56093-1918-Finding-of-the-Marine-Court-of-Enquiry-into-the-charges-against-Mr-N-G-Majer — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, FEBRUARY 8, 1918.

No. 53. The following Finding of the Marine Court of Inquiry held on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th and 30th January, 1918, to enquire into the circumstances of misconduct and disobedience of lawful orders on the part of Mr. N. G. MAJER, Chief Officer of the British Steamship Manapouri, is published for general information.

FINDING.

We find that the Steamship Manapouri, Official No. 75229 of Shanghai of whom MONTAGU B. WILSON, Official No. of Certificate 026699 of Liverpool was Master left Hongkong on a voyage to Saigon and at noon on the 12th November, was estimated by D. R. to be N. E. of Pulo Kambir some 20 miles. During the Master's temporary absence from the Bridge for tiffin the Chief Officer sighted discoloured water and altered course to S. E.

After doing so he took no steps to inform the Master at the time nor did he enter this alteration of course in the Rough Log, both of which it was his duty to do.

At 1.30 p.m. the Master returned to the Bridge from tiffin and the Chief Officer and 2nd Officer then alleged that he appeared to be under the influence of liquor. The Court can find no evidence of this in the actions of the Master. Up to 4 p.m. the navigation of the ship was carried out to make the land in the usual way and when the land was sighted the course was altered as necessary and a cast of the lead taken. The Court are satisfied that the Master actually gave the orders for this cast of the lead.

At 4 p.m. the ship was brought up to the wind N. E. the engines put to slow by order of the Master. From 4 to 6 p.m. the Chief Officer was in charge of the watch and he alleged that the Master became more and more, drunk, and that some time before 6 p.m. he the Chief Officer saw a large steamer painted lead colour light in the water with her propeller well out of the water crossing the bow from starboard to port and that he asked the Master's permission to port so as to clear her which was eventually given. The Master denies this or that he ever saw the ship. This is borne out by Mrs. WILSON'S evidence who was on the Bridge and saw the steamer when she passed on the portside. (But said Captain WILSON was not there.) The Court cannot understand why the Chief Officer in charge of the watch should have considered it necessary to ask the Master's permission to port in order to clear a steamer that it was obviously his duty to give way to as Officer of the watch. So that up to 6 p.m. it seems to the Court that there was nothing abnormal in the Master's behaviour. From 6 to 8 p.m. there is a considerable discrepancy in the times given in the various evidence by the Master, Mrs. WILSON, Chief Officer, and 2nd Officer. But sometime between 6.30 p.m. and 7.45 p.m. a white light was reported by the 2nd Officer to the Master, who according to the evidence walked across the deck from starboard to port and had this light pointed out to him. The Master then told the 2nd Officer to go below for a spell. Shortly after this the Chief Officer rushed up on the Bridge as the result of being urgently requested to do so by the 2nd Officer, and reported a white and green light on the port bow saying at the same time 'She will crash into us'. The Master answered 'No, it is a stern light', and ordered the helm to be starboarded. The Court consider this order was quite unneces- sary. Before this order could have been carried out the Chief Officer rushed to the wheel and put it hard aport, and then sent for the 2nd Officer who when he arrived on the Bridge was told to keep the helm hard aport. The Chief Officer then rang up full speed ahead on the engines. The Court are of opinion that this action by the Chief Officer of porting across a steamer which he estimated at between 200 and 300 yards showing white and green light 3 points on port bow was wrong as it would bring the Manapouri broadside on to the crossing ship, the worst possible position for a collision which was then inevitable if this steamer was showing a white and green light and was the distance off as sworn to by defendant. The only proper thing then to do was to go full speed astern.

After thus taking charge of the ship out of the Master's hands, defendant swung the ship around through S.S.W. and steadied on W.N.W., and it appears that the ship was steered on this course steaming slow for some considerable time probably about 2 hours unwatched and running towards the land, and it was only when the Master again with consent of defendant took charge that the mistake in the course was discovered, and the course was then altered by the Master to N.E. at about 8.45 p.m.

Now when the ship was heading S.S.W. the 2nd Officer saw the steamer light which caused all the trouble, bearing on the port quarter, that is still practically bearing N.E.

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