1928-07-10 — Page 12

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THE "KOCHOW" ENQUIRY.

[To The Editor of Hongkong Telegraph.]

to

TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1928.

go

which he alone should be held res ponsibla? Was the ship out of the deepest part of the channel when sho strunk? And if so, under what com bination of circumstances did she get there? What caused her to Flet and sink? The current alone, or

even

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But supposing: fist for the sake of End (if we include the condemnation hustration, that some impossible and ponailsation of the unhappy and paragon of a master did essay to try to-be-pitied mastor) one single definite it, and at the last spot, that happened result of all its labours, or justifica which all his proviens vigilance had tions for its raison d'etre. Everyone helped to bring about and made him knows that the stability of a ship is physically powerless avert. satisfactory when the cargo is pro- Sir-The primary object of every Would a discriminating Court acquit perly stowed! And that it was so Marine Enquiry now-a-days is, or him of what his foolishness had stowed is proved by the evidence; why ought to be, the determination of the occasioned, or ebademn him for the not let at that! causes of the casually under investi-action he had striven to avoid? To The all important question in a come gation and what recommendations aro concede those points is to surrender of stranding is, in my opinion, the navigation which, in this instance, considered necessary in order to avoid all the rest. a returrence undor similar conditions. A shipmaster (legally) has beon was solely and authoritively in the This procedure in the above case cited erroneously regarded as omnicient hands of an uncertificated Chinese has been, with but minor reservations and infallible; is ho now to be saddled pilot. Why was he not exhaustively!

his and exceptions, almost wholly over with omnipresence as well? It seems questioned and examined on looked in a revival of that pernicious that he should if he is also to be held abilities to navigate the bar which, and now generally discredited practice responsible for the leading and stow-In its present unsatisfactory condition af Anding a victim which, in this age of the cargo. This duty, as is of pilotage aids, requires a high de instance, is again that poor, unfor-so well known, has always been per- gres of intelligent judgment to do so? tunate scapegoat, the over-burdened formed on the China const by the May the stranding hot have been due shipmaster.

numorous Compradoro's staff carried to his lack of this, or some other To those of his ilk familiar with on all the ships for this purpose, and fault or mistake on bis part for the locality, and who, like myself on with the single exception of one local one or two occasions, havo so narrow. Company, I hellove, is still the usual ly escaped the fate which befell the practice with all the others. That it manter of the "Kochow," its dangers should be so can be shown by examples and difficulties are all too well known; far too numerous and involved to be and had the Court in its composition herein illustrated; as also, in the case secured the services of those mon, I of West River steamers, should the venturo to think its deliberations present system over be changed, by with the water entering the main- would have been productive of more possible "enquiries" of quite another deck through the cargo ports would good as well as fairness to those in-nature, with a dearth of ships, and not do so with the ship aground, LONDON SERVICE volved in them. For, in my opinion, officers and crown to man them. All unless she had swung round the based on the knowledge of ten years the more surprising is it then that the knuckle of some steep bank and experience on the Wang Man Bar, the Court was acemingly unaware of slipped into deeper water, when the GLACOUS" chief cause of the disaster investigat these facts, as is evinced by the water might have penetrated the hold. Were the hatches tarpaulined ed by the Court was undoubtedly "note" recording it. owing to the inadequate and nor mis. Further, was it stated that: "The and battened down? How was her lending method of marking the tor-Court is satisfied that the stability ofhend and the direction of the current tuous, changing channel, which the ship is satisfactory with the just before she sunk 7

All these matters and many others crosses it, and which makes its cargo properly stowed;" and that no navigation so difficult and uncertala; ovidence had yet been adduced that suggested or embodied in the contents

via Kobe & Yokohama of this letter could have been elicited all other reasons, such as overloading, the cargo was improperly stowed.

"PROTESILAI78” absence from the bridge, currents and But In the Indictment against the by a judiciour questioning of the

"TALTHYBIUS** the prevailing conditions, for which masier, particular emphasis was laid witnesses; and the neglect of such an obvlous duty by the Court, quite the master was held in default, have on the fact of his proceeding to sea their extenuating and relative aspects, with the ship overloaded, this being apart from its failure to secure the NEW YORK SERVICE

"DARDAN US" 27th July. "LTOAON" And if at all contributory to the Im the principal impeachment, presum- best local advice in these affairs, is mediate result of the original caure, ably, for which he was found in dean omission which, depriving ita are but subsidiary to it.

