she went ashore ? Witness: We were between a quarter to half a mile off. TOIA’S SECOND TRIP.

Continuing his evidence, Captain Spencer said, in reply to Mr Watson, that when he got to the scene in the Toia, the Progress was under sail, but before they could get near her, she had gone on the rocks. Mr Watson : What wa s tlic nearest you got to her in the Toia at that time l Witness: We were never within a quarter of a mile of her. Had you to turn round at all? Witness: .Qnce —half a mile from the shore. So you could turn round half a mile from shore? Witness: “Yes.”

To Mr Mazenburg, who asked some questions about the dispatching of tugs. Captain Spencer said that there had been no delay through having to get the engineer. He explained that all that a master of a ship had to do if lie required tlie services of a tug was to put out two blue or white lights horizontally as far apart as possible. The. tug would then undoubtedly be sent by tlie Harbour Board provided that the ship did not belong to tlic Union Company or its combine. Mr Treadwell: An attempt has been made to draw from you, Captain Spencer, answers detrimental to my client. You have said that you might have gone to the leeward ol' the Progress. Who i s the best judge of whether a sliip can manoeuvre in a certain way ?

Witness: The master of the ship,

And you with your great experience of the sea, would not consider yourself a better judge whether help couhl he effected ?

Witness: “No.” You have said you turned rminci half a mile from the shore? Witness: Yes. But it was more open--a sort of bay.

EVIDENCE OF THE TOIA’S MASTER.

Captain William Henry Campbell. Master of the tug Toia, said his ship was fully equipped with both manila and steel hawsers lor towing. Witness heard first of the Progress when he got a ring from Captain Petersen at 9.10 p.in., as the captain had explained. He described all the steps lie took to assemble' the crew, and cany out the directions he had received. His vessel left the wharf at 10.43 p.m. and had eight on board, all told, including Cap tain Ness. The Toia’s draught would be 1.1 feet (jin forward, and Lift din aft. They cleared the Heads at 11.10 p.m., and tlic wind was south-east, with, a force of seven to eight with a rough sea. The risibility was good. He could not see the Progress, so ho asked Beacon Hill to signal the Progress and ask her to burn a blue lamp. The Progress put up a blue light! The Toia went straight for her, reaching her at 1 a.m. Nlr Prendeville: What would you say the position of the Progress was at that time?

Witness: Well, i bad no bearings, blit 1 took it as about a. mile south-south-east of Sinclair Hoad. The wind and sea had certainly increased. When we approached the Progress he had no navigator light, but when wo came up, he switched them on. We went across the bows to the windward ol him. and rounded np on tile port helm on his weather side. I brought the tug along parallel to him, hut with the weather prevailing. T hardly thought it possible to throw a heavy line. 1

| rounded up. head to the wind, abreast oi : his bow. When we backed down. J suppose we got to anything within fifty feet of him. As soon as we got down to him, the wind took the Tours bow, swung us around. J tried again two or three times, but on each oooas ion the Toia swung right round. Then I tried to float a- lino down on a buoy, but this was unsuccessful. 1 told the crew to got the t : a:e-throwing gun, hut at this stage J saw the Progress ban floated a lighted lifehouy with a line. I told the crew that we’d drift down and pick up the line. The wind arm sea were increasing all the time. When we picked up the Progress messenger, I steamed slowly out parallel to the Progress, until our port quarter was parallel with her starboard how. The two ships were then ranging together. W< must have been within 50 feet of each other. We had heaving lines the whole length of the ship on the port side, so that wherever we picked up their messenger, we’d bend on. We bent the end of two heaving lines 'together on to the messenger, and on to the hear ing lines, we attached our 2;]-incb messenger. The crew on deck could see that one end of our messenger was on board the Progress, and they then bent our steel towing wire to it. When I thought they’d have one end of the wire, I morsed asking whotbor they I had it fast. We were moving slowly [up. As those on the Progress were [ taking in line, J got a reply saying. ‘‘Not yet.” The next thing T knew was a Morse message saying that the line had parted, and during these operations, we heard someone- on thy Progress slimit out that his anchors were down.' When I got there, there was only one thing to do—-steam on the signal that the line had broken away. A whole lot of wire rope. 120 fathoms, had been paid out. and T had to keep going ahead until 1 got- -the whole ol tliis wire in. My impression was that the line had broken at two o’clock. Bv the time we got the towing wire aboard, it was 2.50, While getting the wire in, the decks aft were continually awash. T personally "fait clown and gave a baud with the wire jThe remains of the messenger came in Jon the end of the wire. By this time I the wind had got up, and there were (heavy squalls, it wa s reported to me.4

that the starboard engine-room skylight door had carried away, and the tug was taking considerable water down below. At that stage .1 had seen that the weather was so bad. that it would he impossible to help the Progress. 1 called up Beacon Hill, and told them to tell Captain Spencer that weather, was too bad to do 'anything, and that the Progress had both anchors down. Just then, I received a Morse message from the Progress to sav that she was dragging, and I reported this to Beacon Hill a few minutes afterwards. Then I got a message from Beacon Hill to ask if we had tried the gnu, and I replied, “Yes!” Then I received a message saying that Captain Spencer was coming round by road. Just before daybreak Beacon Hill told me the Terawhiti was coming round. At daybreak the wind and sea had increased. We shaped a course for the Progress. Looking at the Progress during the daylight, I considered it would have, been a most dangerous manoeuvre, imperilling my ship and endangering lives, to have attempted to pass to the leeward of the Progress. As far as I could see. the only assistance that could come to the Progress was by the shore. I. know Captain Spencer had gone round on the shore, and I surmised that he would take rocket ap paratus. I got within about a quarter of a. mile of her. Bv this time my crew were exhausted. .Seeing that 1 had decided that the Toia could not possibly help the Progress, I returned to port. The Court adjourned till to-morrow.