THE YOUNG DICK AND JANE SPIERS COLLISION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4522, 17 September 1875, Page 2

THE YOUNG DICK AND JANE SPIERS COLLISION.

The inquiry into the circumstances attending the collision between the Jane Spiers and the Young Dick was concluded yesterday in the Resident Magistrate's Court, before J. C. ; Crawford, Esq, R.M., and Captain R. Johnson, Nautical Assessor. Mr. Izard appeared on behalf of the Customs; Mr. Allan appeared for the captain of the Jane Spiers, and Mr. Travers for the Young Dick. Mr. Buckley watched the case on behalf of the insurance company. Robert Marweney, chief officer of the Jane Spiers, deposed : He was on deck when the collision took place about 10 p.m. They were making a west course, and showed the usual red and green lights. The watch was on deck. Taylor hal the lookout. All hands were on deck at the time of the collision. He first saw the other vessel about three cables length off, about three points on the port bow. The wind was from N. to N.W. It was a clear starlight night, but there was no moon. Witness was below when the lookout first sang out. His captain sang out, “Keep close to the wind”; and afterwards the order was given to back the mainyards, which was done. Before the yards were backed the helm had been put nearly down. When this was done, the vessels were about two cables length apart. The foreyards were being backed at the time of the collision. Before the mainyards were backed she was going about four and a half to five knots an hour. The backing of the mainyards deadened her way about two knots. Witness saw a light on the Young Dick after his ship had showed a flash light twice. From the time of witness coming on deck the captain continued to hail her. The Young Dick was heading N.E. on the port tack. They went on the same tack, and the Young Dick turned round after the collision, and hove-to with her yards backed for about au hour. He did not hear the Young Dick ask for them to stand by her. Mr. Travers : Captain Beer gave the order to back the mainyards. At the time, in his judgment, the vessels were two cables length apart. Witness heard the captain order to luff while he was below, so as to keep her close to the wind. This would alter her course about half a point. The order was to steer f ull-and-bye. Two minutes would be sufficient time to diminish the speed from four to two knots after the sails were backed, all the sails at the time drawing. They did not try to stay the vessel. It was too late when he came on deck to avoid the collision by keeping his vessel away. He would have expected the Young Dick to put her helm hard aport, slack down her mainpeakhalyards, and let go the mainsheet. She must then hare fallen off about four points. She was then three points on his lee bow, and distant about three cables length. She had her mainsail, fore-and-aft-foresail, forestaysail, and jib set. By Mr. Allan : Witness was perfectly certain that his captain gave the order to back both yards before the collision. He showed the flash light twice. As far as he knew, the Young Dick did not alter her position until after the collision. After lie had shown a flash light the second time, he saw a green light shown over the side of the Young Dick. By the Bench : Witness had been about six months on the Jane Spiers. She had new side lamps, and they were burning well as he looked at them after he showed the first flash light. They had the old lamps used on previous voyages on board the ship. They were cracked at the corners. His captain thought it advisable to get new ones. These were all the witnesses produced by Mr. Izard on behalf of the Customs.

John Cunningham Stock deposed that he was a passenger on board the Jane Spiers at the time of the collision. The red and green lamps were fixed at the time in their proper places. He was lying on a sofa in the cabin. He heard an order given to back the mainyards. He went on deck and saw that the Young Dick had no lights. A flash light was shown by the Jane Spiers, which was answered by the Young Dick. The mainyards were backed before the collision. The foreyards were afterwards backed. The mainyards w- re backed from four to five minutes before the collision. The time of the collision (by the cabin clock) was ten minutes to ten. George Austin, steward on board the Jane Spiers, deposed : It was his duty to look after the lamps, and he had done so on the night of the collision. They were properly trimmed and placed. He had followed the sea for some time. He noticed the lamps burning bright at the time of the collision. He saw no lights on the other vessel.