fault. This being admitted by the "Finding" of many recommendations

The Finding as it appears to This is demonstrably evident in the toaster, I shall make no attempt to de- to its usefulness, is inexcusable. numerous groundings, on both sides fend or belittle its importance in a

course. the channel by

every question of this kind, but only draw (with the exception, of vessel navigating in the vicinity, attention to the frequency with which portion referring to the master and schich can be proved hy the it was permitted in the near past and the recommendation for a Government testimony of their several masters. lta pertinencs to all in the river trade Commission) could have been cleaned. The two lights marking the bar, which only they can appreciate and by anyone from the ship's log books, when first established, may have inuminrstand. But if. it can be shown, It is merely a summary of the happen- dicated the direction across it; hut as I think it can, not only by more ings on the ill-fated passage: that and that has now changed so much that expert opinion than was available at

I have already in two or three pre- without other aids, any lighted buoy the time, but by inferences drawn vious references drawn attention to near the extending split N. E. off Crug from the evidence submitted to the the composition of the Court; but I Island, the channel can only be Court, that this offeneo for which negotiated and maintained with the the master has so dearly paid, did not, must now call in question, if not the

legal the nicest judgment, local knowledge, and, in fact, contributo to the mishap for its constitution, and the validity of nt times, a large amount of guesswork. which he was arraigned, it should its judgment. In all these qualities tho Chineso pilot, not have influenced the Court in the though uncertificated, and mostly major matter it was convened to ignorant of all other nautical or decide, but been separately tried when navigational knowledge excort the nominal time would, I think, have

of the Road," is much superformet the case. to his foreign and less experienced With regard to the third and last colleagues; and having served all fault for which the master was held his certificate. For one thing, how life, maybe, in that particular trade to blame an assumed error of judg-ever, all British Merchant Navy or run in which he has become per- ment "In attempting to crias tho bar officers out here will be thankful ta

the

gratifying fectly familiar and competent, he under the prevailing conditions," the Court, and that is would be a foolhardy master who, cannot find in the deposition of any announcement its recommendation under ordinary circumstances, would one of the witnesses, a title of evidence "That a commission will be appointed interfere with his specialised dulics, in support of it. Personally, I can- by

by the Government. of Hongkong to Furthermore, in some firms, where the not conceive of any weather conditions enquire into the general conditions pilot is an older and more trusted other than strong winds with a rough under which British ships servant than the master, their relative sea and a stats we the atmosphere this (Le West Live) Trader This measure which has long been dulles and positions are more con- when the lights wore obscured, which fidentially defined, any breach of would justify a master in not attempt needed, giving rise to the liveliest which being detrimental to all con-ing to cross the Wang Mun Bar in feelings of satisfaction and confident cerned would prove still more disas-any vessel now regularly doing so. hope that his, the officer's, position and trous for Bilo master than any On the night la question neither of prestige which since the pitiful sur imaginary risks he might run in these conditions prevalled, and the five renders of 1922-1925 have been so observing them.

knot current which it was alleged precarious and reduced, may be re- Mindful of these roflections, there was then running transversely to the gained and his future made secure. fore, and the fact that an assistant, or "Kochow's" coarse would not be felt le position in all West River stcamera vis-a-vis the pilot's is a No. 2 pilot, of less experience is nor suspected until the vesse a very anomalous one which, I trust, the always carried by all West River it. It would be about neap tides too, proposed commission will endeavour steamers, a master may be induced and the master's knowledge of there: so arrange the watches that he will having been freshets in the river to mare particularly define.

It is partly in support of this that always be on the bridge with him, to which, in Tiself, in anticipatory in its attend and help with his own know-suggestiveness of strong tides would, some allusions in my letter have been him of the penned. For the zest, I clala the ledge the immature experience of the both together, reassure other. If this laudable custom was depth of water in the channel for his privilege of fair and honest criticism in the individual and publle good. If practised by the master of the draft, which the pilot's assertion that

in my review of the Court's proceed- "Kochow" it would explain his the current was stronger than ever absence from the bridge at the time he had anticipated, and the mate's ings und finding my remarks savour too much of the hypercritical, I can of the stranding; and considered sounding of twenty-five feet just only plead the right of every

honest with reference to my previous re-before the vessel struck, both go to seaman to speak his mind in the de anrks on this subject, should excul, prove him right in his conjectures. fence of another; and that if I have Bate him from all "blamo

100, of necessity, though must, therefore, tn this,

unintentionally.. churgo. There are many other equal- support the master in his judgment of hurt the susceptibilities of any single ly dangerous places on the river crossing the bar under these cir- member of the Court, I beg of him as where an accident may happen at any cumstances. It is a singular and one brother sullor to another to take time; but it would be unreasonable extraordinary commentary upon thisit in the spirit it was meant-Yours, and unjust to expect the master's at case which makes one furiously to etc.,

the tendance at them on all, occasions think, when in scrutinizing flesh and blood could never stand it!"Finding of the Court," one fails to

this

I

no more.

On all those grounds Captain Morgan would be well advised, through the medium of the local Guild or other representative body, to appeal to the Board of Trado for an annulment of the Court's finding and the return of

is u

of

G. F. SPINK,

Master, S.S. Tai Ming.

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