The Late Harbour Accident.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4583, 12 September 1883, Page 2

The Late Harbour Accident.

INQUEST ON THE BODY OF THE ENGINEER. The inquest on the body of the late Henry Harris was resumed at the Governor Bowen Hotel this morning at eleven o'clock, before Dr Kilgour, Coroner. The inquest was oonducted by Sergt.-Major Kiely. Mr Miller watched the proceedings in the interest of Capt. Bayldon, Harbourmaster, and MrE. F. Tizard on behalf of the Marine Department. The first witness examined was— T. C. Bayldon, who deposed—l am harbourmaster at the the Thames. On Saturday the Ist September/ about 2 o'clock p.m. saw the brigantine Sea Bird standing up from the sandspit towards the Thames Channel, and prepared to go to her. About three o'clock took the dredge boat and went off with three men in it, named Richard Wren, David Phipps, and Henry Harris, the deceased. Took the, dredge boat because the harbourmaster's boat was not afloat. Got into the centre of the channel, and there waited for the Sea Bird to come along; she came up, taking in sail as she approached. When the boat got alongside, the vessel had her topsail, mainsail, headsails, and staysail set, with her topsail braced to the wind. I dropped the boat alongside, but previous to going alongside, told the bow oarsman, Phipps, to get a turn with the line hove from the vessel, around the forward thwart; he missed the turn, and the deceased went to assist him; fthe boat sheered, and the order to " let go" was given first by Captain Smith, of the vessel, and then by myself; Harris still held on, and was dragged out of the boat; he held on to the rope for a few moments. Captain Smith threw a life buoy to him, and I went after him with the boat as fast as possible, but he sank out of sight just as we got over him. Phipps reached as far as possible, but ke was out of reach,^ and I reached over the stern thinking that the boat might have gone over him, but he never rose again. Remained about the spot for about ten minutes, and then seeing that the Sea Bird was going on the bank, went on board. As soon as the accident happened the vessel was at once brought to the wind, with her head to the North East. After getting on board, ordered sail to be made, and took the vessel on to the mill, anchoring her at Turua at ten minutes to six. Sent a wire at once to the Police authorities, and returned to town as soon as possible. The time I got on board the ship was. twenty minutes past four. Every endeavor was made to find the body till it wag found—boats' crews being away three days. In conjunction with my duties here am pilot as well as harbormaster. With vessels under a hundred tons it is not compulsory to take a pilot; the Seabird is over that tonnage, and therefore was compelled to take a pilot. Had received notice from the captain several days before as to the probable time the Sea Bird would leave Auckland. Vessels are not obliged to bring up and wait for a pilot. The pilot's duty ia to get off to a vessel as soon as possible. The depth of water where the accident happened was from ten to eleven feet. Am not a swimmer, neither, as far as I know, were any of my crew at (the time. The Seabird was going about three knots— that is, judging by the canvas she had set. The weather was not calm; there was a good breeze, and a slight jobble of the sea. For boarding a vessel, haves no crew, and am obliged to take who I can get. The men who accompanied me were not good boatmen; the deceased and Wren had some little knowledge of boats, but Phipps was no oarsman. When the boat sheered, whiehwas caused by Harris not "letting go" when ordered, he was dragged out of the boat, and hung to the rope for about o sees., when he let go, his head and a portion of his breast were well out of the water while he held on to the rope, the boat was distant from him about 10 or 15 yards when he let go his hold of the rope. By Sergt. Major Kiely—The boat we were in is a 14ft. boat, never used her as a pilot boat before; have used the pilot boat since I beoame harbormaster, but could not get her on the Ist Sept. to go to the Sea Bird. Mr Sehofield was not to my knowledge at my disposal on that day, he did not to ray recollection ofl'er to go with me to the Sea Bird, and I did not ask him to do so. On the Saturday Phipps was in the bow, Harris pulling the middle bar, Wren the aft oar, and I was steering; got out in the channel before thevesßel came up, asked the Captain to let me get alongside, aud he did so; gave

