THE ELINGAMITE DISASTER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11486, 20 January 1903, Page 3

THE ELINGAMITE DISASTER.

•■ . ■ ■ j . m ' 11 . . M&DIKG OF THJ3 COUBT.

THE CAPTAINS CEBTIFK3ATB SUSPENDED.

(niss AjuoounoKT nuDoaAK.) AUCKLAND, J«n«y 19. | A decision mis given to-day by the Uoart; of. Enquiry into the wreck of t*w Ettngamite.. Mr Haselden, S.M., in delivering judgmeot, after going y«cy fully into the circumstanoes ofcthe irreek, went on to **y :— "I'ne Court is of opinion that there mm ro grounding astern until after the ve**el struck forward. No one on board outside the perceived any touohing or bumping euch aa has been deposed to by the engineers/ whose story was at variance with the known conditions existing at the time. The engineers all told tSe mom story, and advanced the same theory, and showed the came reluctance to speak candidly about the engines. It i* clear that owing to some detect, in the engines the reversing gear would not act, and the chance of thus saving the vessel was consequently lost. Unsatisfactory as the testimony of the engineers was and dangerous as the condition of the engines probably was, the Court could'not hold the surviving engineers reapotunbJe lor what .happened. They were at their posts and obeyed orders, and although possibly the vessel could have oeen extricated from danger had the engines been in perfect order, the. captain was none ibe less responsible for having so lost the ship. The Court found that Captain Attwood had been guilty of grossly negligent navigation in driving at full speed through a fog to 10 a.m. on Sunday, when he mart have known he was near land, in neglecting to sound before and after ten, in altering hie course without sufficient reaaon, in proceeding at 4£ knots or over without Bounding* .in not. carefully ascertaining his speed when I going slow ahead, and in guessing hw speed at noon on Saturday at twelve knots when everything pointed to « higher speed. The Court also found that after the wreck a grave error of judgment was committed by the master allowing No. 1 boat to leave the ship, and particularly to leave with only half the complement she was able to carry. No sufficient excuse had been urged either by the master or Captain Reid for leaving the wreck. The muster and. the first officer were to blame in not having all the boat* properly equipped, the tackle in proper order,.and the crew efficiently,exercised in boat'drill. Those in the boats should have stood by I the rafts as long as possible, and the master ! and officers should have kept both the boats and rafts together until at least a concerted plan of action had been arrived at. While the certificates of the first and second officers must be returned them, their conduct was not commendable eithez in handling the boats at the <bim* of the wreck or in leaving pasaengere adrift on the raftfi. , The Court ordered Captain Attwood's certificate to be susgendled for one year, and also ordered him to pay £50 towards the costs of the enquiry. ". The certificates of the other officers would be returned. * Referring to the experiences of ttooee on toe large raft, the Court cxpreaeed the opinion that there was no foundation for any charge of unnfttunl conduct, though the survivors had gone' through as much as men conldgo through and yet live.