From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Newspaper clipping from 'The Observer' detailing the inquest verdict of the Lake Windermere tragedy involving Sir H. Segrave.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 174\5\ img084 | |
| Date | 6th July 1930 | |
| The Observer LAKE WINDERMERE TRAGEDY. HOW SIR H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} SEGRAVE MET HIS DEATH. INQUEST VERDICT. Further details of the wreck of the speed-boat Miss England II., in which Sir Henry Segrave and Mr. P. V.{VIENNA} O.{Mr Oldham} Halliwell, the Rolls-Royce engineer, lost their lives after setting up a new world's speed record on Lake Windermere, were forthcoming yesterday, when the inquest was resumed at Hawkshead, near Windermere. When Mr. F.{Mr Friese} W. Poole, the Ulverston coroner, reopened the inquiry, those in attendance were mainly expert witnesses. Mr. Allan V.{VIENNA} Nutt represented Rolls-Royce, Ltd., and the widow and relatives of Mr. Halliwell. Mr. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Handley represented Mr. Fred Cooper, of Hythe, Southampton, the designer of the boat; and Mr. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} S. Chamberlain appeared on behalf of Lord Wakefield. Mr. Handley said that Mr. Nutt and himself had collected evidence to enable the coroner to arrive at a conclusion with regard to the cause of the disaster. "As a result of these investigations, we can say distinctly, as a matter of positive evidence, that the disaster to Miss England II. arose from one cause and one cause only. That is evidence of fact, and we eliminate all other possible causes." Mr. Handley explained, with the aid of a wooden model, the operation of the boat step. The step, he said, was made of three skins of mahogany fastened to a frame, and was bolted to the underpart of the boat at the bows in order to lift them out of the water when she was travelling at speed. "What happened was this," continued Mr. Handley. "A portion of the port side of the step was ruptured, with the result that part of it gave way and fell down, forming a flap. The result was that there was a much greater lifting power on that side, and the boat overturned that way. We are producing evidence which brings us to the definite conclusion that that is what happened. "From the condition which Mr. Cooper found, we have been driven to the conclusion that the rupture was caused by a blow from some object floating in the water." Mr. Handley added that Mr. Little, a naval architect, had also inspected the boat on the instructions of Lloyd's underwriters, and he had come to a conclusion that it was something other than a lack of structural strength which caused the disaster. Mr. Nutt said that the engines supplied by Rolls Royce were of the same type as those used in the machines in the Schneider Trophy race. Medical evidence was given that Mr. Halliwell's death was due to a broken neck. SURVIVOR'S STORY. Mr. Michael John Willcocks, the survivor of the disaster, was the next witness. He was directly employed, he said, by Sir Henry Segrave as engineer and riding mechanic. Witness added that he accompanied Sir Henry when he went out to break the record. They first made a run over the measured mile from south to north. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. They then turned round and covered the mile again from north to south at a much higher speed. Sir Henry and Halliwell both had stop watches. At the end of the second mile Sir Henry gave witness the customary signal to examine the transmission and gear box on the forward part of the hull. He got down and looked round. Everything appeared to be in order. He was about to go forward again when Sir Henry touched him and then clapped him on the shoulder. He was obviously delighted. Witness said he shouted, "Beaten the record?" and Sir Henry nodded. He then accelerated and turned the boat over the third run. The boat was then travelling much faster than on any of the previous runs. "Suddenly I felt a dull thud, which seemed to be on the port side. Up to that moment everything had continued to function perfectly. Immediately afterwards the boat lifted and dipped. When the boat was slightly more than half over I was shot out head first. "I came to the surface very quickly. I turned round in the water two or three times and saw a black figure without any movement of the arms, going backwards. I turned round again in the water and made towards Miss England II. The boat was then inverted, with her stern to the Lancashire shore, and she was lying diagonally across her course." BOAT OUT OF CONTROL. Mr. John G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} A.{Mr Adams} Kitchen, an engineer, of Windermere, said that he was out in his motor launch watching Sir Henry Segrave's trial run. He never saw a speed boat run more perfectly than Miss England II. On the third run over the mile there was no variation, but the boat apparently altered her course and then appeared to slow down suddenly, travelling about one hundred yards at this slower speed. The boat seemed to get out of control and turned at right angles on her course. A wall of water thrown up from the lake hid her from his sight. When the water subsided he saw Miss England II. inverted and lying diagonally across her course. There were three objects in the water which appeared to be the heads of men. Later he saw what he thought might have been a portion of the boat's step. It was practically submerged and lying between two hundred and three hundred yards astern of Miss England II. He went up to this object and found it was the waterlogged branch of a tree. The branch showed only three small marks. Mr. Thomas O.{Mr Oldham} Pattinson, an engineer, of Windermere, who went to the scene of the disaster, said that he saw that the forward part of the step of Miss England II. was broken off on the port side. Mr. James Ellor, an experimental engineer, of Derby, employed by Rolls-Royce Limited, said that after the disaster he examined the portion of the step which had been torn away, and formed the opinion that it had been struck by some object in the water. If it had struck the floating branch produced, the blow, at the speed at which the boat was travelling, must have been enormous. He had examined the engines after the salvage of the boat and found everything in perfect order. BOAT DESIGNER'S EVIDENCE. Mr. Fred Cooper, the Naval architect who designed Miss England II., drew the attention of the jury to the broken part of the step, a huge piece of splintered mahogany which was carried into court by three policemen. He said that he was satisfied from certain marks on the wood that it had been struck by some floating object. "The blow would fracture the solid skins into an inrush of water and the creation of a bursting pressure. This would force off a portion of the step, which would drop down and form a hinge. He had had experience of boats striking submerged objects at speed. In one instance the boat turned over, and in the other it sank. The conditions he found, on examination... | ||