14.
EVIDENCE OF ARTHUR GEORGE GROVES INSPECTOR OF POLICE SWORN.
49
My name is Arthur George Groves and I am an Insector
of Police attached to the Water Front Searching Unit. The
duties of the unit are in the main anti-piracy precautions
and we search the ship first and then return to the wharf
and seach passengers or anyone else boarding the ship. The
search is carried out at the wharf entrance. We also
search passengers baggage for arms. I arrived at the wharf
at 3.0 P.M. on the day in question with a party of 12 men
and 2 female searchers. The search was carefully regulated.
At about 6.45 P.M. I stopped further entry to the wharf and
allowed drums of oil to be removed from the wharf. At about
7.05 P.M. Chinese came up to me and said the ship was on
fire. I shouted to 2 or 3 of my men from the gate and
looked into the after port cargo port and saw through the
mass of passengers a flame shoot up from the starboard
side of the ship. I told my men to phone for the fire brigade and went down the ramp leadingfinto the port after
cargo port.
Immediately a stampede occurred and I was busy
helping the people up the ramp. After 2 or 3 minutes
smoke came out from the ship's side. I was assisted in
my efforts by several Revenue Officers who remained vi th
me the whole time. Due to the smoke we were forced back
on to the wharf. The smoke was white which came down in
billows forming a fog which obscured the vessel's side.
After about 30 seconds the smoke cleared and I went down
the ramp again. After 2 or 3 minutes we got the flow of
people going comfortably when my attention was drawn by
one of the Revenue officers to a mass of people who were
in the water near the ramp. I then left the ramp and went
to the assistance of these people and with help from the
top of the wharf I was able to pull out of the water about