THE YOUNG DICK AND JANE SPIERS COLLISION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4519, 14 September 1875, Page 2

THE YOUNG DICK AND JANE SPIERS COLLISION.

An inquiry into the circumstances and merits of the collision between the Jane Spiers, barque, and the Young Dick, schooner, was held in the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before J. C. Crawford, Esq., R.M., and Captain R. Johnson, Nautical Assessor. Mr. Izard appeared on behalf of the Customs; Mr. Travers appeared for the captain of the Young Dick; Mr. Allan for the Jane Spiers, and Mr. Buckley was present to watch proceedings on behalf of the insurance company.

Mr. Izard introduced proceedings by stating that the present inquiry had been commenced at the instigation of the chief officer of Customs. He then put in the regulations affecting the conduct of merchant ships ; quoted from the Merchant Shipping Act, and called—

Wilson Heaps, who deposed : I am principal officer of Customs. Have caused to be served on the masters of each vessel interested in this inquiry a statement of the circumstances on which the present inquiry is based. I know the vessels Young Dick and Jane Spiers, now in the port of Wellington. Both vessels arrived on the sth Inst. In consequence of receiving a communication from Captain Bier, of the Jane Spiers, I went on board both vessels, accompanied by Captain Holiday, I think on Monday last. I went first on board the Young Dick. I asked the officer in charge, Samuel Gordon, to produce the lights. He called to the steward to produce them. Two lanterns were produced. One of them was fitted with a lamp, evidently made to fit the lantern, the other had no lamp when it was first produced. The lanterns appeared in a complete state. I left more particular examination to Captain Holiday. Ultimately a lamp was produced, but it did not fit the lantern spoken of as being minus a lamp, and was evidently a makeshift.. My attention was called to the stanchions for holding the side screens having been carried away. The bulwarks were damaged, and the rigging was carried away on that side.. The galley was also carried away, and theafterside of the mast above the galley was grazed. On the same day Captain Holiday and I went on board the Jane Spiers. We were informed by the captain that he had deposited the lights in the Customhouse. We saw the screens. I have since seen the lights. They are nearly new, and in good order. I observed that considerable damage had been done the vessel; the bowsprit was carried away and the bulwarks were smashed. By Mr. Allan : I cannot say whether either of the lights shown me were of the proper kind. My object in taking Captain Holiday was to ascertain that. Captain Bier also produced a flash lamp, and told ms he had used it. By Mr. Travers : The lamp I spoke of as a makeshift was a copper lamp, fitted for burning oil It would show a light, but not so large as the other, and had no reflector. I saw the screen on the port side, and the damaged stanchions on the starboard side, and should judge the damaged screens to have been of the proper dimensions. Witness added the statement that both captains called upon him on Monday, and while reporting the collision handed him their logs. The Young Dick’s was an official log ; that of the Jane Spiers was not. John Holiday deposed : I am Harbormaster of Wellington. Went on ’board the Young Dick and Jaue Spiers with the last witness. On the Young Dick two lanterns were produced, which .appeared to be in good order. Afterwards two lamps were produced. One was made to fit the lantern, and the other was a round lamp—the kind used in anchor lanterns. A round light would give a good light in a lantern of this description, but not so good as a lamp made to fit it. If a lamp such as that produced were to fall on the deck, I should say it would show signs of damage. The bulwarks of the Young Dick were damaged on the starboard bow and aft on the starboard quarter. (Witness’s evidence after this, with respect to the Young Dick, was corroborative of that given by the last witness.) Also visited the Jane Spiers. She was damaged. Her jibboom was carried away ; the heel of the bowsprit was started, and other gear was carried away. The stanchions of the Young Dick were carried away close to the side of the rail. Those (Jane Spiers’s) lamps are of the proper construction. The Young Dick’s are also proper lanterns. I made no inquiries as to whether the lights were carried on the night of the collision.

By Mr. Travers : The Young Dick is a topsail schooner ; the Jane Spiers a barque. Assuming that two vessels, one having a standing jib, staysail, one reef in the foresail and two reefs in mainsail ; and the other a squarerigged ship with her topsails and courses set, were approaching each other in position indicated by the chart produced, if the barque had kept away a point or two, she would have gone clear of the schooner. By porting their helms, the vessels must have come into collision. Assuming collision to be imminent underthese circumstances, it would be proper fertile squarerigged ship to back her sails, as it would materially lessen the strength of the blow. The Young Dick appeared to have been struck forward of tbe forerigging. The bowsprit of the Jane Spiers must have struck her before the forerigging and abaft the foremast, the cap of the bowsprit striking the foremast. Assuming the schooner to be on the port tack, and the barque on the starboard tack, and the latter to have ported her helm, she must have been some distance to leeward before she altered her course.