William H. Johnson, tinsmith on Lambtonquay, deposed that he sold two new sidelamps to Captain Boer. He recollected the captain of the Young Dick coming to ask him to fit a lamp into a sidelight, to he made from a diagram. (Jeorge Hand, cook and steward on board the Young Dick, said he had charge of the lamps, which he duly trimmed ou the 4th inst. The starboard lamp had no reflector. The glass might have been dimmed slightly from the smoke of the oil. The lamp was burning bright on the night of the 4th inst. at eight o’clock. The crew were all sober. The lamps had been scalded out the previous Saturday, and were perfectly clean. By Mr. Allan ; The oil had a tendency to dim the glass slightly. The glass was not dim when witness looked at it at eight o’clock. They left Wellington on Thursday ; the weather was stormy ; the crew had to work pretty hard. All the witnesses having now been examined. The Bench delivered the following judgment :—Xu this case it would appear that the barque Jane Spiers, bound from this port to Newca-t!e, N.S.W., in ballast, came into collision with the schooner Young Dick, also bound from this port to Kaipara, in ballast, ou the night of the 4th inst. The circumstances n'lder'which the casualty occurred are these : That about 10.30 p.m. the Jane Spiers was standing across Cooks Strait, showing her proper lights and close hauled on the starboard tack, with the jib, foretopmaststaysail, maintopmast-ataysail, mizzeu-stay-sail, mxzzen-foresail, lower foretopsail, and the two maintopsails (the upper one reefed) set, the barque going from four to five knots through the water. A vessel was seen on the port or lee bow, distant about four cables, and bowing no visible lights. After this the barque, as before, was kept close to the wind, and when collision became imminent, the maintopsails were tin-own aback to deaden the vessel’s way, but too late to avoid the collision. As the two vessels came together, the bowsprit of the Jane Spiers passed from forward of the Young Dick’s fore rigging and abaft the foremast, carrying away chain plates, rigging, and bulwarks, but doing no material injury to the hull. About the time of the collision the foroyards of the Jane Spiers were also hove aback, when the two vessels separated. The Yimn" Dick was also standing across the Strait, close-hauled, but on the port tack, with the jib, forestaysail, reefed foresail and doublereefed mainsail set, going from one to two knots, when a vessel was observed on her starboard or lee bow, distant about two cables. The mate, who was in charge of the deck, immediately gave orders to have the starboard lamp, or sidelight, taken down and trimmed, as it was burning dimly. The helm was also put down, the master oa'led, and the jib and the forestaysail hauled down, with the view, as stated, of either tacking or allowing the ship to drift, as being the best way of avoiding a collision. The propriety of this manoeuvre was, however, very questionable, as it could scarcely be expected that a vessel going only from one to two knots, with the foresails set, would be able to keep away from a ship that was only two cables off, when only two sails were set. The wind, as stated by both vessels,

was about N.N.W, baffling, with a force, according to the master of the Jane Spiers, of a strong breeze, but not too strongfor a vessel with much more canvas than be had ; while according to the evidence and log of the Youn" Dick, it was at times blowing with a hurricane force. This, however, must be a mistake, as may be readily seen from the comparatively smooth sea, and the amount of canvas both ships were carrying At first sighting neither vessel appeared to know tht others course ; but as the Jane Spiers was on thestarboard tack, and by the regulations had to keep her course, the question to her was not a matter of such importance as it was to the Young Dick, which was on the other tack and had to keep out of the way. The ui"ht appears to have been fine and the atmosphere tolerably clear, as shown by the stars being out, and the light on M na Island, Pencarrow Head, and Cape Campbell all seen at the same time. We are therefore of opinion that the lookout on hoard the Jane Spiers was not good, and evidently bad on board the Young Dick, otherwise the larger vessel, carrying lights and more canvas, ought to have been seen at a much greater distance than two cables. Taking everything into consideration, we are of opinion that the collision was caused from bad light and lookout on board the Young Dick, and is in no wise attributable to the Jane Spiers. We therefore adjudge that the certificate of Mr. Samuel Gordon, the mate, be suspended (under section 17 of the Act of 1867) for three months. The ship to pay costa of inquiry.