1923-09-14 — Page 4

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LOSS OF THE LOONGSANG." WAS THERE NEGLIGENCE !

WHY THE LOONGSANG AWAS

| NOT 'IS, | DOCK,"

The Inquiry into the foundering of the Indo-China Steain Navigation Company's

;

This, concluded Mr. Davidson, was the chief story of the disaster. Details would he supplied by the Captain and the First Offer the only officers saved.

Captain Percy Jowitt, master of the

023.

1,

What is the gruss loanggo of this ship ?--| The gross tonnage is 17,000

Then the minimum lougth sitnije, would be 1.15 Under shut they would be

iciens Y

Mr. Davidson re-examined witning on the quation of the cable and asked hini. whether the fact that they did not quito come up to the standard required by the Board of Trude béfnen Issuing a passenger licone necessarily meant that they render. el ship unseaworthy I-Witness, replied with a decided negative,

Ships that do not have passenger certi- fentes (contimed Mr. Davidsany do nas have their chains surveyeil ?--They, da, aut undergo suPVPY",

by 2/16, and was that amourt under the requivenwuts of the Board of Trade when granting a passenger certifiente. The is ficiency was very slight, and the cables were quite steng duough tà hold the ship, Mr. Hall Brattons With regard to sun, was the first witness. His evilence was mainly corroborative. With these rubley-wouh! you enden the or ill-fated, x.s. Loongsang was opened at to the paying out of its fathoms would you not --Witars: They were no on the stardboard cables, and only 30 rammed to be put into press They the Harbour Office resterday morning. fathoms on the port cable, he explained were very little below what they should

The Court was composed of Commander that the object of this was to steady have been, CW. Beckwith, R.V. (President), Lient, in chip in case of sheering, sines he had!

Mr. Davidsou: What is described, then, Commander R. Ramshotham H3LS!

no rudder. Also, if the wind changed:

deficient merely means that, this chains Dowrite: Captain A. 4. Hailey, "master he was able to pay out more cable at of the Empress of l'anada: Captain R. N. hort notice. In his opinion the Luong,

do not quite come up to the standard de manded betere a passenger certificate is Hodgson, master of the Bhraenor; and started to drift at about 9.30 a.m.

Is it a deficient calle, or is is a semne granted which will allow a ship le cures Captain G. H. Pennefather, master of the she dragged a little, and as he was talk

passengers in any part of the world teru Kulgan.

ing to the Chief Officer he felt a distinct cable it is sound enough to all muuts

anal purposes, Mr. E. David apponrad on behalf of hock. The unmediately proceeded to the Mr. Davisca, 're examining, asked wit! period of twelve months That is so.

This courluded the nvidence, ** the hido-Chinn S.N. Co.; Mr. G. K. Hall rtuge, and found that they were "iness to saswer his next question as a pri a large ship, and that the vate diyishaal with a Kiwerigiva CABINE

Alr. Lewis, addressing the Court on bei Brutton represented; the China Coast tuen: with

Knowing what you know the study half of the "Captain, said he had very It had been abundantly Officers Guild, the Marine Engineers Langsung was scraping down her side.

After ordering all humus to put on life atter you bad exammen the cables whittle to say. Guild of Ching, the crow, and the re tests, he neededed to the locastle, deck would you have done if you had been as shown that the Captain had behaved in a latives of the deceased and Mr. D. J. with the boatswain and the Third Officer we of the gsing on August fit thoroughly capable manner, and bad, duno The port anchor was top, which, however, was alweds fie had done all that could be stone to seve Lewis, watebed the interests of Captain and found that the starboard cable was witness disputed the fates of the qug his inty well. He and the officers aut min

asaging Slack.

the ship then replied that he would have done the the bip; the best anchorage possible had Jowett, master of the Loongeing.

