Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry

FOURTH DAY

 

CAPTAIN JAMES ANDERSON MURRAY,

Harbour master, Quebec,

 

Sworn.

 

By Mr. Meredith:

4074. Captain Murray, what position do you occupy in Quebec?
- I am the Harbour Master.

4075. Have you ever been captain of the Empress of Ireland?
- Yes.

4076. For how many voyages?
- I was in the ship three voyages.

4077. During the time you were master of that ship, had you occasion to ascertain within what time you could stop her when she was going at full speed ahead?
- Yes.

4078. Did you make an actual test?
- Yes.

4079. What time did it take you to stop her?
- About two minutes and fifteen seconds.

4080. How would you please state to the Court about the steering qualities of that vessel?
- She steers very well.

By Mr. Haight:

4081. Where was the test made, Captain Murray?
- At Liverpool, making the pilot at Liverpool.

4082. When you were taking on your pilot at Liverpool?
- Yes.

4083. Where do you take the pilot on at Liverpool? I mean, just what is the precise place where the pilot-ship is located?
- At the bar-ship.

4084. That is how far from the river?
- About thirteen miles.

4085. What is the depth of water there?
- About ten fathoms outside the bar where we stopped. I say about ten fathoms but it may be eight.

4086. How often have you entered the Mersey river, Captain Murray?
- Well I made 190 trips on the Empress of Britain.

4087. Now is it usual in your navigation to run your steamer full speed, at seventeen knots, until you get within a few lengths of the pilot-ship, and then order your engines from full speed ahead to full speed astern?
- No it is not usual.

4088. Why was it done on this particular occasion?
- Well I will tell you. About two years ago I was unfortunate enough to sink a ship in the gulf of St. Lawrence, the Helvetia.

4089. You were in what ship at that time, Captain?
- The Empress of Britain. And at the inquiry it was stated that the ship was moving half-speed, about 14 knots, just before the collision, and the engines were going astern before the impact about one minute and forty-five seconds. And His Lordship the Judge, Sir Samuel Evans, asked me what speed I thought the ship was making when she struck the Helvetia, and I said about three knots. His Lordship seemed to think that was a very short time in which to reduce speed from 13 or 14 knots to three. Well, on this particular voyage to Liverpool, when we made this test, there was one of the junior counsel on board, Mr. Bowles, and I brought him on the bridge and showed him what I could do. That is the reason the test was made. I made that test, so he could tell Sir Samuel the way these ships work.

4090. You were on that particular occasion endeavouring to see how fast it was possible to stop your ship from full speed ahead to full speed astern? If you threw her absolutely to full open astern from full open ahead?
- Well that was the test, yes, I suppose.

4091. That is, you wanted to stop her as soon as you possibly could?
- I just rang full speed, astern, and they got the order and carried it out.

4092. You were endeavouring to show, by a practical demonstration, that your statement to his Lordship was not an exaggeration?
- Yes.

4093. Now when in normal course there is absolutely no desire to demonstrate what is possible, and your only object is, so far as the engineer knows, to stop his engines and put them astern, in the ordinary course he does not, when you simply ring the telegraph full speed astern, throw his reversing gear and give her full steam astern in three or four seconds, does he?
- Well I think he carries out the order given.

4094. Well, Captain Murray, you have been at sea how long?
- Thirty-five years.

4095. You know, do you not, that there is no strain so severe upon a steamer’s engines as to put them from full speed ahead to full speed astern without any interval?
- Quite so.

4096. That is the most severe test that engines can possibly be subjected to?
- Yes.

4097. Unless your engines are exceedingly well made it will wreck them, will it not?
- No.

4098. What will it do?
- It wouldn’t wreck the Empress of Britain's engines.

4099. Well, take the ordinary vessel?
- No, I don’t think so.

4100. Where does the strain show?
- You had better ask an engineer that.

4101. Don’t you know?
- It will strain the engines, but I can’t tell you where it would strain them.

By Lord Mersey:

4102. It is not a seamanlike thing to do, is it?
- Well, it all depends on the occasion, my Lord, it may be necessary.

4103. Yes, I quite understand that, but unless there is some particular reason for doing it, some very imperative reason for doing it, you wouldn’t do it?
- No, sir.

By Mr. Haight:

4104. Do you know by precise observation how many revolutions your engines were making when you made this experiment?
- About 72.

4105. I asked you if you knew by precise observation . . . . did the engineer or some one else note the exact revolutions and report to you?
- No, they did not report to me.

4106. Then you only know in a general way the speed of your engines at the time you ordered them astern?
- Yes.

By Lord Mersey:

4107. And you think it was about 72?
- Yes, my Lord, I think so.

By Mr. Haight:

4108. Do you know by observing the log or by taking observations from point to point what speed you were making through the water?
- We were making perhaps about -

4109. I mean do you know by precise observation?
- Well, it was flood tide at the time, a little flood tide.

4110. But through the water?
- She would be making about eighteen and a half or eighteen and three-quarters knots.

4111. That is over the ground?
- Yes.

4112. What was the strength of the tide?
- Possibly a knot.

4113. You think she was making about seventeen and three-quarters knots herself?
- Yes, herself.

4114. Through the water?
- Yes, sir.

4115. How did you get that information, Captain Murray?
- Running full speed we generally make eighteen knots at 73 revolutions. And as far as I know she was running full speed. I didn’t ask the engineer the number of revolutions he was making.