By Mr. Allan: According to general rule, a vessel on port tack should give place to a vessel on the starboard. If the vessels were in the position mentioned, the Young Dick ought to have seen both lights on board the Jane Spiers. The Court then adjourned for three-quarters of an hour.

On resuming— George Simonds deposed : I am master of the Young Dick. Was on board on the Ith September last. She had a crew of seven hands all told—myself, a chief officer, four able seamen, and a cook, who was also steward. The 4th of September was tolerably clear, wind varying from north to north-west, squally weather. We carried the usual lights—red and greeu. Just prior to the collision I was on deck, having been called up. The vessel was lying-to, her head bearing N.N.E. There was no man at the helm. Prior to the collision I was below, and before I went I told the mate to keep the vessel by the wind. From the time I went below to the time I was called was about three-quarters of an hour. The mate had the power to tack did he deem it advisable. We were bound to Kaipara. When I arrived on deck she was hove-to, merely drifting. Both lights were burning. I saw them at ten o’clock, and was called at a quarter to eleven. When I came on deck saw the Jane Spiers from four to five points on the starboard bow, about a cable’s length off. The Young Dick at the time was carrying a single-reef foresail and double-reef mainsail. That was all the sail X had set. The Jane Spiers appeared to be carrying topsails with her courses set, and a boom-jib. She had no lights that I could see, but showed a bright light some time after. I came on deck. I am not positive that there were no ship’s lights, hut I saw none. The light I saw afterwards was not a Sash light. It appeared an ordinary light. It was not waved. The Jane Spiers appeared to be sailing close to the wind and going rather slow. When I saw her, supposing neither vessel had altered her course, I am of opinion that no collision would have taken place. All we did was to shout to the Jane Spiers to back her yards. She did not do so until after the collision took place. She struck us immediately on the foreshroud. She broke our topgallant bulwarks, main rails, chain plates, and forerigging. When I came on deck the starboard light was in a man’s Laud. I believe he took it from the screens

to have it trimmed afresh. The copper lamp produced was the one •in the lantern that niirht. It had no reflector. The effect of the collision was to bring the ship round on the starboard tack. The vessels interlaced for about twenty minutes. While in that position we exchanged names. The Jane Spiers boom gave way, and her yards were then backed. We then got clear. I asked the captain of the Jane Spiers to remain by me, because my crew were in a panic, thinking the ship was going to sink. The Jane Spiers did not remain by me. After cutting the foresail adrift and bending a new one, I proceeded to Wellington. At daylight next morning saw the Jane Spiers about seven or eight miles to leeward. I could not state of my own knowledge what took place on my vessel before I came on deck. By Mr. Travers: I took bearings of the lights after the collision, and after ascertaining that the ship was making no water. The lights in si»ht were Cape Campbell, Port Nicholson, and Mona Island. The chart produced shows the bearings, which I entered at the time. Before I went below the standing jib and staysail were set; when I came on dock they were down. In the position in which I found the sbip when I came on deck I could do nothing to avoid collision. The ship lying-to she would not answer her helm. I am quite positive that the captain of the Jane Spiers did not back his sails before the collision took place. The Jane Spiers had two courses open to her, either to back her sails or to keep away. I should say that had the Jane Spiers not altered her course she would have cleared my vessel. Looking at the: relative position of the vessels as I saw them when arriving on deck, it was impossible for her to cross our how ; and I believe that, had we not been drifting, and the same course maintained, she would have struck us on the starboard quarter. I made the entry in the official log on the following morning, and on arriving in Wellington reported the circumstance to the Customs.

By Mr. Allan: When I went below the vessel was two and a half miles from the shore, the vessel heading about N.N.E. At ten o’clock she was six miles from shore. The jib was hauled down in order to allow the Jane Spiers to cross our bow. The latter vessel did not, I swear, hack her sails.

By Mr. Travers ; While the vessels were actually in collision the Jane Spiers dragged my vessel round on the starboard tack. This could not have happened had the J ane Spiers backed her sails.

