CHINA
NOVEMBER 3, 1989
NEW MATHILDE INQUIRY RESUMED: CARPENTER ON SOUNDINGS IN BILGES
THE WAY OF THAT THE S.S. NEW MATHILDE was part of the time
A MOUNTIE
(Continued from Page 16)
at once. How long? Twenty min- utes? Very good."
He put up the receiver, and turn- ed to the corporal.
"I never like losing a good man, Reid, and I'm not going to lose one now," he said bluntly.
"But, sir__”.
"Wait for twenty minutes," said the Inspector, and got on with his work, taking no more notice of the puzzled corporal.
Before the full twenty minutes had elapsed the door opened and Helen Cameron entered.
The Inspector rose, and smiled.
for
"You will appear as witness the Crown, Miss Cameron?"
The girl's eyes were bright and there was a smile playing round her lips.
"Yes, sir. that--"
Of course, I can't
say
The Inspector silenced her raising a hand.
touching the bank of the river with her stern while anchored off Fort Bayard, and that she had a slight list while proceeding down river, which increased gradual- ly as the ship sailed from Kwong Chow Wan was stated by witnesses at the Marine Court of Inquiry into the sinking of the ship on October 21.
CAPTAIN KIRBY, SECRETARY OF THE CHINA COAST OFFICERS' GUILD, ADDRESSED THE COURT WHEN THE INQUIRY WAS RE- SUMED: "WILL THE COURT TAKE COGNISANCE OF THE FACT THAT THE EVIDENCE OF THE LAST WITNESS, WHO PERFORM- ED THE DUTIES OF SECOND OFFICER, WAS GIVEN WHOLLY IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND THROUGH AN INTER- PRETER?" TO WHICH COMMANDER HOLE REPLIED: "THE
M.
On behalf of the Navigators and General Insurance Company, Limit- ed, the interests of Captain R. Wherry are in the hands of Mr. D. L. Strellet. After Captain Kirby's intervention, the ship's carpenter, Chee Chung, entered the witness-box.
of the bilge on which showed three feet. I imme- the starboard side dlately went to call the Captain."
Pag
NEW POWERS TO BORROW
London, To-day.
The Chancellor of the Exche. quer in to ask for new powers/as. Treasury seas .fit, for new bor- rowing in the present.. financial year, as well as an added sum of £250,000,000 --Reuter.
took soundings at 6.30 a.m. the ship the ship was turned round, list on the
was off Nam Chau Lighthouse. "When -
starboard side was noticed."
the starboard side is not consistent Mr. Strellet: "Taking soundings on with a list on the port side."
Commander Hole: "It seems to me a complete fabrication."
PURSER'S EVIDENCE
COURT KNOWS THAT."
Chan Kwai-lam, purser, said: "The The Inquiry was presided over by
ship left at 4.30 a.m. and when about- Commander G. F. Hole, with Lieu-
Chau, the list to starboard increased, 32 miles from Fort Bayard, near Nam tenant Commander W. K. Kirby, of H. M. Dockyard, Captain K. D. Lane,
at about 8.30 a.m. Half an hour lat- of s.s. Raby Castle; Captain D.
LIST TO PORT?
er, I concluded that the situation was Hood, of s.s. Hong Kheng, and Cap-you as extraordinary that the list was went to the Bridge and asked the Commander Hole: "Did it not strike dangerous as the list was heavy, so I tain E. Walker of s.s. Haitan.
flowed on the starboard side?"-"No, had been informed. to port and yet the bilges had over- Chief Boatswain whether the Captain the ship was beginning to settle and replied that the Captain had been The Boatswain was almost upright again."
told. I then went to the Captain's ca- go from the port side was shifted
Witness continued: "At 9 a.m., car-bfn and saw he was still sleeping. I the starboard side, and the ship
to was followed by the carpenter. be-Captain got up at once and proceed- came upright at about 9.25 am. After ed to the bridge. At 9.20 a.m., orders again on the starboard side and found overboard. calling the captain, I took soundings were given for all pigs to be thrown an increase to six feet.
All the cargo portholes panied, by the purser, I went again.
Then accom- had been closed." to call the Captain. The Captain went to the bridge and I went to help shift the cargo."
In reply to questions by Mr. Strel-with let, witness said that when he Arst
a.m.
THE SOUNDINGS
He said: "Between 3 a.m. and 4 on October 21, standby orders were given to haul up the anchor. At 6.30 a.m. I took the soundings of the bilges and the
tanks. There were eight feet, five inches in the fore peak tank and three inches in by No. 2 tank.
the No. 1 bilge showed seven inches on the starboard and
me A
"That process is the worry of the legal minds. Not mine. Now, Miss Cameron, I want you to do
great favour, if you will?”
"Of course, but 1-"-
The Inspector held out Reid's resignation:
"Read that letter, and then tear it up. You see, officially I don't want ever to have seen it."
The girl's hands trembled as she read the letter, and slowly she turn- ed to Bob Reid.
"But why, Bob? Surely- She started. "Then you don't know!"
The Inspector's smile spread; "Perhaps you had better tell him, Miss Cameron."
The corporal stared. The girl went to him and deliberately tore his letter of resignation across twice.
"Bob Reid," she said, "if you had given yourself time to make only one inquiry you would have heard that Constable White found that Eskimo, Ungab, and the man confessed to killing my stepfather. The statement has been proved by comparison be tween the bullet and Ungab's gun. Apparently my stepfather tricked the Eskimo of some money, and Ungab carried his grudge to the limit of murder. But I am wanted as а Crown witness."
A happy light stole Mountie's face.
into the
"Helen! Then there won't be any trial, no rotten publicity and-"
"Forget it, Bob. It was just a bad dream.”
The Inspector coughed discreetly. "I should say those days, you. were down with fever, Reid, were just the time necessary for White to catch up with that Eskimo and get his story. Of course, you did a good job. and under less fortunate cir- cumstances there might have been a sergeant's stripe as some consola-. tioner-yes. But as it is I rather think you've gained something a da a-er considerably more to be valued than another stripe. course, I shall see you get fourteen days' furlough after your trip."-
"Thank you, sir."
"Don't thank me thank your er-prisoner. And don't be damned formal with her
With which
words
turned his back.
Of
80
fully
port sides; No. 2 bilge showed Alve inches on the port side and three inches on the starboard side. The aft peak tank showed seven feet, and the ballast tank in the engine room showed three feet, six inches.
"The soundings were the same as taken the day previously. The No. 4 tank showed two feet on the
port starboard side. No. 5 tank was full, side and two feet nine inches_pn the After taking the soundings, I chalk- I returned to r ed them on the board on the bridge. my cabin at "7 a.m. and at 8 a.m. had my breakfast.
"At 9 a.m. I noticed a list to port. A slight list to port was noticed while proceeding down river after leaving Fort. Bayard, but this had increased, so I again took soundings, which turn-
ed out to be the same as taken at 6.30 the cargo was ordered to be shifted. a.m. The list increased and some of
At 9.25 a.m., I took soundings again
Rose Room
PENINSULA HOTEL
The
UNCOMFORTABLE LIST "At Fort Bayard, the ship was for Chief Engineer Peter B. Allan said:
port of the time touching the bank its stern. The ship sailed at (Continued on Page 20)
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