THE TRIUMPH DISASTER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3863, 4 December 1883, Page 3

THE TRIUMPH DISASTER.

Auckland, This day.

The offer of the captain of the Triumph to abandon the steamer to tho underwriters has been refused by the local agents of Lloyd's, Messrs BroAvn, Campbell and Co., because they do not knoAV AA'hether she is insured in Lloyd's or not, and they Avould not do so until after enquiry. If they Avere to haA-e accepted they might have incurred expense and risk, and then found that Lloyd's wero not concerned. It is not knoAvn Avho the underwriters of the vessel aro, and the amount of the insurances are not known.

A conference of engineers, consisting of Messrs George Fraser, AY. Lodder, Jas. Stewart, George Black (Thames), David Gouk, and Captain Hcale, was held yesterday for tho purpose of considering tho feasibility or otherwiso of lifting the Triumph off the rocks into deep water Avitli the agency of compressed air. It Avas generally agreed that the project AA'as feasible, and eventually the proposition Avas adopted, and it was resolved to submit it to the agents of the vessel, Messrs L. D. Nathan and Co.

Dr Mcnzics, of the Triumph, states, with reference to the Avithholding of gratuities Avhich are usually paid to the captain and doctor, that the statement published might have led to tho inference that there Avere improprieties bctAvcen the officers and the immigrants, but that there Avere none, and if there Avas anything of the kind at all it Avas bctAvcen some of the passengers and the immigrants. There is a strong feeling of sympathy in the ship for Captain Brotherton in his misfortune, and those under him all speak very highly of him. He has held a command since he reaced tho age of 22, and at the present time he is considerably under 40. This is said to be the first mishap that has ever occurred to a vessel under his charge.