being dragged along with Before narrating the story of the Together with the Third Officer and theme as Captain dowits dat, and taken been chosen in Kowloon Bay, and all pro

cumstances. Mr. R. Sutherland, Aanager of the Indus disaster, Mr. Davidson reminded the boatswain he attempted to pay out the her out to the anelmenge in Kowloon Bayer priations had been taken ill pro enste on the port anchor, but they were China Steamship Co, gave evdener Mr. Hall Bruttön autressed the Court Court that the hugsung WAS unable to hold it and the whole thing

registered tous, carried away. He returned to the bridge garding the steps taksi ater it was knowl

appled which the Court was convened that dealt. He warratet passenger ship ordinarily in time to see his port anchor scrape that they was in difficulties, or that section of the Ordinance unde Naval Yard for assistaker how with loss of life on board ship. They employed on the run between" Hongkong down the side of a medium-sized ship the and Manila, The passenger certificate, doing her damage amidships. They went launches were sent me when the fory of had had evidence, he said, to the effect issued to her in 1922, expired on July past her like a flash," travelling at the storm has abated, and how Chinese that the Loungeany was undergoing 6th, 19. This certificate indicated that very fast pace. she then ordered the bodies were picked up in surrounding lengthy survey in Kowloors Duck, and “

aul "taken out to sea in order to make the vessel was passed as fit for passenger cren to the port side of the bridge deck, islands during a search made on the follow-that she had been removed from dark trafe in any part of the world for the ns be considered that the safest part of sng day Reatton: How many casualties | way for the gunboat Patria. It was lo

Mr. Hall space of twelve months. She arrived in the ship. He was on the bridge in time Hongkong from hee Inst voyage a week to see the third and last collision with were there.-Witness: The Second Cire concern of his who was responsible.

in this collision the was drowned, the Second Engineer and his after the expiration of her certificate. the oil-tanker.

but he did submit that it was here that It was necessary, therefore, that she bridge of the tanker was carried away, wife were drowned, the Third Officer was whether it was the owners, the Dockyard should undergo a new survey for the pur and the Lounging took a heavy list, drowned, the Third Engineer was drowned. authorities, or the officers of the shi was taken to Kowloon Ttock and her weather was very thick, and hecould not drowned-these bust out of a total of 24 \ two days before that a typhoon was pose of renewal of the certificate. She almost standing on her beam-ends. The and about nine urten Chinese were the first negligence arose. It was known

stetner of 1.092

She was

survey,

be how

Mr. Brutton: Would it not have been

engines were dismantled for engineer forty yards ahead. The Longrange,

On July 18th she went into stern was swang round and he knew an ordinary prauation, considering all the travelling in the direction of Hongkong dock for a survey. As a result of this by this that the bows were touching the sirensauce, to remove the crew what at a certain speed and that if it contibued survey it was apparent that certain re-bottom, He went to the high side of would there boardtr. Sather in the same coure it would strike

nautical man's point of view, but it 18th It was known, too, that the dr. pairs would have to be effected. She was the bridge and saw a mumber of the crew and replied that he could not speak from near the Colony on the morning of the to have gone into No. 3 Dock. but, un-washed overboard. That was the last he seemed to him that there was a good deal pression was getting more severe, and fortunately as it turned out, this dock saw of the Second Engineer and Mrs. the men could do. There was the making that the area covered by the typhoon With the aid of the Third; inst of the ship generally, the paying out was getting smaller. Yet, in spite of this, was reserved for the gunboat. Patrin, Barrow, These repairs were not to take long, and Officer he tried to throw them a box to of cables, the furling of awnings, the bar and with signals even then dying from meanwhile the Lounging was towed out, cling to, but failed. He then heard tening flown of hatches, the lowering of the Observatory, the Langsang, with no This was on the morning of the 17th, and rending and tearing sound down below, bauty and, as there were about twenty rudder and so stein, was taken out of as the towing was in progress the red and he preaurued that the engine-room other real in the Bay at the same time. a perfectly safe dock to make roof for The Second he should think the men would be of use a boat that wits going in merely to he signal was hoisted. At 1.20 the black bulkhead bad given way. signal was hoisted, the arrangements Officer was on the pop at his station in fending the Enangsany of other ships, painted, a boat that had plenty of steam and, generally, conserving the vessel's and was quite capable of weathering the were made for the Loungsany to be towed till the last. by the tug Hearg Kecick to Kowloon The life-saving apparatus on the Luong safety. Bay. She was moored there in any was in good condition, but in those anchorage deemed by her captain and heavy seas it was impossible to lower a the captain of the Herry Keswick to be boat. Apart from the fact that she was the safeat possible. When moored, she dismantled for survey, the Louga

