NAUTICAL INQUIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1915, Page 2

NAUTICAL INQUIRY.

THE WHAXCAKEf HKADS COLLISION.

By Telegraph.---Press Association. Auckland, Saturday

At tht! inquiry to-day concerning the collision between the scow Combine ami the barque Hazel I 'raiji at Whangarci Heads on July 8, John Hudson, master of the barque, stated that lie was below when he heard the order to put the vessel about. He rushed on deck as tlia two vessels wore colliding. He saw no light of any kind on the scow. He 1 dr:w the attention ol' the master of the se:>w to the Hazelpraig's lights. Cross-examined, witness said he was perfectly cool anil his crew behaved very well. "Then," asked counsel, "why did you blaze away with a revolver?'' Witncs: "It was to call the scow's attention to the fact that it had collided with my boat." Counsel: "Hid you fire at him?" Witness: "I never fired at hhn. 1 fired in the air to draw his attention. Witnes admitted that he did swear at the master of the scow and say he deserved to be shot. It would have been possible for the impact to extinguish the scow's lights. Isaac Corbett, muster of the tug Waitangi, which was towing the Hazel.Craig when the collision occurred, said that When he first saw the scow it was twenty feet away. He saw no light on her. Then he saw a light which appeared to be carried from port to starboard.