HAD NO LIGHTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 827, 22 November 1929, Page 11

HAD NO LIGHTS

LAUNCH THAT RAN UNDER FERRY’S BOWS OWNER PAYS 12 FINE R. L. Morrison, the owner of a launch which suddenly appeared out of the darkness immediately in the path of the Ferry Eaglehawk, was fined £2 and costs at the Police Court this morning for navigating without lights. )[*l FRAY, for the Harbour Board, gave the date of the offence as October 22. The vehicular ferryboat Lag!chawk had left Mechanics’' Bay on tip' way to Devonport. It was very dark and. just near Calliope Dock, Captain Webb, who was at the wheel, saw something dark ahead. He threw the wheel over and rang for full speed astern. The boat had not commenced to go astern when the launch flashed across his bows so close that lie could have jumped aboard. Many of the passengers were alarmed. Counsel urged that it was by no means an unusual offence. The maximum penalty was a line of J2 100. Morrison said that his lighting plant had failed temporarily. He had gone below to make an adjustment after first looking round to see that all was clear. He had not seen the lights of the ferry on account of rhe brilliance of the flood-lights in the railway yard immediately behind the vehicular ferry berth in Mechanics Bay. When he came up and saw the ferry, he had put. on speed to pass the vessel. There was ever any danger of a collision. Costs amounted to 10s.