THE WAITAKI—KOPUTAI COLLISION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2497, 8 April 1882, Page 4

THE WAITAKI—KOPUTAI COLLISION.

rPBBBS ASSOCIATION TBPESRAM 1 DUNEDIN, April 6. The Waitaki-Koputai inquiry was concluded to-day. The evidence was contradictory of that given by Birch, the purser, on Tuesday, Two engineers swore that his evidence was false, and that all orders were obeyed. Robert Boss, a donkey man on the Waitaki, who was in the engine-room at the time, and part of whose duty it was to watch the indicator, corroborated the engineers, and in cross-examination said —" I was looking at the telegraph. The second engineer called me down to look at it, because it was going at such a rate that he did not know what was meant. Mr Moffat called out to me ' dome down to etand by Bob, because I don’t know what they are doing with the telegraph ; it is going like the pendulum of a clock,’ Moffat was driving the engines then, and I stood looking at the telegraph until be sent me up for the water. The reason I was called down was to look at the telegraph to see that no mistake was made.” After bearing other evidence the Court found—“ That upon the evidence a prima facie case had been made out against Matthew Craig Moffat, second engineer of the Waitaki, 1 ’ adding that the collision occurred through his not answering orders telegraphed by the captain with promptness.