The Ashburaton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4. 1889. TRAVELLING BY SEA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2244, 4 October 1889, Page 2

The Ashburaton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4. 1889. TRAVELLING BY SEA.

The pnormous number of persons, as compared with the total population of tho colony, who, owing to its geographical configuration, have m the course ot transacting business, occasion to travel by eea between centre and centre renders ; tie question of the sufficiency or other wise of the care taken for their safety a matter of the greatest moment, and one of a wide, nay general interest. Tho splendid coastal and intercolonial fleet of the Union Company is the theme of universal commendation, and the mode m which the steamers aro fitted up, officered, and provisioned leaves nothing to be desired— is indeed a matter of just prido as well to colonists as to the Company. But the not infrequent occurrence of mishaps, if not of wrecks, leads to the conclusion that there is a little too much close shaving of dangerous places m the anxiety to make quick passages between port and port, and it was not without reason that Mr Gully, on behalf of the Customs department, on the occasion of the enquiry into the loss of the Koranui, asked the Court to consider generally the question of the navigation of the French Pass, and whether on such a night as that on which the steamer was wrecked it would be advisable to avoid going through the Pass. The Court does not appear to have given any deliverance on this subject m its finding, but we notice that Captain Hill Btated m his evidence that there was as much danger m going round D'Urville Island aB m going through the PaBB, owing to the strong currents and the absence of a light on Steven's Island. So far as this particular place is concerned then it would seem to be a choice between Scylla and Charybdia, and the sooner the needed light is provided tho better. But there was another and an exceedingly ugly fact brought out at the enquiry referred to. It was that the Koranui had not sufficient boats to have carried away anything like the full number of pasßengerß she is licensed to carry, and that if she had had that full number oa board a great many must necessarily have lost their lives for want of boats to take them m. And worse still, we have it on the authority of the Customs Department and of the Court that the case of the Koranui is not a singular one, for it was officially stated that while the Koranui had her full complement of boats according to the regulations, being licensed to convey more passengers than the boats she was required to carry could possibly hold, other steamers are probably equally wanting m boat accommodation, inasmuch as it appears that the number of boats is not regulated by the number of passengers, but by the tonnage of the vessel. That is an exceedingly unsatisfactory provision , and the sooner it is reversed the better. For, it needs no argument to show that the safety of life is the first consideration, and that no Bteamer should be allowed to go to sea without sufficient boat accommodation for the maximum number of persons she is authorised to carry. The matter is one which calls for the immediate attention of the Minister of Marino.