Royal Tar Wreck.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 280, 5 December 1901, Page 2

Royal Tar Wreck.

[By Telegraph—Press Association.]

Auckland, fast night. The Magisterial inquiry into tho Royal Tar wreck was held to-day.

Captain Morrison stated he had passed out of port as a foreign-going master five times, and always went out on the east side of Tiritiri. Witness was on deck till midnight. August Brandon was at tho wheel, and William Mane tho lookout man when the vessel struck. Witness was not on deck till the vessel struck. He left Boatswain Hunt in charge when __ lie occasionally went below after mid- ~ night. At 12 o’clock witness gave tho course N.N.E. Tho night was bright moonlight. There was a light ground swell from the east. At 1.30 the vessel struck the Shearer Rock. Asked if thoro was no certificated officer on deck to sea that the course was kept, witness said the boatswain was competent enough to do so.

At the Royal Tar inquiry Captain Morrison said Mayne, who was on tho lookout when the vessel struck, had been the worse for liquor in tho morning, but got sober enough to do four hours' watch. The mate was sober.

Later. —At tho Royal Tar inquiry Capt. Morrison said that the deviation between his course and ijhearer Rock presented a distance of ono mile. He could not account for a deviation unless the compasses acted sluggishly. Evidenco was also given by two men at tho wheel frmj the time of sailing till striking the She4£jfir rock. Both adhered to the course, N.NiE., given by the captain at half-past eleven, when the vessel was half a mile west ofi Rangitoto beacon. Several others oxam* ined all stated that everyone on board was quite sober, as far as they knew, when the anchor was weighed. The inquiry was adjourned till Friday morning.