1959-07-25 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1959.

COLLISION COURSE: AT LAST THE MEN IN CHARGE ON DISASTER NIGHT ARE FACE TO FACE

'Captain, why did you not save the log-books?"

ON one side of the courtroom sat Third Officer

Carstens in a shiny new uniform and a starched white collar. Despite his 26 years, he looked like an adolescent who wanted to bite his fingernails but did not dare. On the other side of the room was Captain Piero Calamai. He was in civilian clothes. His face had an unchanging, funereal expression. He supported his head by cupping his chin in the crook of his thumb and forefinger, resting his elbow on the arm of his chair.

Face to face, for the Brst time, were The two men on

whom rested the main for the galston, twe before, of the Hallan

burden

months luxury

→ Evon after, the liner Andrea Doria had plunged under the Atlantic wavos, and the last rascut ship had loft, the drama was not over. Now the scone switches to a panellad courtroom. No longer are the caplains and officers on the bridge. They are in the witness-bax to explain and dolond what they did

on the night a great ship died.

by ALVIN MOBCOW

liner Andeva Doria and the preliminary establishment Line for the loss of the Doria. Aueriran-Swedish Line's mare of facts before the full tital was

held.

ful, yacht-bite Stockholm.

The Andrea Doria gok. The Stockholm had her low smacked

in. A 51 people died.

Now, in The courtroom in New York, was the time of reckoning, of explanation, nd Justification, Technically the

In the event, the "die covery" developed into a full neale battle between the Italian Lue and the American-Swedish Line, The Italia Line

claimed

The

proceedings were a "discovery" £10,000.000 from the Swedish involved.

The ease became a courtroom battle between the two attorneys for the Italian and Swedish companies, who, of course, had

out slake,

DRAWING MY

JOHN WONBLEY

The crash

asked the captain about the use of radar on the Andrea Doria.

"Captain Calamat, had you yourself had any special train- ing in the use of rodat?"

of radar?"

The vital document tell in pleces on the floor...

slocky, forceful lawyer whosę, seemed to shout his answer. table more than 20ft from the rapid-Are cross-examination "He is more interested in the witness-box, pointed his index was often punctuated by a surrounding things than in the finger at the end of his ex- rapier wil.

compass."

tended right arm and shouted: "You mean, he is not a goodi "I suggest to you, Mr Witness, wheelman, don't you?" he that the reason you found i "No," came The Immediate lawyer shouted neross the court- necessary to show your red light answer. rooms

(port side of the ship) more · "Had Captain Franchini (the "He is when he wants to be,' elly was that the Andrea Andrea Doria's second officer] retorted Carstens petulanity. Doria was actually dead ahead asu special training in the use or a little on your starboord bow! Isn't that a fact?"

"I don't think so." "No," sald Carstens flatly.

Had up one

of the three Carstens admitted that after ußeers on the bridge plotted the bis first 20 odd degree turn to radar observations of the on- the right he took his eyes off coming Stockholm? the Aruirea Doria in order to No, was the answer, it was a answer the telephone.

paratiel course and it was Tot He did not see the Andrea necessary.” Doria turning to the left uni it was too late and then he ordered an emergency bard right turn and full astern. "Have you ever

10

the

took him

'Hard to say'

CHARLES 8. HAIGHT, who Perched erectly In Itte witness Swedlch Line denied represented the Swedish Line, box. Carsters, who had been the liability, and counter-sued for was a tali, soft-spokes, con- only officer on the bridge of the £800,000 to cover, repairs to the trafled man of impeccable Stockholm at the time of the Stockilolm, and loss of business Imghners whose dogged persist- collision, walted to give his, while the ship WBS out of Thee in research and thorough ecount of the night's events. action. And not only money questioning of

Haight witnesses WLS

This was the first break in the swiftly was at stake. So were the re- matched “only by his extreme through the events lending up witness's armour, ani the pulations of the two shipping politeness in the courtroom.

collision. Carstens Italian Line attorney hammered lines-and that of the officers Representing the Tulian Line, described how he plotted the away at it.

EUGENE UNDERWOOD was a

Carstens conceded that he had been obliged that night to keep a close eyg on his helms- man, but be Insisted al the same time that Larsen did not allow the ship to yaw more than

One of the most controversial two or three degrees from the

calculated aspects of the hearing was what set coUTRE.

This wat typical of the verbal stern of the Andrea Doria If the Andrea Doria.

how far you would have passed had happened to the logbooks of battle which raged for more you hnd than

No! changed your Tn the exchange of documents four full court days rudder at all?" asked between the 20-year-old junlor wood.

