The Ruapehu Enquiry.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 163, 12 January 1897, Page 2

The Ruapehu Enquiry.

b CAPTAIN'S CERTIFICATE SUSf PENDED. 1 ? (Per Press Association.) L Wellington, January 11. » Tbe Nautical Conrt found Captain • Stuart, of the Ruapehu, guilty of an 3 error of judgment in taking bearings off ' tbo sandbill instead of a more denned ' point and having set the course at 6.35 3 to wards land. He should have con 5 trolled the navigation of the ship. That the chief officer should, when nearing " land have been on duty in charge as an : officer of the watch, and have known 1 the position of the ship, instead of (with | tbe master' 3 knowledge) attending af- ' fairs on deck which might be relegated j to a junior officer ; that there should 1 have been a better understanding between the captain and chief officer as 1 to whom was to be left in charge of the J deck when the course was altered ; that 1 the fourth officer was placed in a false ■ position in being left alone when the 1 vessel was near land, but when he saw | she was running into danger he should ' have acted more promptly and the Court > thought his lookout not vigilant. ' The Court held that it had jnrisdic--1 tion to deal with the certificates and findings as read by the president (Mr Wardell, 5.M.,) were— (l) I hold tbe 1 master mainly responsible for the stranding of the ship, which is due in the first place to his error in judgment in trusting to cross bearings taken to a sand hill instead of a more clearly defined poiut, and secondly and chiefly, to his leaving the bridge when running for 1 land without giving full and sufficient • instructions to the officers of the watch ; (2) I hold that the chief officer is free of responsibility for stranding, as his not keeping his fall watch was concurred in by the master ; (3) I hold the fourth officer censurable .for not taking more prompt action at the time of danger and for keeping an insufficient look out ; (4) I therei'oro suspend the certificate of the master for three months and order j him to pay the cost of enquiry less the sum of £5, which I direct to be paid by the fourth officer. Mr Skerrett asked that one fact be added to the judgment — namely, that the ship had sustained no serious damage. Mr Wardell said there was no donbt to this, and after a little discussion, words to that effect were added to tbe finding. The amount of costs were left to be settled by Mr James, Clerk of the Court. This Day. Tho shipmasters here view with disapproval the censure on the Ruapehu's foqrth mate and are subscribing his five pounds. They also consider the vercjict ,I,'cuorally contrary to tho Imperial law.