PILOTED THE TAHITI

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 208, 22 November 1927, Page 11

PILOTED THE TAHITI

EVIDENCE BY CAPTAIN CARSON FERRY DISASTER INQUIRY By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. SYDNEY, Monday. The Marine Court set up by the Federal and State Government authorities resumed its inquiry to-day into the disaster to the ferry steamer Greycliffe, which was sunk after collision with the steamer Tahiti. Further lengthy evidence and crossexamination of witnesses occupied the day, chiefly with reference to the colliding of the vessels, but the evidence added little to that already tendered. One witness affirmed that the Tahiti sounded its whistle 20 seconds before it struck the Greycliffe. Another witness estimated that the Tahiti was travelling two miles an hour faster than the Greycliffe, and that the latter vessel changed its course one minute before the collision. He also stated that just before this he heard the Tahiti sound two short blasts on the siren. QUICKLY OVERTAKEN Captain Carson, who was piloting the Tahiti at the time of the collision, said he saw the Greycliffe ahead of him, going to Garden Island. He then had her in sight all the time. Leaving Garden Island wharf she was two ships’ lengths away from the Tahiti. The Greycliffe headed for Shark Island, and he steadied the Tahiti for the north end of Shark Island. After passing Garden island he overtook the Greycliffe rather rapidly. He was travelling at from six to seven knots. The overtaking process ceased just afterwards. The Greycliffe was then four points on his bow and a ship’s length from the bridge of the Tahiti. When abreast of Clark Island the Greycliffe altered her course very rapidly toward him, closing in very quickly. He ordered the helm to starboard and stopped both engines, then immediately gave orders to the port engine for full speed astqrn, and sounded two blasts of the whistle. All these orders were given practically simultaneously. ALTERED COURSE He thought the ships were going to clear, but the Greycliffe appeared to cross at an even more acute angle than she had been doing. The angle of collision appeared to be between 45 and 75 degrees. Witness estimated the speed at the time of the collision at eight knots, but said that as the engines were going astern this took some of the way off. From the time the Greycliffe altered her course to the time of the collision was from onehalf to three-quarters of a minute. Up to the time the Greycliffe altered her course witness was not conscious of any risk of danger. He followed his course as far as possible in accordance with sailing directions. Asked if, as he was overhauling the Greycliffe, he saw no reason to slacked speed, Captain Carson said he saw no such reason. The case for the Navigation Department then closed. The remaining portion of the Greycliffe was raised to-day and beached. No more bodies were discovered when the wreckage was lifted from the bed of the harbour.—A, and N.Z.