well-found and sea-worthy ship paid 10 fathoms of cable on the star-was board ancher, and 30 fathoms on the At the time of the disaster there were port anchar. The water at this point thirty-five members of the Chinese crew was fathoms. She lay safely all on board-all the deck hands, all the ste-] night. Early next morning it com- wurds, and a donkey-man. menced to blow hard. The officers slept With reference to the cables, these on deck and were awake and ready for passed a survey in 1999, and up till the aug emergency at 5.30 am. The First, last were quite satisfactory.

Mr. GR. Hall Brutton (cross Officer personally superintended the fur- ling of the annings, the securing of the examining): You know on August 18th boat, and the carrying out of everything a typhoon was approaching Hongkong?

Witness: Yes, the distant signals possible to make the ship safe. He also

Mr. Bention reminded Mr. Sutherland storm when it came: But no, she was that if the crew were taken off there would put into the dock, and the Leangen. be no need for the lowering of bont, and helpless and dismantled, was towed inte all the other precautions roull have been Kowloon Bay and left to her fate, fu tuken before. With regard to fending off the sake of saving a day's dock rent other ships, fire hundred men, would have Had the Fong been left where she and all those valuable lives which, bud trees of no use; they end not sheer other was, she would have been affont today. vessels off with their hands.

Captain Wheeler, Marino Superintendent been lest would be safe. The negligencs of the Indo-China Stram Navigation Com- as the greater when the condition of

the ill-fatel vessel was considered.

She pany, was the next witness,

Mr. Davidson (examining): It has been was solely dependent upon deficient suggested that the Lovagsang should not cables to ride out the storm, and, in the have had a row aboard on the night of state of diamant'ement in which she was. the 17th August, before the typhoon In was nothing more nor less than a simile perly have been sent to that station merely The second point where negligence

nur pinion, as an expert, could she pro- hull. with an anchor watch aboard I-Witness cccurred lay in the fact that, though it,

the officers and crew were there to look

ous.

ascertained that there was 75 pounds of were ap

Did you protest in any way at being replied that such a course would have was known that the typhoon was fable amounted to gross neglect of the Comto strike the Colony within a few hours. steam on the donkey-engine. As far as could be seen, the ship held her position sent out of the dock-No, not till I was pany's property. He went on to say that the crew were not taken off. They were till 0.30 a.m., when the wind was blowing, cut.

after this property, and to take them off told that, among other things, they can'd with hurricane force. Alter. that she Pressed on the point, witness enn-

I came out of lock at 11.30 when that property seemed to be in most put out cables, but the evidence showed must have dragged, but it was extremely tinued:

was that connected with the port anchor. difficult for those on board to know and then, we were actually nevel of being looked after would be ridicul them that the only cable they had tonehou what happeard owing to the extretas moving. the local signals went up. In

Mr. Davidemu What world these men and this they had lost. It has been states the afternoon 1 went along intending to violence of the wind.