Harris no order to go to Phipp's assistance to take a turn around the thwart, If the rope had been coiled and more of it payed out from the ship, it would have assisted in. saving Harris' life; Harris told me he could not swim. Did not hear Harris call out after he got ottfc ot the boat; I called oat to him to hold on to the |rope when he got in the water. If I had reached Harris two sees, before I could have saved him; the greatest distance between the Sea Bird and the boat during the accident was between 200 and 300 yards—but Harris was not, I am certain, more than 30 or 40 yards! The Sea Bird could not have been going seven or eight knots an hour at the time. The cause of the accident was the boat sheering ; the boat was not under water at all. Identified the body found on Saturday last as the body of Harris, owing to the second finger of the left hand being missing. By Mr Miller—The Sea Bird was flying the pilot flag, and I was, as I read the act, bound to board the vessel. Boarded the vessel on the starboard side of the vessel. Even with the pilot boat the same accident through sheering might have happened, and with a competent crew the men would not have gone forward as Harris did. I am under the impression that the deceased felt he was safer hanging on to the rope than in the boat, which was in danger of filling. ■. ■ i ' By a Juror—Could not help sheering with the oar steering. If I had the harbor boat, which has a rudder, I could have prevented sheering. Mr Schofield is wharfinger and toll collector, and I don't think he should be a boatman. The line was thrown from between the fore and the main If the rope had been cut I don't think it would have enabled me to save Harris, as I had to slew the boat around owing to her having sheered off from the vessel. Cannot see any reason why deceased could not have held on to the rope for a considerably longer time than he did; Frederick Arnold, bushman, said he was employed by the harbourmaster for some days past to search for the body of the deceased. He was out in the harbor boat with two men named Gallagher and Kobinson. On Saturday last, about half-past ten o'clock in the forenoon Gallagher saw a speck floating about 150 yards from the boat, and I ■examined it with the glasses. It resembled the body of a man, and we made for it with the boat, and it turned out to be the body of Henry Harris; it was floating face downwards. We brought the body to the Gooda Wharf and handed it over to the Police and it was conveyed to this house about noon. The place where we found the body, was about two miles this side of the Piako Towers and 100 fathoms from the Piako channel, the distance from where he was drowned to where we picked up the body would be about three miles. By a juror—lt was about high water when we found the body. David Phipps, laborer, deposed that on Saturday Ist Sept. he was accompanied by the deceased, taking some iron to the dredge; the harbormaster said he was going out to board the Sea Bird, and I could go with him if I liked, to to pull. Agreed to do so. (The evidence of this witness was mainly corroborative of that given by the Harbormaster up to the time of reaching the vessel's side)." I caught the rope thrown from the Seabird, and tried to get it around the forward thwart, but the strain came on the rope before I could do so, and deceased came forward tto help me ; I still had hold of the rope, and the deceased also had a hold of it. The boat then sheered off owing to tke weight of two of us in the bow, and it was in danger of going over. The Harbormaster then gave orders to "let go." I did so, but Harris did not, and he was pulled overboard, and the boat drifted about 100 yards from him, and we turned round, to make for him. We reached the spot where he sank a bout five or six minutes I after he was dragged out of the boat. He let go while we were turning around, to make for him. When we got to where he went down, I reached over the bow of the boat and tried to get hold of him, but he went down just before we got to the spot where he sank. I cannot swim. We waited about the place for about five minutes after he went down, but he did not rise. The Harbormaster, Wren, and myself then went on board the Sea Bird. By Mr Miller—The Capt. of the Sea Bird called out to Harris to let go when the boat sheered; the Harbormaster called out twice. If Harris had obeyed the orders given the accident would not hare happened. Never boarded a vessel before. By a juror—Believe he let go of the rope because he was dizzy through gome ! round three or four times; he was pulled I over me; the boat shipped some water — J but not much, two or three times. ! Richard Wren, sworn, deposed—He 1 was a laborer, and went with Capt/ Bayldon to the Sea Bird on September ! Ist. He was called by Mr Schofield. I When they got alongside a rope was thrown from the vessel, and was caught by Phipps, who was told to take a turn round the forward thwart, but he was unable to do so. Harris went forward and caught hold of the rope; witness also went forward and caught it. Capt. Bayldon then pulled in the steering oar, and caughttherope behind witness. While they had hold of the rope the boat went on her beam ends and threatened to oapsize. When they noticed this witness said, " She's going," and Capt. Bayl don said "Let go." They all let go but Harris, who was dragged over Phipps' hips. Deceased was in no way entangled in the rope. The boat sheared away four ar five yards from where Harris wa9 dragged overboard. While this was happening Harris turned over three or four times in the water, still clinging to the rope. Capt. Bayldon said: "Hold on Harris, old man, and we'll get you." Deceased then let go of the rope, and they turned the boat and went after him, reaching where he sank just as he was going down. Phipps made a grab at him. as he went under the boat, buMmissed him. They stopped at the spot for socae minutes, but saw no more of him, By Sergt.-Major ]£iely—Harris had no orders to go forward, neither bad witness; both wpqt-of their own accord. The greatest distance between the two boats at any time waa not more than 100 yards. Could not say what speed the Sea Bird was going at, and did not notice what sail she had set. Besides throwing the life buoy, those on the Sea Bird did not attempt to render any assistance to. Harris, nor did witness think they could have done anything. Harris wa.3 chsigged between 150 and '200 yards. The sea was lumpy. Bj the jury—The rope could not have become entangled around Jsarr,^

