THE LOSS OF THE MAORI.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 16

THE LOSS OF THE MAORI.

, FINDING OFTHE MARINE; COURT. -,'', . ._'Th'o,' ; necessity ."for ,a" 'lighthouse' .'; at .Duiker Point was emphasised-at the.inqjiiry into the loss of the steamer Maori on the South African' '?.?£?* , Tho ' Cour ''s finding >was as follows :- lhe Maori, left Tablo Bay on Wednesday, August A, at-11.40 p.m., for Duncdiu.aud she 1 strucK at or. near Duiker Point, 11 miles distant from Table Bay Breakwater, and became total wreck,' attended unfortunately by considerable loss of a crew of 53 all t01d•37, a t r L e n °w; missing,'including the master, and 1 all the.navigating officers except-the Chief officer, lhe-ship appears to have been- well found, and the compass had been regularly tested. . .—-',-, ■ »■ , ' "The eviderico before the Court as'to• the stranding /of' .the vessel is of a' very-meagre description. -The man who was at the wheel is, as .far, as.is known,' the only, survivor'- of those on deck at the, time of 'tho casually, and while.we, are satisfied 'as : to his' bona fides, we think that-he may: bo.mistaken as to the precise time 'at'which the course-was altered. All the ship's papers and log-books were lost, and his.,is the only, evidence available as to ttho courso'steercd front midnight, and from the times that the.watches were set,and ; there -is no evidence -as to tho courses steered.-before-.that time, 1 which would have ■been, various after -leaving:' Table Bay until rounding Green Point. Projecting ,tho courses from tins, man's evidence .from,-'-the danger angle point of view,, and. having regard to the time that, the ship left-Table Bay to tho .time.that .she is alleged to have struck,, wo find,.that'.sho,would, but for, (he .set hereafter- referred .to,: have, passed, .two..' miles clear of iah danger; ~aiid, taking into,'consideration .tho ordinary practice of navigators, she would have been at least three, miles: outside this danger angle; that-.-is,. under.: normal weather conditions, ;but; with .-.those .obtaining -at .'this time the probability would-be.that she would have been-still, further .out. . ',; - . V"\Ve find'upon such - evidence. as wo havo before us,-that probably the cause 'of:stranding was the -abnormal.,set, retarding tho ship's speed arid setting her in'towards the land. The .navigating officers, on account of ' their not being '■ able,,tq, sea; Green Point light or Rob.bou Island light astern, or the land,, would ■have no \. knowledge :of (his .set. The!iforc, - upon-'the evidence before us,' wo are. of opinion' that, ho. blame should be-attached' to the -master or navigating : officers.,.--'-. : : "We believe that after .the "ship struck those on-'the. ship' did everything they thought pos--sible to-save-life; and as regards'tho evidence -of the" chief engineer, we. would say that W. .think: that ,it is quite, possible that. when, the ship was grinding on the rocks the engine tele-graph-may. havq;become.out,6f<order, andjtliat the ord-sr? from the bridge! could not havo been .conveyed to the. engineers,:by telegraph, Although tho telegraph handle might,.have been Worked ,on. the: bridge, the : wires uuderueath plight havebeen broken..; ' . .' -, <. ".' The' Court' desires' to impress upon .the" authorities'the urgent necessity-.'for tho '.erection .of a- li£hthous6.'and fog'station at or near the place in. question, and .to express the strong and 'emphatic opinion that had ■■ these bten in existence,,,this .wreck.n'nd others; would probably' not have occurred. The. l'.oarest fog .station, is: at' Eobben Island,- and to Cape Point there are 30-miles of dangerous coast line frequently covered in by mist.or"fog." ..';