By Captain Johnson: My ship was in ballast, and was drawing about 10ft. of water. Before going below I instructed the mate to let me know if there was any change in the weather. By Mr. Izard : The Young Dick is insured, but I am not prepared to say to what amount. The damage done amounts to about .€2OO. By Captain Johnson—The bowsprit of the Jane Spiers passed the fore part of the foreshroud and grazed the after part of the foremast.

Charles Chalker Bier deposed : I am master of the barque Jane Spiers, 309 tons. On the 4th September was in ballast, and in the evening of that day was standing out for Cloudy Bay. The ship’s company consist of myself, first and second mates, five able seamen, one ordinary seaman, and a cook. The weather was clear, the sea smooth ; the wind was not very light, being moderately squally. We were bound for Wellington. Had lights up, which had been burning all night. I was Du deck. Had remained on deck since leaving the Bay. The wind was about X. by W. half W. The collision took place about ten minutes past 10 o’clock. I was steering about due west, close hauled on the starboard tack. I was going about four and a half to five miles an hour. At 9.50 I took my bearings. Made the entry before the collision, as also one before 8 o’clock. The tide was running flood through the Straits. I had no idea of running into Cloudy Bay. When the Young Dick was - first sighted, she was from four and a half to five cables’ length distant. She was heading N.E., and about four or five points on our port bow. I did not see any light, till a green light was dipped over the side momentarily, and taken in again. It appeared to be dipped ever the starboard side just between the fore and main rigging. When the light appeared, the Young Dick was about a cable or a cable and a half distant. When I first saw the vessel we were steering due w r est, and I then luffed as close as I could to the wind. I adopted this course because, under the circumstances, I considered it was the proper course. I called out loudly long before the collision took place, and kept continually calling out, at the same time I flashed the light twice. When we neared, being about a quarter of a cable’s length apart, I backed the mainyards. I saw a collision was inevitable, and backed the mainyards in order to insure the consequences being less serious. I afterwards backed the foreyards. The vessels were locked together about ten or twelve minutes. We exchanged names. The captain of the Young Dick did not hail me after the collision, and did not ask me to stand by him. I did not sail away for an hour-and-a-half. The damage done to the Jane Spiers was as follows ;—Her jibboom was earned away, bowsprit started, figurehead rail earned away, port cathead lifted, porthead and coveringboard started, and most of the head gear carried away. The ship is insured in the Yew Zealand Company for, I think, £2500.

By Mr. Allan: I have made twentytwo passages to Wellington. There were two men on the lookout, one was on the topgallant forecastle, the other on the main deck forward. The second mate was aft. I was on the poop engaged in taking crossbearings. On the lookout singing out that he sighted a vessel without lights, I ran forward. I saw the vessel with my glasses, hut owing to her carrying no light, could not distinguish the tack she was on. I gave orders to the 1 mate to show the flash light, which he did, waving it twice over the side distinctly. When I first saw the Young Dick she was carrying jib and staysail and fore-and-aft mainsail; but when she came closer she was carrying mainsail and foresail. If the Young Dick had wanted any assistance, being to windward, she could have borne down upon us. Had I put the helm up I should have gone into her stem first.

By Mr. Travers; When I first saw the Young Dick I might have gone clear of her by putting my helm up, but owing to the absence of her lights, I could not see what course she was pursuing. X could not have avoided the collision when I saw the green light on the Young Dick. I have sailed a topsail schooner. The effect of taking in a headsail would be to luff her in the wind. I believe the Young Dick was hove-to. When the headsail was taken off she would not make much headway. As we approached, I kept lifting the sails. I could have stayed her if I had tried when we were going four and a-half miles, but could not make out the course of the other vessel. I was not in a particular hurry, hut wished to get as far windward as possible. By Mr. Izard : My first mate has a Home certificate ; the second mate has none.

By Captain Johnson ; My vessel at the time was carrying a jib, foretopmaststaysail, a foresail, anil foretopsail, upper and lower ir aintopsail (the upper one reefed), mizzenstaysail, and spanker. I consider my vessel could have carried far more canvas, and I spoke to the second mate about increasing it just before the collision. I do not keep an official log. The vessels on the other side very seldom carry them, and all cases are tried without them..

At this stage, the Court adjourned till two o’clock next day.