A little before ten o'clock the ship bad cross to Honkong by the four o'clock he required to do? In the event of her that the condemnation of the cables wh leaving the anchorage the suggestion is merely applicable to passenger ships, init drifted as far as Channel Rocks, leaving ferry. I may Mr. — the s.s. Lunghe and the 4. Chin Mr. Hall Bratton: You are too pre that there would have been an earthy this was untrue. The regulations were As the passed these vessels aviour, Captain Jewitt. I mean at the use. Why should they be there it that ang ship of 17.000 gross tonnage re- what contingency may arise. For instance, cable was not that, and there severe shock was felt, and it was thought time you were going out, did you not new: In a typhean you can never tell quired a cable of 1.9-18 in. The Loung-

it wa

was necessary at one period stack of fore the Loongang could not be described that this indicated the moment when the protest --No.

Mr. Hall Brutton: Did you think it ship actually broke fose,

wise proceeding to take the ship into cables; that is work for qualified men. Its sonwerthy. If she was unsteworthy Kowloon Bay when her engines were dismay be teessary to heave in chains, alter she was not capable of looking after her- mantled, when she had no steam, and chains, get up a spare muchor (as in is self, and, if she was pot expable of that,

use for steam since she had no

might turn up.

board Captain Wheeler had told thum Mr. Davidson asked witness whether it was never the practice to take a crow

asteru.

The Chief Officer protrudel to the fore

castle deck to inspect the cables.

He

advanced as far as he dared in face of

rase of

railing. He found the starboard cable rüdder. Was it wise to allow the shi other thinking adrift), and a hundred she was unsafe för any cres to be on

the wind and looked over the starboard na

risk,

shelter

thing carried away. The next thing. Dutch boat at all till he woke up and, tailed questioned, witness stated that! signalled in the usual way, and ships

There

hanging up and down." At about the to leave the dock when she was in that knowing the condition of the Lounging off a ship when a typhoon was approach- same time he was conscious of another condition?--It is done every day in be considered it a safe course, to adapt to ing and the ship was capable of raising

send her to a typhoon

at Kowloon steam, but they had the case of the China. violent shock and a crash, The ship Hongkong.

Are you perfectly sure that the "ship Bay-Witness replied that this heeled heavily over to "starboard and he was thrown over the rail. The next thing was dragging, and that it was not that safest course that make the adott was She had no crew on board and no stat he remembered was waking up in the one of the cables, parted 1-That is a Brutton had remarket that five hundred The only person in charge was a ship- men could not sheer other ships off with keeper. He anked the Court to come to deck of a J.C.J.L. liner. The Laneysany question I cannot answer..

the side tiong had been taken there would havo had disappeared. The Captain had gone Re-examined by Mr. Davidson, witness their hands; that was perfectly true, but the conclusion that if the proper precnu- to the bridge and arrived there in time said he did not know when the cable did they could. pint out ferlers over, the been no losi of life.

and take other precautions.

Mr. Davidson then addressed" tho Mr. Davidson treated that it had bren to find a strange steamer across his own part.

Janies Stewart Musson, the Chief bows. The Longanny was scraping along the stranger's port side. Another shock was Officer, told, the Court how he went to suggestel it was wrong to send the Loong Court. With regard to Mr. Brutton's ay steam. Was it al in Hongkong he reminded the Court that every felt and the Captain ordered the crew the forecastle deck and saw to it, that ing to Kowloon Bay without her having first point about the typhoon warning, to get into life-belts. He himself went the cables were paid out, and that all the asked) to send ships out to typhoon typhoon coming within the neighbourhood forward to try and slack away the port was made fast. He went on to tell of helters when they had no steam, and cur of Hongkong and, signalled from the anchor. The Third Officer and the bant-ow there was a shock, the ship took a ing the typhoon season Witness replied Observatory here was at one time or an swain were there to help him, but they heavy list to port, and he was thrown int there was no other course to take other main in this direction. The last from the deck over the side. He added when ship was undergoing survey: it typhoon was not remarkable, excepting were unable to hold it. and the whole that he did not remember seeing the was a constant practice, and one that ene that it struck the Colonys. It was that occurred was that the Langs found himself on her deck. By that time

