March 10, 1902.]
was
B narrow channel, must adduce some evidence. The Straits of Messins had nothing to do with the Harbour of Hongkong. If necessary, if that point was pressed upon him, he would be prepared to discuss it. He thought he could call evidence to show that it was not a narrow channel and had never been ragarded as a narrow channel. He was instructed that large vessels leaving the Har- bour by the Lyaemun Pass kept to their port side of the channel, well up by the docks, and therefore to the north side of mid-channel. He really thought that point had gone. Having now place the whole of the facts before the Court he would proceed to call witnesses.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
moved about two cable lengths nearer the short. The collision took place four or five cable He had been master lengths from the shore. since 1881 and held a Norwegian certificate. He had been 18 years master with the sime owners and had never had a collision before. The wituo: proceeded to mark on a chart the course he took in coming from the Lyeemun Pass.
Cross-examined-The course given in the preliminary act. W. by N. by quarter N. was arrived at by steering for the Kowloon light. Beforo sighting the Tai chong ho had been
H steering on this course for a little tim. was conuing the ship in himself. The twɔ Chinese pilots ware of the bridga; they warɔ not telling him what to do He did not ask them what cours) to stor: iusid the Lyeemuu Pass they siil som things but he took no notice. He dil not take any notice of the beacon to the starboard ontside the Pass bnt passed well clear of it. He did not take any notice of the bacon inside. It was about snaset; all his lights were displayed. He could still see comparatively distant objects quite When he first sightod the Tai clearly. Cheong she was about half a point on the port bow. The Perla was a little behind the Tai Cheong on her port quarter. It was about two or three minutes before he saw the red light of the Tai Camag. He saw the rel light of the Perla a little after he saw the red light of the the Tai Cheong. When he first sw Perla's red light she was still on the Tai Cheong's port quarter. At the time she showed her red light the Tai Cheon was about a mile from the Skramstad, The Tai Cheong and the Porla appeared to be pretty close to each other. If the ships had all continned the courses they were then on the Perla would have passed the more closely of the two to He made no calculation as the Skramstad.
to how far he would pass clear of the Perla, but he thought they wouk! pass will clear. About a ship's length would have been well clear, especially in a narrow chanuel. As the two ships approached him, showing red lights. the Perla was clear of the Tai Cheong's port, quarter. When he suddenly saw there was Cheong show a green light after she showed danger of collision and took no notice of the Perla's light in the meantime. Just after the iuto them he saw Tai Cheong had ran the Perla's red light. He did not at any time see the Perla's green light after she showed her red. He saw all three lights of the Tai Cheong just for a little as the ship was slewed round, so that she must have turned quickly.
The Court adjourne).
187
forward of the bulkhead. The hole was about 2 feet or 2 feet from the bulkhead. For ward of the hole he could not say that the plates were started. He could not say what the length of the fore hold was. The augle at which the ships struck was between 39 and 45 degrees. He did not see the Perla colliding with the Skramstad. After the collision between the Skramstad and the Tai Cheong, the latter was pulling at them and both ships went aslern towards th Hongkong shore, going round a little to starboard." The Tai Cheong was about the same size as the Skramstad, the greatest speed of which was a good 10 knots in ballast. While the two ships were together they went in towards the land three or four cable lengths, probably a little more. After the Tai Cheong got clear of the Skramstad she moved in far- ther towards the shore. The draught of the ship was between 12 and 13 feet aft then and between 7 and 8 feet forward. Fully loaded she drew 18 feet 6 inches aft and 17 feet 3 inches forward. When he was coming in and the Tai Cheong showed her red light be ported
helm and then eased it. Before his the collision he Was under ધ્ર hard- aport helm and the engines full speed astern for a good one minute. He could not say how much her head went off in that time. The witness went on to mark on a chart the courses stered by the Skramstad, the Tai Cheong and Perla before the collision. When he saw the Tai Cheong, he continued, ohange from green to red he saw her three lights just for a moment as she turned round. When he went full speed The two astern he gave a blast on the whistle. Chinese he picked up outside were from two separate boats; they called themselves pilots. He had never been ont to China before." The pilots came aboard one after the other. They gave him no assistance.
By His Lordship-He did not need their help until he got to the anchorage. IIe thonght it better to Lave a man on board.
Ke-examined-The second Chinese had a card from Messrs. Sander, Weiler, his agents.
By His Lordship-There was no deviation in the compass on that course.
Captain O. Hanssen of the Skramstad was the first witness. He deposed that she was a Nor- wegian steamer 720 tons net, belonging to Sandjeford. On 20th November he was bound from Amoy to Hongkong in ballast and in the He evening passed through Lyeemun Pass. was boarded outsido by two Chinese. He was in charge of the ship and was on the bridge when she came through the pass. The chief officer was on the forecastle. He gave orllers to him to go there to see if ovarything was correct, anchors and all, An A. B. was on the look-out. The second mate was amidships. It was about sunset when they came through the Pass. The regulation lights were out before they came to Lyeemun. When they came well through the Pass he steered clos) in to the Iu. north shore, there were a lot of junks. side the Pass he steered for a light at the Admiralty Dock. He knew about this light | before he came to Hongkong. They were steaming about 7 kaots. He observed a steamer's light ahead about 13 miles distant. They were the top light and green side light. These wore the lights of the Tai Cheong. He also saw the top light and green light of another steamer behind the Tai Cheong; she was the Perla. Subsequently he kept the course for the Kow- loon light and he observed a change in the Tai Cheong. She came over a little on his star- board bow and showed him her red light. When he saw that he ported his helm. He gave the order to port the helm and the order was carried out. He could see that by the alteration in the
T. G. Brydo, chief officer of the Skramstad on the Kowloon light. When the Tai Cheong first
20th Nov., deposed that he had a master's certi- showed her red light she was, be thought.
