FERRY TRAGEDY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 210, 24 November 1927, Page 11

FERRY TRAGEDY

MASTER HAD DIFFICULTY IN STEERING MARINE INQUIRY By Cal -.—Press Association. — Copyright. SYDNEY, Wednesday THE master of the ferry steamer Greycliffe, in evidence before the Marine Court of Inquiry, said that his ship had a difficulty cf steering, and was inclined to swing. She did not respond when he ported the heim after seeing the Tahiti right on his port quarter. (LIP TAIN BARNES bad earlier explained that when he left the wharf he gave the order for full speed ahead, as he had a clear ran ahead. He found a slight difficulty in keeping the ferry boat on her course, p.s she had a slight inclination to swing, and he had to steady her. He was standing on the starboard side when he heard two blasts on a siren. He looked over his shoulder, but did not see anything. Then he stepped across to the port side and saw the hows of the’ Tahiti right on his port quarter, a few feet away. As he stepped across to that side he felt a wave hit the stern of the Greycliffe and swing it to port.

He immediately stepped back to the wheel-house and pulled about two spokes of port helm on ner. Then the crash came.

Porting his helm should have altered his direction to starboard, but it did not take effect. After that the Greycliffe swung rapidly round the bows of the Tahiti and went down. The Greycliffe was doing between 9 and 10 knots. There was no alteration at all in her speed. WINDOW NOT DIRTY In reply to a question as to which side did he decide it was better to go before the impact, Barnes said: “To starboard.” He said he gave her a port helm. She did not respond. Had she done so the ship would have gone to starboard. Asked what was the source of the wave that caused him to alter course, Barnes said: “From the Tahiti, I suppose.” He absolutely denied any suggestion that the port window, through which he looked, was too dirty to see through. He also gave a negative reply to a question whether he had left the steering-house after the Greycliffe departed from the Garden Island wharf. STEERED BY boMPASS Witness said he knew nothing about charts, but steered by compass, and at night by the harbour lights. He said further that all the ferry boats were erratic in their steering, but the Greycliffe was not more erratic than the others. He suggested that the wave from the Tahiti threw the Greycliffe further across the bows of the steamer. The ferry boat would have been hit in any case, but the wave put it across at a greater angle. He could not have got away, hut he might have received a more glancing blow if there had been no wave. ON USUAL COURSE

Captain Barnes added that he was on his usual course, which entailed a move to the north after passing Bradley’s Head. He had to contend with an ebb tide, a south wind, and a righthanded propeller, which tended to pull the Greycliffe to port. Frederick Jones, deck hand on the Greycliffe, said he saw the Tahiti “coming at us at a tremendous speed. Then came the smash.” He estimated the steamer’s speed at 15 knots. Mr. Justice Campbell, president of the Court, directed that a diver examine the locking gear an’, pin of the rudder in the Greycliffe wreck. The last evidence for the Union Company was given by Frank Gibson, second officer of the Tahiti. He said he saw the Greycliffe bearing in on the Tahiti, she having changed her course three points to port. He heard the pilot give orders to stop port, stop starboard, and full speed astern. Only a few seconds elapsed between the first and last orders. The Tahiti then swung toward Bradley’s Head. The impact occurred a few seconds after the Tahiti was put astern. Witness said he thought the Tahiti was doing about 8 or 9 knots at the time of the collision, not more. Although the wreck of the Greycliffe was brought close inshore, it still lies in 30ft. of water. Divers are continuing to search for bodies of the missing passengers.—A. and N.Z. & * % HZ HC HZ HZ HZ HZ -HZ % HZ 3C HZ % Hi