TEE WRECK OF THE ALICE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1386, 27 July 1872, Page 2

TEE WRECK OF THE ALICE.

TO THE EDITOR OE THE HAWSE'S BAT TIMES. Sir,—ln your report of the official enquiry into ..the causes which led to theloss of the schooner Alice, 1 find that great blame is attached to the master ofthat. vessel, for not letting go his anchor, and that it would have been more more prudent on his part to have run his vessel back to Napier. Now, air, I think it will be found fo be the opinion of anyone who has the least knowledge of the position a vessel is in when sho takes the ground, that to let go anchor in such a cane would be dimply absurd! —the only service he could; reasonably look for, were he to so act, would be tosee the anchor come through the vessel's bottom. As to running back toNapier, it is well known that a northeast wind is the most favorable wind for a \essel entering the Porangahau river, and no master of a vessel would ever think of running back to Napier with the wind in that quartet. I observe that " A Settler," iu a letter published in the Daily Telegraph of the 23rd inst., attaches great blame to the master for letting go his anchor when the vessel grounded. It would, therefore, sippear that different opinions prevail on »his subject. Capt. Scoones is an old hand on the New Zealand coast, and is no stranger at Porangahau, having had command of a vessel in the Wellington and Porangahau trade years ago. When hi* loss on the present occasion is taken into consideration, and the suitableness, of the wrecked vesssl for the trade of this place, we may come to the conclusion that he acted to the best of his judgment when he attempted to enter the Porangahau river with tiie &iice on the 16tb iust.—l am, &c, Demi-Mariner. Port Ahuriri, July 27.