ficate. He joined the Scramstad as first officer He came out to China on about a mile distant. H on porting his
in April of last year. the Skramstad. On the evening of the 20th helm showed the Tai Cheong his red light and he kept
November he came on deck about half-past five. red red and the Tai Cheong well clear. If the two vessels had
The ship was then eutering the Lyeeniuu Pass. He went forward to the forecastlebead to see kept upon those courses they would have passed
that the anchors and windlass were all right. well clear of each other, After that the Tai Cheong showed her green light and then her
They were steering for a light at Kowloon He noticed two red. When he saw the green light open ho
which bore right forward. ordered the helm hard aport and blow a short
steamers approaching them, about 11⁄2 miles off. blast on the whistle and put the engines full
He saw the masthead and green lights of both vessels. They bore from a quarter to half a speed astern. He himself moved the indicator,
On the forecastle sounding two knocks. which meant Give her Captain O. Hanssen, the master of the Skram-point ou the starboard bow. all you can.' He blew the whistle himself. slad, who was being cross-examined on the pre- with him were the carpenter and a seaman. Soon after he saw the first steamer show her red These three things were all done as quicklyvious evening by Mr. Slad when the case was ad-
After seeing that as possible. The order hard aport Was
light and shut out her green. carried out; the order full speed astera
rel light he noticed that the Skramstad was was also carried out. When he saw the
turning to starboard, for the Kowloon light Tai Cheong alter her course and show her
broadened on their port bow. The Tai Cheong and the Skramstad were showing red to red. green light he was afraid of a collision. When the Tai Cheong oponed her green she was. he
They would have gone clear of each other on their respective thought, about four or five ship's lengths off.
if they had continued
to him at that · That was to the best of his judgment His ship was somewhere about 245 fest long. The Tai Cheong came into collision with thew. striking her at the forecastlehead on the port bow. Her stem cut right into the Skramstal's hull. The two ships were together for some time after the collision. When the Tai Cheong By His Lord hip-It was a white light he struck her, she heeled over to starboard. After was making for. the collision the ships were fast togetherį about Cross-examination resumed-He saw io red 15 minutes, during which the Skramstad's lights at the docks. The Skramstad continued engines were going full speed astern The go full speed astern after the collision. After Tai heong appeared to him to be pulling them. the collison there was no order immediately order to During the time they were together the ships given, but he shortly gave the
He did not sound got nearer the shore. After the Tai Cheong put the helm amidships. got clear his engines still went fall speed the bilges. The hatches were off the fore-hold He astern, which had the effect of taking the and he could see the water rushing in. Skramstad nearer the shore. The impact took went down from the bridge to the forecastle | 'acs about the break of the forecastle, and shouted to the captain of the Tai Cheong behind the collision bulkhead. Afterwards the asking why he did not keep under a port helm. Skramstad got aground on the Hongkong He left the ship on a boat from the Hamber. shore. It was not the case that the Tai The collision bulkhead was slightly farther for Cheong for three minutes before the collision ward than the break of the forecastle. He had was under a hard aport helm, her engines not been down in the fore peak since the colli going full speed astern. He heard no whist- sion, but had been down in the fore hold: The ling from the Tai Cheong. After she goeship's side was pierced a little behind the bulk- away from the Tai Choong, the Skramstad head. He could not say whether it was pierced
Wednesday, 5th March.
journed, was again put in the witness-box.. He deposed that he had never been in a collision, though he had had a narrow escape once, He had never been in Hongkong Harbour befo.e. The light at Kowloon by which he steered was a bright light. He saw more than one light. The light he was steering for was, he thought. the brightest of all.
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courses. It was not like a light-
It did not occur house light. He could see the point at Kowloon time that there would be any danger of too. He had information from Captain Daniels collision. The next thing, he noticed was the about the lights and he had also the chart. | Tai Cheong showing her green and shutting out her red light, and ho could see she was turning Captain Daniels told him he would see the
When he saw her towards the Skramstad. lights on the docks.
green light this time she was distant about four ship's lengths-he could not say exactly. He was sure then that there would be a collision. He heard the Skramstad whisle blow one short blast and heard an answering signal from the engine-room. The engines were put full speed astern; he could tell by the vibration that they were going all that they could. The whistle was blown as soon after the green light of the Tai Cheong opened as a man could go and When he saw the green light he moved pull it. from before the windlass to the after part of the forcastlehead. The Tai Cheong struck them on the port bow just beside the foreastle- head, at an angle of about 45 degrees. He saw the Perla strike the the Tai Cheong after the The Perla struck latter colided with them. the Tai Cheong about amidships on the
It was port side.
not a very hard blow. Then the Perla came on to them and struck
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