HARBOUR COLLISION THE KANGAROO AND MAY QUEEN. INQUIRY HELD.
The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860-1954) Saturday 20 February 1926 p 11 Article
HARBOUR COLLISION
THE KANGAROO AND MAY QUEEN.
INQUIRY HELD.
An inquiry into the collision between the paddle steamer Kangaroo and the ketch May Queen, which took place off the head of King's Pier on the afternoon of December 19, was held before the Police Magistrate (Mr. E. W, Turner), Captain J. Davis, and Captain W. H. T. Brown in the City Police Court yesterday. Mr. E. Watchorn ap- peared on behalf of the Rosny Estates and Ferry Co., and Mr. W. E. Masters on behalf of the master of the May Queen.
The master of the May Queen, Henry John Price, said that on the day of the collision he was standing into King's Pier from Prince's Wharf in the teeth of a severe north-westerly breeze. The Kangaroo put out from her berthing place, and although she had ample room to go astern of the May Queen she struck his vessel amidships, carrying away a number of stanchions. The Kangaroo was not steering her usual course, but veering to port all the time.
To Mr. Watchorn: He considered that the Kangaroo was not at all a difficult boat to handle with the breeze behind her.
John Connor, Marine Board bridge keeper, who said that he observed the collision from the end of King's Pier, detailed the movements of both the Kangaroo and the May Queen. The Kangaroo, he said, had ample room to go astern of the May Queen, which, on the other hand, had insufficient room in which to manoeuvre.
Samuel Taylor, watchman, who was also an eye-witness to the collision, corroborated the evidence given by Connor. It appeared to him, he said, as though the Kangaroo on leaving her moorings, never swerved from her course, and struck the May Queen fair amid- ships.
John Horlock, barge owner, said the Kangaroo was well off her usual course, which generally lay parallel with Prince's Wharf, being about only 50 yards from King's Pier.
Alfred Seymour, fisherman, said that from where he stood on Princes' Wharf it appeared as though the Kangaroo made an attempt to cut across the bows of the May Queen.
A description of the collision, similar to that of the master, was given by Henry Langford, one of the two hands on the May Queen.
The master of the Kangaroo, Geo. O'May, said that no matter from what quarter the wind was the vessel was always difficult to handle, and did not answer her helm readily. Her usual course was on leaving her berth to hug Prince's Wharf and strike off at a tangent for Bellerive. On the day of the collision he did not follow his usual course on account of the May Queen tacking from Princes Wharf. Her destination he did not know, and could not determine, and he, therefore, resolved to head for King's Pier. When the May Queen went about in the middle of the harbour the Kangaroo was just off Argyle-street Pier. The May Queen stood in towards Argyle-street Pier and then began to pay away, veering right across the bows of the Kangaroo. When he saw that a collision was inevitable he reversed the Kangaroo's engines and blew three short blasts on the siren. The impact was slight, as the Kangaroo was doing only about one mile per hour.
Milford Purdon, John Burton and Robert Rex, who were making a cross- ing in the Kangaroo when the collision occurred gave evidence. These witnesses gave it as their opinion that the accident was due to the master of the May Queen not following either of the two courses open to him, of paying away or standing up into the wind.
The Bench reserved its decision.
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