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June 9), 1902] 2
THE SINKING OF THE
PAKSHAN.”
OFFICIAL ENQUIRY:
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A Marine Court sat on Thursday at the Har- bour Master & Office to enquire into the circum- stances attending the sinking of the s,s. Pakshan in the Harbour on the 2nd inst. The Court was constituted as follows 1-Hon, Commander R. Murray Rumsey, R.N., Stipendiary Magis. trate (presiding) Lieut. Frederick W. H. James R.N HM.S. Tamar; Mr. Edward Beetham, master of the British ss. Tartar; Mr. W. Douglas Welsh, master of the British 8.8. Mlausang, Mr. John Gould, first engineer of the s,s. Tartar.
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Mr. E. J. Grist. of Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist, solicitors, appeared for the master of the Pakshan; Mr. G. C. C. Master, of Messrs. Johnson, Stokes and Master, solicitors, for the owner, and Mr. P. W, Goldring, of Messrs. Deacon and Hastings, solicitors, watched the case on behalf of the first and second engineers. Letters requesting that an official enquiry be. Held were read from Messrs Bradley & Co., the agents, and Mr. James George Reid, the master. The latter stated that the cause of the accident was the third engineer leaving a valve open in the engine-room, There was also read the warrant constituting the Court.
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Capt. Reid was the first witness called. He said he was master of the Pakshan She was an iron steamer of 1,235 tons register, owned by Mr. J. W. Richardson, Bradley & Co. Her last voyage was from Saigon. At the time of the casually the vessel was lying at her buoy. There was a cargo of rice-8) bags-on board. Most of the cargo was in Nos. 2 and 3 holds. The rest was in No. 1 'tween decks and bold. There were 207 tons of coal in the bunkers, The full complement of officers and crew were on the articles. He was on shore on the even- ing of the 2nd June. The No. 1 compradore informed him about 8.40.p.m. that the vessel was making water. He at once hired a steam launch and went off to her. On arriving ou board at about 9.15 the second officer reported that there was over 4 feet of water in the engine-room. He ordered all the ports to be closed fore and aft, as the chief engineer in- formed him what had happened, His report was that the third engineer had removed the cover of a wrong valve in the engine-room while running up a ballast tank. He asked h m to try and stop the inrush of water and he said he would do his best but he did not think it was possible. Meantime the second mate was pass ing tarpaulins under the bow. He went ashore to call assistance and got into communication with the Dock Co: and telephoned the superin tendent of the firm and told him the state of affairs and asked him to get divers and pumping gear sent from the Dock Co. In the meantime he went to the Dooks himself and informed the manager, Mr. Wilson. He next went alongside the Fane; most of the non were on shore; they were sent for and steam got up. He went
to the ship at 11.20 and found her lying over to starboard with a list of 40 degrees, when suddenly she sunk aft. He did not go on board when he returned; every one was out of her. She sunk about .1.55, going down stern first. When he went on shore the first and second officers were on board. The first officer went on shore at 6:50, That was quite in order. The rule was for one officer and one engineer to be on board. There was steam up in the donkey when he went on shore,' He was not aware of any particular work going on in the engine room. It was usual to leave off work at 5 o'clock. He knew of no reason why work should have been going on later that day in the engine-room, He
gave no special directions as to the porta to be closed. When the tarpaulin was put under the ship it had no effect, as the He made no signals for was aware that there were *for such cases. The ship was He considered shipping towed into shallow water, it advisable, as it was a very trong tide. There were junks and a steamer ahead and a steamer comsidering the list she he went on board she might had attempted to tow
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
her ashore and he might have got across the bows of other steamer. He did not apply to the steamers lying about for assistance, but went ashore to get assistance from the Dock Co. as quickly as possible.
By Lieut. James-He gave orders on the Saturday to fill the ballast tanks. On the morning of the day of the mishap she had about half her cargo in.
By Captain Beetham Tarpaulins were being passed over the side. The lines were properly made taut in his opinion, but they could not get it over the right place.
In response to a request by Mr. Goldring, a letter from the third engineer to the captain was read. In it the third engineer stated that be received orders from the second to examine the ballast tank valve as the tank was running up very slow. By mistake he opened the wrong valve, about 7 p.m. He informed the second officer what was the trouble. He found out the mistake when too late, but made every endea vour to set matters right, bat could not owing He consulted the to the inrush of water. second officer, who thought it best that witness should go ashore and find the first and second engineers. That would be about 8.30. He found the second and they returned to the ship. That was about 10 p.m. The chief was then on board..
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There would have been a great deal of risk got ting through the junks and shipping. No assist ance was asked from any of the surrounding ships. He did not think any of them had steam up. If they had had they could have rendered very great assistance. About 730 when the first report was made to him he was in his room. Most of the ship's crew were absent. They went withont permi-sión. The quarter. master at the gangway said he had not s en them go. There were only three me left. The crew came back, most of them about 10.3). They wont to got their clothes. Some of them got their clothes. He did not get hold of them and try to make them do anything When the for he could do nothing then. chief officer left the ship he told witness to look after the ballast-tank to sea when it was filled. It took generally 34 hours to fill the tank. Bat on this occasion the filling had been going on since morning. There must have been something wrong. At 5 o'clock there were only about 19 inches. He reported. at 4 o'clock to the chief officer that there was only 16 inches in the tank,
By Mr. Gould-The second engineer was on He did not know when board during the day.