Under before the hearing, the Italian Line informed the court that all fleer and the 63-year-old lawyer.

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Dorla's course on his radar until he first saw her manthend lights, 1.8 to 1.9 miles away, 20 degrees to his left.

He ordered a 11171 10 slar board widen the passing distance. He went insitie the wheelhouse 103 answer a teln. phone call, in which his crow's nest lookout reported the lights. When he returned to the wing of the bridge, the uther ship had cut across his bow. Seeing that the ships were about to collide, he ordered a hard starboard rudder and put the engine telegraph on FULL SPEED ASTERN... Then came the collision.

'No signal?'

Haight concluded his direct examination, gaying, *Thank you. Mr Carstens. That is all the questions I have."

The books

:

"I have not calculated it, but the important logs went down Ilve They clashed on the subject Carstens

thought about it," with the ship. annwered refully. The only papers saved were of the weather. " was yori-, "and 1 should not have passed the captain's secounting Jog, two able cloudiness," said Casters. astern of her: 1 should have secret books of the North Atinn-

"Where was the cloudiness?" passed right into her."

usired Underwood,

Unflinching

were there and I would ke master of the Stockholm, gave

"It is hard to say."

*Y

apprcolate that it may

be

difficult for you to kay." Underwood asserted, "but you

you to tell us."

They changed all over

Bley. nos."

The lawyer

When Captain

Neizerson,

evidence, he was unflinching In

the

tic

Treaty Orgitisation the complete file of the crew's sail- ing papers and a strip of the ship's course recorter graph, the Italian Liae reported.

It was changing cloud his defence of his third officer. logbooks had been saved

the

But the tallan Line offices in New York and in Genua had

Fire tokl

newspapers shortly after the collision that all tho The young officer pushed

and Carstens, he said, had done himself up from the winess-

nothing wrong on the night or had been sent in a diplomatic chair and bad slipped half after question fur further de

pred question the collision.

courier's pouch from New York was mut of the witness-box pils, and Carstens sakk her right to wait until he saw with hearing, Captain Calamal told,

to Genon. The young officer bad every when Special Master Rifkind, side of his ship was bright his own eyes the tights of

When asked about this at the presiding the first day, com- lighted for some six or seven other ship two miles away be- manded,

"Reading the newspapers, meng "Slay

you nics by an almost full noon fore changing where are!"

which cast

the many inexact things 1, also course on the long beam of Stockholm, sald the captainT.- J

noticed this. Carstens sank back into the yellow light on the water.

But I prestared chair, le realising then that

that what the newspapers re- To the left of his ship.

know," he said, "that you ported as to the saved logbooks,

were the seamen's passports." also Navigational logs are of course of primary Importance in an attempt to reconstruct a marine disaster. They reveal the courses plotted, and help to manded, did he nat sce the us not shown any incompetence determine the slips true pod

ilon immediately before toll- in handling the ship." other ship?

fon. And that is crucial to Why was the captain him- allocating responsibility. be

stif not on the bridget naked the Italian Line's lawyer,

All

he would be undergoing two full was black. No, it was not for weeks of cross-examination by it was just the black of night other, lean friendly, lawyere. tine.

Eugene Unterwood stood be- hind the second table In the front of the

courtroom and stared at the young witness for a moment protracted in the silence of the courtroom. Carsiens Adgeted but managed to meet the stare of the man facing him, The Italian Line attorney launched its cross-examination with an attack.

The lights

Why

Wien, the lawyer do.

Jights of the Masthead lighie should seen at least five miles OIT. "What do you think obecured her lights?" the lawyer asked. "I'm also wondering about

came the ingerwou

"Is it correct that you did not that," sound any whistle stimal before answer. the callision?"

Yes.

"No fog.algual?"

"No."

"No passing signot?"

"No."

"NO signal to Indicate

change of course?"

"No."

a

"Do you know that it was tog?"

being too young, and you called him inexperienced.

blame Curstens-Johansen for

IN

A

But, on the other hand, there difference between M- experience and incompetence.

And as Tar as I can see, he

Weary

There was no particular renson, noid Nordenson, avly the could not have been on the the time of Uc

"There WUS no fog around bridge at me," Carstens insisted.

vollision. "What do you think was He was in good health, not too around her (the Andree Doria) tired, and he had not been that obscured her lights und drinking. He went to his roam she got so close that she was simply to work on some papers less than two miles away?

shad he *wak there aittimų:

Captain Colonel explained how the logbooks caine tb ba left on the staking ship. At about 2.30 In the meaning ho hat given the general order, "Save the books."

