HIMITANGI – WAIRAU COLLISION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1010, 27 June 1911, Page 3

HIMITANGI - WAIRAU COLLISION.

CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE. Wellington, June 26. At the Magistrate’s Court to-day a nautical inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the collision between the steamers Himitangi and Wairau in the Manawatu river on May 16th last, was conducted by Dr McArtnur, S.M., with whom appeared Captains C. F. Post and Felix Black as assessors.

Mr A. Gray appeared for the master of the Himitangi, Mr A. D. Herdman for the master of the Wairau, Mr Dalziell for the owners of the Himitangi (the Chatham Island Fishery Co., Dtd.), and Mr A. Fair for the owner of the Wairau (Mr Perano). Mr Rose, Acting-Collector of Customs, represented the Marine Department.

A large amount of evidence was taken.

Oliver F. Mclntyre, who was mate of the Wairau on May 16th last, said that the ship arrived off the Manawatu bar late that evening, and she crossed at about 11.30 p.m. Witness was on the foredeck acting as look-out man. There was no danger of collision before the accident occurred. On witness’s bo t there was very little way at tb? time of th~ collision, but the R: ritangi had way on. The Wt'.irau was on the starboard side ot the channel about one hundred yards below the two red buoys. After the collision the Wairau went astern and was beached. The Himitangi offered assistance.

To Mr Herdman; If each ship had kept to its starboard side of the channel they could have passed in safety. The effect of sending the Wairau astern was to swing her across the river.

To Mr Gray : Witness had been five times up the river and did not know of any rule that when a vessel noticed another coming down the river the upgoing ship should wait until the other had passed. THE WAIRAU’S MOVEMENTS. William Manley, master of the Himitangi, stated that he left the Foxton wharf shortly after 11 p.m. on May 16th, and was steaming at from six to six and a quarter knots. When he first saw the Wairau she was showing a masthead light and a green light. As the Himitangi got halfway between the two buoys the Wairau showed her red light. At this time witness’s vessel would probably be about three hundred yards away. After a glimpse of both lights the Wairau showed her green light and appeared to go across the channel, strike the bank, swing round and show her red light. After the accident witness inquired if the Wairau was all right, but got no reply. The night was clear. Witness had about twenty-three years’ experience of the Manawatu river.

It was usual for incoming vessels to wait at the rush-bank for downcoming vessels to pass. There was no written law on this point —it was an understanding between the captains using the river. To Mr Gray : If the Wairau had kept showing her green light the collision could not have occurred. The Himitangi steered splendidly.

To Mr Herdman : It was the Wairau which ran into the Himitangi, not the Himitangi into the Wairau; witness’s vessel was quite stationary. He had never seen a vessel perform such a manoeuvre as the Wairau did. Witness did not run into another vessel coming down the river, and his ship’s engines were working satisfactorily. He was of opinion that there was something wrong with the Wairau’s steering gear. In answer to Dr McArthur, witness said that the captain of the Wairau broke both the rule and the understanding by crossing over to the Himitangi’s side of the river. STATEMENTS DENIED. Edward Shaw, master of the Wairau, said that he did not go over to the port side of the river as it was not his place to do that. The Himitangi was coming on at considerable speed. Witness attributed the collision —the result of which was that a hole two feet deep, two feet wide, and eight feet up and down was made in the Wairau—to the captain of the Himitangi altering his course and the speed at which he was going. There was no truth in the statement that the Himitangi was stationary ; and the manoeuvre which witness was stated to have performed never took place. Harry M. Dangridge, chief engineer of the Himitangi, said that he did not think his vessel was going more than five knots an hour after leaving the Foxton wharf. At 11.44 b e got an order to stop, and immediately afterwards “full speed astern.” Dess than a minute later the engines began to race very heavily, giving witness the Impression that the ship was aground. This was before the collision occurred. Ernest F. Graham, A.B. on the Himitangi, said that he was at the wheel when the collision took place. His vessel had little or no way on. The Court held that the Himitangi was to blame for the collision for not keeping her proper course, but that Captain Manley’s certificate be not suspended, but that he pay the cost of the enquiry, £h-