COLLISION AT SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 March 1922, Page 5

COLLISION AT SEA.

FERRY STEAMER AND SCHOONER. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUIRY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 24. An inquiry into the collision between the Maori and the schooner Zita was held yesterday. Captain Hans Johansen, master of tbe Zita, said he was called at 4.10 a.m. in a hurry and found a steamer was crossing his bow from starboard to port. The Zita was on the port tack. The steamer carried away the bowsprit, figurehead, part of the starboard bulwarks, the night heads on the port side and the port light from the night heads to the port rigging. It also smashed seven staunchions. He examined the Zita and decided to proceed to Wellington, but eventually had to put back to Lyttelton. John Williamson, mate of the Zita, said that at 3.45 he picked up the steamer’s lights two points to port about five or six miles away. At 4 a.m. the steamer was still on the Zita’s port bow. She kept on till she was on the Zita’s starboard bow, then altered her course to starboard. Witness gave the order hard-a-starboard when he saw a collision was likely, but his vessel had such little way on she was slow in answering her helm. The Maori was steaming at about 15 knots, her usual speed. Had the respective courses been followed there would have been no collision. Witness had been an officer on the Maori for nine months. After passing Cook Straits the Maori had no necessity to alter her course. The Maori first altered her course three points, then made a half circle before colliding with the Zita. Ho heard no signal from the .Maori when she was approaching. Captain Irwin, of the Maori, said he was called at 4.12 a.m. on Sunday, and the chief officer told him the Maori had just collided with a schooner. Witness got back to the schooner as quickly as possible, but when informed that she was ail right, proceeded’ to Lyttelton. On examination of the ship there he found th? vessel appeared to have been struck fairly heavily on tbe port quarter, but there were no dents.

Robert George Coyle, second officer of the, Maori, said he was on duty from 12 to '4. The weather was clear at 4 a.m. and he had a good look round with the glasses and could see nothing. The Board of Trade lights were supposed to be seen at two miles. At 2.8 he heard the Wahine sounding fog signals and there were patches Of fog inshore. George Brotherton Morgan, chief officer of the Maori, deposed that he went on duty at 4 a.m. and about 4.10 witness sighted a red light, a point and a-half on the starboard bow. He gave the order for “port,” then “port good,” then “hard a-port” positions. They were so close that witness could do nothing but keep the Maori on the port helm and try to get across the Zita’s bow. Had he altered the helm the Maori would have rammed the Zita. Witness only saw the vessel about two minutes before the collision when she was two miles away. Cross-examined, witness said he could have avoided a collision by keeping his course, but he gave way in the correct manner to avoid a collision. If both vessels had kept their course there would have been fifty feet between them. He did not see the Zita, because she was on the fringe of a fog bank and she could see further out of it than he could see into it. After the evidence of the look-out and helmsman of the Maori had been heard the court said that neither captain was blameworthy and returned their certificates. The court was asked to take into consideration whether the action of either captain had contributed towards the collision. Judgment was reserved.