THE DALLAM TOWER ENQUIRY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1610, 2 October 1873, Page 2

THE DALLAM TOWER ENQUIRY.

The Otago Daily limes Melbourne correspondent, writes: "I cut out the following paragraph in relation to the enquiry made by the Steam Navigation Board into.the case of the Dallam Tower. You can find the full evidence in the newspapers:— -'The enquiry by the Steam Navigation Board, commenced on Thursday, .September 4th, into charges preferred by some of the passengers and seamen of the ship Dallam Tower, against Captain DaVics, master of that vessel, was concluded on the following day. These charges were to the following effect :— l. That the captain, either through drunkenness or from having lost all presence of mind, was in an unfit state for duty on the 14th July, the day on which the foul weather in .which the vessel was disabled commenced. 2. That the hatches were not secured, and that no preparation was made to prevent the water coming into the saloon through the doors, on the evening of that 1 day. 3. That the ship w^s brought to the wind on the 15th July without any proper preparation having been made for the manoeuvre; And 4. That the captain, after the foremast had fallen and stove in the main hatch on the 18th July,, and while 1 the ship was taking in heavy seas, lay iritis bunk, and endeavored to dissuade the men' from obeying the orders of the chief officer while the latter was endeavoring to'get the hfltch properly covered. After hearing somo of the witnesses called by the persons making the complaints, the Board .dismissed the first, second, and fourth charges without requiring the. captain to produce rebutting evidence. The evidence given in connection with the third charge was very contradictory, but the Board found that the ship was brought to the wind with the braces foul, and that, coDsequeriMy, the fore yards could not' be braced up, and they added that the captain ought to have ascertained that his 'gear was clear before so dangerous a step as rounding the ship to in a gale of wind and a heavy sea was undertaken. Taking into consideration; however, the very exceptional circumstances attending the casualty, they contented themselves with cautioning .Captain Da vies to be more careful for the future when rounding his ship.'"