men were looking over the bulwark? of the Sea Bird wben the accident occurred ; none of those in the boat were able to swim. By Mr Miller—The Sea Bird was to immediately the accident was observed. I believe Harris held on to the rope to save himself, thinking the boat was capsizing. I do not think more could have been done than waadone to save him. The inquiry was then adjourned to half"past two.

On resuming, « Captain W. A. Smith, of the Sea Bird, deposed—He passed the " fairway " buoy about four o'clock, the pilot boat came alongside within a few minutes of that time, and a rope was hove to it. Had shortened sail 20 minutes previously; when the pilot boat came up, was under mainsail, staysails, one jib, and topmast staysail, with the fore-topsail aback. Was certainly not travelling through the water more than three knots. Saw the. rope caught by those in the boat, and immediately afterwards the* hands in the boat went forward, throwing her out of trim, and causing her to shear off and nearly capsize. , Saw the deceased pulled out of the boat; only saw him once while he was being towed by the rope, and his head aud shoulders were then out of the water. That was a couple of seconds after he was pulled out of the boat. Saw him again about 25secs later; he had then let go the rope, and was in the wake of the ship. Witness threw a lifebuoy to him, but he missed it; the boat was then about 30 yards from him, and was making way towards him. Saw the boat reach the spot where Harris sunk a moment or two after he went down. Did not order his men to pull Harris in when he was holding the rope, as he did not have time ; would have*done so if it had been possible. He ordered the rope to be slackened when the boatmen were holding it, but for some reason the order was not obeyed. By Sergt. Major Kiely—lt would not have been prudent to slack out the rope when Harris was holding it. Most of the hands were looking on at the accident; but they were engaged taking in the. mainsail and rounding-to the ship when Harris was in £he water. Tide was flowing about two miles per hour, so the ship was moving 5 miles over the bottom. Harris was towed about 5 or 6 yards, when he let go, and the pilot boat was then about 20 yards from him. The crew of the pilot boat did not act as smartly as if they had been experienced seamen, and time was lost in this way. By Mr Miller—l brought the ship to as soon as I saw the accident. In my opinion all was done that it was possible to do to save Harris. I am not able to swim, so could 'not jump over after him. It is a common practice for pilots to board vessels under way, at even greater speed than what I was travelling at. I called out to the men in the pilot boat to let go when she was in danger of capsizing. By Mr Tizard—The rope was a, halfworn 2£in. coir rope.' By the jury—Harris should, in my | opinion have been able to hold on to the rope, which was the safest plan. The harbourmaster did not order me to heave to, or I would have done so. By the Coroner—Had the ship been going five or six knots, I would have rounded to to receive the pilot. I consider there was no risk in taking the pilot on.board. / '- .: \