Wiltshire Enquiry.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 June 1922, Page 3

Wiltshire Enquiry.

[by TKUEOn.H’II -l'l a MESS association]

AUCKLAND, -111110 20. William Wliitlord. mu-tor miirinor. examiner at 2 iickland for nia-'trrs’ a.nd mate-’ ooriifioal-a.id that provionsly ho had liooii onpaced on the Tiitnnekni and Hinoimia for two or throe years. lie \va- connected with liolithouso work and had examined the casualty return furnished by Hayward. It put, the location at mid-day on May Mist at 3.1 dep. Ml min. S.. 178 doe. to min. K. The course sot was not south 07.1 west time and tlm i ourso steered would have taken tin- vessel four and a-lialf miles south of Cape Barrier, hut the Wiltshire was wrecked a little over two and n-ha!f miles to the northward. The casualty return showed that the vessel struck at lI.MO n.m. shin’s apparent time, wlib-h would he about 10 minutes ahead *ef New Zealand time. Tt,e vessel had been stonminer 11 hours M 8 minutes since mid-dav and had covered |tm miles or 13.9 miles per hour. If she had kept to the com so steered, the AViltshire would have passed within five and a-lmlf miles of the Cuvier Child. On the course made, she wns within Hi miles. The Cuvier l.i-dit had a mine of 2fi miles and from the I lu-idie of the Wiltshire it should have been vishle at MO miles. On done fith he visited Cuvier and inspected Hie licrlit. It was in pood wni-kinp order. Tie saw nothin}; that would lead him to lielieve that the lilht had recently been out of order. The three keepers were perfeetlv relinhle men and he found nothin-; to lead him to suppose that the lillil was not work mi on .May , 31st.