He had said those woíðá, he remembered, but to no in particular. Yht Officer Oneto and · Thirð. Oflger. Badano were dear by on the bridge, and he had kasnied one or the other wobid sdo tó the books.

He himself had gone Blowh to

When you went to noulical "Well," sald Carstens, " standby" so that he could be his cabin and had carried the school, did they teach you the could have been a patch of for enfled it needed in a matter of two NATO books and his own Rules of the Road?" The that was laying over un

the seconds. He had not retired for logbook up to the bridge, where sarcasm hung in the air as the port side."

the night.

ho had given them to Mario Swedish Interpreter translated. "Were you not worried at that

Carstens explained that he time as to why you did not see, have one officer on watch when

Why did the Stockholm only Maracel, an officer cadet. knew that Rule 20 called for a the vessel's lights?" asked most Transatlantic liners used.

one-blhat signal to indicate a Underwood. turn to starboard

stid.

Jawyer

"There are many ship lights ? the captain was asked." But that was only true when you don't see before four or five

Simply because that was the ~a~elak-of-collision existed he-miles Carstens suht

policy

and mouetler of the When he turned tho TBC Italian Line

Swedish Line. Unter question Stockholm atarboard, It Want sought to more that the Stock Captain Nordenson admitted only to wides an already safe holm was approaching fog, that that two officers on watch would

the watch öffler should

be better than one but that one boen aware of it, and he should a bridge watch by himself.

have officer comit adequately handle have reduced the speed of the Stuckhom

passing distance.

Why, Why...?

Hurt m.

Fallen

or a man, to have gone back

Later Badano had atked the cadet. "Do you have the books?" meaning the deck Toyook. The cadet repiled "Yes" "mean- in the NATO books

The decks logbook must have fallen to the floor of the charl room in the midst of o stack Then it was the turn of the of paper at the time of the Carstens greed with Under- But Carstens

Italian Line to put their case, collision, the captain said. Insisted there Captain Calamat, master of the wood that his duties included the might have been a mall patch Andrea Doris was their main ship'a books had not been After you learned that the checking of the helmsman's of fog to his port but there was steering.

in witness. He testled Tow, taken from the ship," Haight no sign of general fog around almost inaudible, monosyllables. aed, ki it have been How often did he check the his ship. He had looked up at Hh weary manner was that of possibile: for a man, an

officer heimanan? It varied according his masthead lights for signs of one who had been through go to the man on the helm.

What about Peder Laract, the saw none.

fog or mist about the lights, but much that nothing more could abound the ship to get the wheelman at the line of tho

ship's books mud documents?" collision? The question avemed He explained again and again Swiftly and expertly, Under-

It was one of the few times to flow in the normal stream of that the Stockholm could be Wood Ted Captain Calamai in a

Captain, Cxfvist loaned før- Iriquiry but the answer took the manoeuvred or stopped dead in recitation of the events leading,

ward in his chair, "Today (1 courtroom by matrise,

the water in less than a mile to the collision; how the -can say yes, brosuse sun ship

Front * Jave to "deckt lilin very and so he waited until he saw Stockholm had been elghted on

down at 10 aʻaleski- often,” Cacaleña lurted, sidp- the other ship's lights with his tndar 17 miles away and slightly

four and a half betíra after PIEK

Garret Himself, own eyes before changing to the right of the Doria mar had left the ship), the "Täher often. when I pas course,

kad maintained a course which cmplain vald intensely. by every thind

Fourth Carstens sold that. iter would have resulted in a safe "But at that moment I didn't' time."

villy sighting the Andrés Starboard-to-starboard passing if know if the ship would go down “Why did you have to check Doria, about 20 degrees to Hils the Stickholm, without mulding immediately.** zło paused and hân often?" came the next sort, he turned his ship some 22 any simal, had not turied then softly addicti, .."I was.......20 questions, Caraters decrees to starboard to increne suddenly to her right and lato shocked by the tragedy, that is fumbled with the answer and the sing distance and loʻgive the hull of the Dorla.

why I didn't: even think," Underwood said, "Fiege sphale, the other ship a better chance But the Swedish Lane's at- up.”

to ore the eest light shinkar on temnoy did not accept; tala: ver- Unable to control the modula- time, post side of the Stockholm, gion. Haight, after warming up" tion of lile voice, the withem Underwood, standing at his with some preliminary questions,

Exc

to

Haight presented the deptáld's qorounting tog ta hân, Ing which the only entry żor the day of the (Coniunded om lagu '2)