THE PORT ELLIOT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2695, 14 February 1924, Page 2

THE PORT ELLIOT.

FINDING OF THE COURT. MASTER. AND OFFICERS EXONERATED. The reserved decision of the commission, consisting of Mr \V. U. Riddell, S.M., Captain J. J. Smith (late superintendent of mercantile marine), and Captain W. J. lingers (late of the Blackball Coal Company), set. up in order to inquire into the Port Elliott mishap at the East Cape, was delivered at the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, yesterday. The commission, in its decision, exonerated from blame both the master of the stranded vessel and i lie officers on watch at the time of lim occurrence.

THE FINDING. The liuding was as follows: — "The court, having considered the evidence tendered in connection with the stranding of the Port Elliol between Horoera Point and Te Araroa Point, on the night of Janunary 12th, 1924, when voyaging from Auckland to Wellington, is of i lie opinion that the wreck was mainly caused by a set in-shore, which affected the course of the vessel as she approached East Gape; that the master was unaware of this induenec, and was therefore not in a position to provide against it. The court is further of opinion that the course set at 10.5 p.m. would have resulted in the vessel clearing East Cape, and the alteration of that course by the master at 10.25 p.m. was due to the third oliicer and look-out reporting a light in the direction and corresponding to that at East Cape; that the master was, under the circumstances, justified in assuming that the light seen by his officer was the Bust Cape light, though, in fact, it was not that light, but one of a bush tire showing at intervals through the fog and smoke which obscured the land; that the alteration of the course, combined with the effect of the set, resulted in the stranding of the vessel, but, under the circumstances and existing weather conditions, the court is not prepared to say that the casualty was due, or was contributed to, by the wrongful act or default of the master or auy of his officers or crew. The certificates of the mastci and of the third officer are returned herewith.”