Farther callided with another ship. What hap the Longong had disappeared into the at the time

were about fifteen other took shelter in the usual way. But if pened then it would be impossible to driving rain.

vessun in Kowloon Bay, without steam, Mr. Bratton's idea were carried out it would mean that every time a typhoon state. The Captain saw to it personally Hall Bratton: There was no strain there were about ten at that particular signal went up all the ships which hap that all the crew were supplied with

at all on the port anchor cable I-Witnesa mement (when he was speaking).

pened to be without steam would have to life-belts and ordered them on to the

Mr. Hall Brutton: In what way do port side of the bridge-deck. He return To what do you ascribe the heck that consider it. possible to save a ship when go into dock. The idea was absurd and ed to the bridge, and the last collision threw you an to the deck of the other she has neither stram nor radder and a impossible, Mr. Brutton was mernly occurred-the collision which probably heat 1-The Channel Hucks,

typhoon strikes the Colony Witness being wise after the event,

With regard to the removal of the caused the sinking. The vessel drifted

Questioned as to the objret of having replied that the rudder did not enter intr across the bows of an oil-tanker, and the the short cable on the port side of the sin, the question at all, since, as she had no Lungaung from the No. 3 Dock, this sam stem of that ship sunk into the side of witness replied that the idea was that if steam, a rudder would have been useless, not done because the owners wisked to." the Loangsung between the Nos. 1 and the wind veered rond the anchor could further pressed witness said the ship was save a day's rent. Such a suggestion powerlew under was without steam. was ridiculous, The Patria nd backed hatches, abreast of the foremast.

let go, The quick in Groundwater, of the Henry Brution: Therefore she cannot save the Lock some time before, but unfortu Loungeung, after this, took a heavy. list

the strain on her cables-Witness: Have nately she had been delayed. Had she to port. Later, she righted herself, but herriek, also give evidence. her forward decks were awash, and it

Mr. Robert Hall Government Marine you over known that done? come at the proper time all would have Mr. Brutton replied that he had seen been wel, and this disaster would never was apparent to the Captain that she Surveyor, deposed that he had been in com ships easing off their tables in Hongkong have occurred. But this had nothing to was sinking. He left the bridge in complete charge of the Loongsung's Bursey, pany with the Third Ofices for the which was commenced in June. The gen- Harbour number of times, and so had do with the owners. They could not tell bridge deck, where he saw Mr. Barron, cral state of the vessel's hull was poor Captain Wheeler He then asked: Know the Dock Company that they mast put

nothing much WUS

ing these cables to be deficient, as you did the Patria in No. 4 Dock; they had to matter with Second Engineer, and his wife. They the boilers, but the flooring under the boil was it a proper thing to put that bin out do us the Dock authorities told them, had life-helts on, and he saw them go

themselves overboard. With the aid of the Third ers was the sont part of the bulkhead, thoro with the crew on board without and he the dock was alrandy booked by

There was nothing wrong with the rudder, means whatever of helping

the Patria there was only one course of Officer Capt. Jowitt attempted to throw but it had been taken off so that the ship Witness: Certainly on board, would it action for the Dock Company to take,

box overboard, in the hope of giving would fit into her dees

With

to Having left them on

No

the

regard.

Mr. and Mrs. Barron something to cling the cable, certain lengths of it were quite cut have born a propor hnd rodsonable and they took it

The bearing was adjourned ane die

to but the Captain himself was washed all right, but it had been recommended thing to have sent and, had them removed overboard, and nefer saw the Third Officer that three lengths of the port cable and when it known that the typhoon was Commander Beckwith again. The Captain saw the Third two lengths of the starboard cable be cut going to strike the Colony No Officer on the peop-deck-his post-right off and renewed. The cable was originally till the last

1 Inches in size, but it had worn down decide,

informing the

parties concerned that they would be Mr. Brattam That is for the Court to notified when the Court came to its

decision,