Witness did not he went on shore, 730. know who gave the third engineer orders to take off the valve.
By Mr. Master-It was the standing rule, he understood, that there must always be one officer on board. He had seen that regulation posted in one of the Shan boats, the Siam. He did not know of any rule requiring or not requiring the engineers to report to the executive officer before going on shore.
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John McArthur, the third engineer, said he had a second's c rtificate, granted in Hongkong in 1895. He had been on the Pakshan 7 hours' when she sauk. He was the only engineer on board on the evening of the 2nd. The chief had gore on shore about 6 o'clock The second weat about 6.30. Before the chief left the ship he told the second that the ballast-tank was running up rather slowly and the second gave witness orders on deck to go down and look at the valves and find ont what was wrong, perhaps put some ballast on them. The second was then preparing to go. He did not see anything more of the second engineer. Witness heard the chief tell the second that the tank was ranning up rather slowly. Witness went down into the engine-room, He had been down working at several jobs. The valve he opened was on the ship's sides.
By Mr. Gould-The second engineer did not specify any valve which he had to look at. By mistake he opened the wrong valve. He had never been shown the conuections. He did not trace where the valve went to.
Exmination continued-He did not trace the valve to the ballast-tank.
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Joseph Short Lewingdon, second officer, stated that he held a master's certificale. On the evening of the mishap to the Pakshun he was in charge of the ship, the chief officer and the master having gone on shore. About 7.30 the quartermaster ran up to him and said there was something wrong below. He went down to the engine-room and saw a large rush of water coming in through the side in the star- board bilge. The third engineer, who was ther, said he had taken a wrong cover off. There was only one other man in the engine room and a Chinaman came afterwards. They all five tried to get the cover on the valve but the inrush of water was so strong that they were unable to get it on. The water was up to the waists of the men when he went below. There was nearly 4 feet of water. He conld not see the hole itself for the water. After trying unsuccessfully to put the cover on he went on deck to put a tarpaulin under the ship. He put a tarpaulin over the side with the help of a few men and when he was getting a second over the side the engineer came up and told him he could do nothing more as the water was too deep and his men had run away from him. He told the engineer he had covered the hole and told him to go and get assistance on board and to get the chief and second engineers and telephone to the superintendent. The chief engineer came on board about 8.30. He could do nothing, however. The ship had a nasty list. The captain came off about 9 p.m.. told him to do all he could and to close ports and then went ashore for assistance. The water kept | about the till 10 o'clock and the ship swinging round into slack water took a greater list. She tipped aft. Immediately then
When he looked she caught fire. down the engine-room he saw the flames. There was nobody down there then. They could do nothing but wait for assistance. They could not get past amidshps for the list and the fire. About 10 o'clock he asked two launches to take the ship in tow but they refused b cause of the list she had on. Prior to 10 o'clock he did not think the vessel would sink. The list was 18 to 20 degs. The crew and coolies returned to the ship about 10 30, went down below and closed all ports and water-light ports and afterwards lowered a boat. This was his first voyage on the Pakshan, He told the engineer to close everything before and abaft the engine- room. He was told that that had been done and concluded that the water was confined to
By Capt in Beatham-There W83:10 the engine-room compartment. He could not make out why it was not unless something gave spurting of the water from the joints whils way below. The donkey pump was kept going he was unscrewing the cover. He got no until it stopped itself. He put the first tar-warning; there was simply a sudden report paulin over; there was a period when the water did not increase much, but it must have got shifted when the ship swung round. The captain was on board when the flow of water was checked by the tarpaulin. He was not sure whether or not he reported the circumstance to the captain. If these two launches which refused to tow her had taken hold of her be thought the ship would have reached shallower water.
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By Mr. Gould-He did not realise that this valve was a sea-connection; it was a mistake his opening it.
Examination continued-The valve-cover was about 8 inches across and he had about 7 nuts to take off. He had them all off before it blew
He stuck to the cover, and; up on his chest. tried to put it on again. There was one China- man with him who assisted him. They could not get the cover on account of the rush of water. He sent the Chinaman for the second officer, who came down. The latter sail he would go and put tarpaulins over the side of the ship and try to stop it. Witness still tried to get the cover. on until 8 o'clock, when he was up to the neck.. He then went on deck and fold the second officer they should beach the ship as she was going to the bottom. He did not know how many compartments were in. He closed the water-. tight door on the tunnel end. He did not. know whether the sluices in the bulkheads were open or closed.
By Captain Welsh-He did not tell the second of cor that the sluices were closed; he told him that the tunnel door was closed..
Examination continued-He did not know where the sluices were closed...
By Mr. Gould-He started the donkey about 7 o'clock. He did not know the sise of the donkey valre
By Mr. Master-He never thought of taking
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