William Wilson, examined by Mr. Purves, stated: I am the master of the steamer Eagle, a tug boat. Her owners are Messrs. Huddart, Parker & Co., and I am in their employ. I have been master for nineteen years. I knew the Alert, and was in her for eight months in 1889. I remember the wreck of the ship Holyhead at Point Lonsdale, Port Phillip Heads. I was employed on the Alert at that wreck, for about three weeks altogether. I had an opportunity of judging the capacity of the Alert as a sea-boat. I say she was good. I did not see anything in my eight months’ experience of her that made me think she was a dangerous ship. I did not see any fault with her at all. I wish she had been mine.
Cross-examined by Mr. Box: We had pretty rough weather when working at the Holyhead. Other boats could not have done the work like the Alert. Nothing would stop her until she met a gale of wind. Of course in a gale of wind we could not get cargo out of the Holyhead. I had on one occasion one hundred and forty tons of cargo in the Alert. It made her sit differently in the water. It balanced her.
Louis John Daly Schutt, examined by Mr. Purves, stated: I am a Victorian sea pilot, and have been one about six years. Prior to that time I was in the employment of Huddart, Parker & Co. as captain and also as mate. I commanded the Alert about four and a half years in the Geelong trade. During that time we had some heavy weather and seas for the Bay. I formed the opinion that she was a good little sea-boat. After I left her the engines were shifted. There was no great difference in her after the alterations. When I was in her there was a window under the break of the poop. The glass in it got broken. It was about a quarter inch thick. I put a new one in three eights of an inch thick. I maintain that it could not possibly be broken by a sea, unless the sea washed something against it. When I had charge of the Alert the gratings were low down, afterwards they were built up to the top of the engine house. I believe the same bunker lids were on the ship when she went down as when I had her. They fastened down with keys, I am positive. Outside the Heads the seas are bigger than in the Bay. If I had the command offered me, I would have taken the Alert to sea. I had not the slightest doubt about her sea-worthiness.
Cross-examined by Mr. Smyth: I was in command of the Alert from 1884 to 1889. She was never out at sea while I was in her. I put the glass window in myself. One of the passengers who was the worse for liquor put his foot against the previous one and cracked it. I have had seas on board in the Bay, and the starboard alleyway full, but no water ever went below. In my time the engine room went right back to the front of the poop, and prevented water going from one side of the ship to the other. One of the new improvements made was that this casing was cut away and an after hold put in.
Q.—When the Alert foundered, did the water getting into the saloon take her down stern first? A.—I say no. Supposing forty tons of water were in the cabin it would be pretty well full. I don’t see that it would take her down, owing to the watertight compartments.
Gilbert Moore, examined by Mr. Mitchell, stated: I am a master mariner in charge of the S.S. Excelsior, one of Huddart, Parker & Co’s steamers trading between Melbourne and Geelong. I knew the Alert, and was in command of her. For two or three winters I was trading with her to Geelong and back to Melbourne, and sometimes we had heavy weather. She behaved very well indeed. Sometimes in bad weather she would not behave very grand. In moderate, good, and fine weather she was beautiful. I went to Tasmania in her in February, 1893. I had no cargo going over, but coming back I had I daresay about seventy tons. We had fine weather going but a stiff breeze coming back. She behaved well and was a bit wet. I remember the pantry window; it did not affect the ship in any way. It was about eighteen inches above the deck. It was sufficiently secured to withstand the pressure of water. The bunker lids had slots and turned round, thus fixing them in. I saw that they were fastened. I can’t see how the wooden awning or the open grating would make the ship unsea-worthy. It is a matter of opinion. There was a tarpaulin to cover the grating if they liked to put it on.
Q.—What in your opinion should have been done with the vessel before changing her course for the Heads? A.—I would have put the engines dead slow. As a matter of course a man, in weather like she was in, should have seen that everything was secure. If I had to run the ship, I would keep the engines slow; and if I had a sail, I would set it. If the sea was too heavy and she would not come to the wind, I would let go a sea anchor.
Cross-examined by Mr. Smyth: I knew the late Captain Mathieson. He was a careful seaman, and a good ship master. He would be the best judge of what he ought to do. The grating was six feet wide, and fore and aft from eleven to thirteen inches.
Q.—Supposing Mr. Grant, the man who put the grating in, said it was twelve feet across and three feet six inches long? A.—I know differently; I never measured it, but I say it was not three feet long.
Q.—You looked very particularly before you went to Tasmania to see that the bunker lids were fastened with slots? A.—Yes, I did. I considered it necessary. They fitted properly and were caught with slots.