4116. That is without knowing your revolutions you are assuming them to be 73? And on that assumption you base your judgment of the speed?
- And by the distance we ran from the last point.

4117. But my question was, did you make any precise observation to show your precise speed through the water when your engines were ordered full speed astern?
- No more than I knew she was running full speed ahead, that is all.

4118. You knew it without having demonstrated it by any precise observation of any kind?
- Well, from the distance we had run from the last point.

4119. What was the last point?
- Point Lyness.

4120. How far away was it?
- About 40 miles.

4121. And at what hour had you left that point?
- I couldn’t tell you now.

4122. How many hours had elapsed from the time you left Point Lyness until you put your engines astern?
- I couldn’t tell you now.

4128. You did not precisely figure that out?
- No, I didn’t think it necessary.

4124. Did you precise it exactly?
- I don’t know what you are trying to get at.

Lord Mersey:
What Mr. Haight wants is your answer to that question. Yop need not mind what he is trying to get at.

- I don’t quite understand the question, my Lord.

By Mr. Haight:

4125. Did you in any way make a precise calculation by actual inspection of anything, as to what your speed was?
- No, I did not inspect anything. I didn’t ask any questions. I knew by the telegraph she was running full speed and that was quite sufficient.

4126. And the mere fact that the telegraph stood at full speed was the basis of your judgment that she was making eighteen and three-quarters knots?
- Yes.

4127. Do you know what the draft of your steamer was at the time?
- Well, probably about -

4128. Do you know what it was?
- No, not at the present moment.

By Lord Mersey:

4129. Did you know then?
- Well, we generally have the same draught from Quebec to Liverpool. She was drawing about 26 feet 6 inches aft.

By Mr. Haight:

4130. Twenty-six feet six inches aft?
- Yes.

4131. And forward?
- About twenty-four feet forward.

4132. Now, what method did you adopt to show how many lengths the vessel, would run, or did you try to show that?
- We threw a box over the side and just watched the box.

4133. You threw the box over the side when you first ordered the engines astern?
- Yes.

4134. And from what point was the box thrown over?
- On the port side of the bridge.

4135. At the level of the bridge?
- Yes.

4136. And then you allowed the box to drift astern?
- Yes.

4137. And you guessed at the distance?
- Yes.

4138. Now, is it not usual when you are making a test of that nature to have a man at the extreme bow ready to drop a buoy overboard, and have buoy after buoy dropped as each buoy in turn reaches the stern of the ship?
- Well, I was not making a test of the distance in which she would stop but just a test of how long she took to stop.

4139. Then why did you need the box at all?
- I threw the box overboard just for my own information to see how far I thought she would stop in.

4140. Then the distance the ship would run was no part of your experiment?
- No.

4141. Will you now tell me precisely how you formed a judgment of the fact that your vessel was absolutely dead stopped?
- I looked over the side.

4142. And you looked at the water?
- Yes.

4143. And your bridge is how many feet above the water?
- The deck was fifty feet at that time.

4144. And you didn’t see the water rippling at your side?
- No, she was stopped.

By Mr. Newcombe:

 

4145. Captain Murray, I don’t know very much about working engines. . .

Lord Mersey:
If you carry on a conversation with the witness in this tone, Mr. Newcombe, we do not derive any benefit from your observations.

Mr. Newcombe:
I am sorry, my Lord.

4146. Have you any signal down from the bridge to the engine-room to indicate that you wish the engineer upon receiving an order to reverse full speed astern to do it in any particular way?
- Yes.

4147. That is, if as my learned friend suggests it might be done, by turning the lever all the way around at once, and absolutely in one operation putting the engines from full speed ahead to full speed astern, you could indicate that you want it done that way by a signal from the bridge to the engine-room, can you?
- Yes.

4148. Now, Captain Murray, did you see the Empress of Ireland when she left Quebec on her last voyage -
- Yes.

4149. Can you tell me exactly her draught?
- I couldn’t tell you. I have it in my books in the office, but I couldn’t tell you at the moment.

By Lord Mersey:

4150. Can you tell me this, Captain Murray, how long would it take to get up your full speed of 17 knots, the vessel beginning from practically a standstill?
- About half an hour, my Lord.

Lord Mersey:
Do you want to ask any questions, Mr. Aspinall?

Mr. Aspinall:
No, thank you. Now, my Lord, that is all the evidence I propose to call.

Mr. Haight:
Might I put another question to Captain Murray?

4151. Would you please tell me what this special signal to the engine-room is about which you were asked a moment ago?
- We give a double ring if we wish them to go full speed astern as quickly and as much as they can we give two rings.

4152. When you are doing anything extraordinary in that way, you give the two rings?
- Yes.

4153. When you were making your experiment, you gave the two rings?
- No, I did not then. If we wished them to go astern quickly and give all the power they have we ring twice.