THE WRECK OF THE SURAT.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 257, 6 February 1874, Page 4

THE WRECK OF THE SURAT.

The decision of the Court of Enquiry in the caa« of the Surat is no* more than". everybody expected. The object of the Mngistiutes no doubt was to prevent Captain Johnson and the mate Forshaw ever again having an opportunity of sending three hundred souls in a moment to tsterriity. That the lives of any of the Surat's people were saved is attributable to a mere accident, and not in any respect to the efforts (>( the captain or officers had the speed of the vessel been double what it was. it is clear from the evidence that the same course would have been Btrered, and in that case she would inevitably have gone down in deep water at once after tearing over the rocks, and not a soul would have escaped; had the shock been greater, so as to shake out the rivets all at once instead of one by one ; had the floor not been cemented, or had some trivial incident not occurred which did occur, Captain Johnson and the wonvn be was carousing with, the mate and his bottle of gin, nil the crew, and all the helpless passengers, must have gone to the bottom immediately. We never heard of a case of shipwreck where there was so littlf to admire, or so much to despise, as in thi§ one. The recklessness and insensibility to danger, displayed before the catastrophe occurred, were only *xceed«d by the miserable incapacity to meet or avert the clanger when it had arrived ; the most ordinary qualities of (teamen —presence uf mind, and readiness of resource—were utterly wantilig ; inpompe'eiury, vacillation, violence, *'and childish excitement reigned supreme';'the poor women waving their shawls, and 'the passengers hauling up the ensign, union down,' rero the only people showing any sense. When coolness, activity,'and com - .bined action have stopped'the leak and Raved the ship, the captain and dfft-' cers w,eie inarching about the deck, stick- 4

ling for u discipline which they were unworthy to command, and of which they set no example among themselves. When by their folly and misconduct they had brought the whole ship's company to the verge of destruction, a means of rescue presented itself in the passing steamer; but even then, with tipsy officers, the cre,w disorganised, and eight feet of water, in the hold, the captain refused to seek assistance until he knew it was too late, most likely prompted by shame at having got himself into such a strait, or else by some paltry consideration of the expense of salvage. This hap-hazard, .devil-may-care mode of navigation should be utterly stamped out marine ; .errors of-judgnie'nt, ; stupidity; faults of temper,'" many * of- the* causes of mishap at sea, may, be looked upon in the light of misfortune more than anything else; but indifference and neglect of ordinary duty at the most critical time are utterly inexcusable ;-t a-master who has hot the sense to see the absolute necessity 1 of watchfulness when approach-' ing land without chart or sounding-line, is unfit to have the charge of life>and<pro-' pertyin any capacity; a* mate whd'-'does not feel sufficient' responsibility, anil''has' not professional pride enough to .look after : the ship ■ which < his superior is neglecting, ,or to warn him of the risk he runs,-is no better than he, and neither of them should be trusted again under any circumstances, whatever.—' Timaru Herald' '". . ! < i ;'■ ' TffK JUDGMENT. The following, as .reported by the \Guar-, ,diun\ is the conviction and sentence-of the captain.—The Resident Magistrate's Court was densely crowded yesterday' morning, Mr Maitland, R.M , having intimated on the previous evening.that he would deliver judgment at the close'of'the police cases upon Edmund Joseph Johnson, late captain of the Surat. ~

On seat, Mr." MaitUnd proceeded to "give his, decision as follows':— ' Edmund • Joseph 'Johnson, I > have carefully considered the evidence which ,haß been adduced by the Crown in l support of the charge brought against,you,' as c contained in the .information, as "well as the evidence tendered and the points raised ■by counsel for your defence. lam sorry to say from the evidence I can come.to no •other conclusion than that'you have been guilty of what I must characterise' as a very serious offence—that of criminal neglect of your duty as master of your ship. This is to iny mind Abundantly proved by the evidence of" the witnesses who have been called in the case, as also by your own evidence given before the Courtof Inquiry into, the circumstances of the wreck af your vessel,' which the law allows to,- be made use of in this Court. ■" in mentioning the evidence given by you on that occasion, I must do you the credit of saying that I-think you gave that evidence in a fair and straightforward manner. At. a time which should have called forth from any, man .of common, prudence the utmost energy in the direction of.taking every possible step to preserve his ship and those who were in it from the immediate and imminent dangers which threatened them, and" .which I need not recapitulate, you showed an entire want of due precaution and a disregard of consequences in not taking proper means to' seek and obtain assistance from the passing '* steamer, , which you had it clearly in your power to do—■ an omission on;your part, which might have been attended with very fatal results, arid "by which y6u, in my opinion,'''serionsly endangered the livt s of, those you had on board.. It has been,suggested byyour counsel that' seeking the assistance of the'steamer under the circumstances was a matter the necessity of "which • there might be a difference ofjopinion upon,,and that, if there was any reasonable doubt as 1 to what was'your duty in the matter, you have arigHt to "the benefit of that' doubt." I agree with him so far, but I cannot see i'.how any, man v of common prudence could have had a"doubt-as to,'what was'his duty under the,'circumstances with regard to the steamer.- .- The> want of due -prec.au • tion and the recklessness on your part may, I think, be'attributed to the fact of your Being at the time/in.a, state of partial in • toxication—a, state,.which in my opinion, under the circumstances, aggravates* the. offence.' ■ I' cannot 'overlook the fact that' you have'beV\ already severely punished by another tribunal in < connection with this matter,- .by. having > had' your certificate cancelled ' This Court is one of a' different constitution, and in that respect may be said to have [nothing .to do with the sentence of any other Court. However, I think it will be right for me to keep the punishment which you have already sufferred in view ..in passing sentence upon you in this case. Keeping that, therefore, in sight, I sentence you to be imprisoned in her Majesty's gaol for two months. Under other circumstances, I should have felt it my duty to have passed a much more severe sentence.

The sentence evidently created a profound impression in Court, and every eye, was turned upon the prisoner, the pallor of whose cheeks' testified to,the agony that must have been raging in,his breast. He, however, bore himself with,an air of apparent calmness, and even smiled. At this tirrie r he was sitting' beside his lawyer, Mr. cjtout, at the .solicitors' table, [mme-, diately oh the sentence being pronounced, Detective posted himself- in .his immediate vicinity, at once intimating, as plainly as if 'he had spoken the words, " You are, my prisoner."

. For a" few seconds there was a silence in Court, and then Mr. Stout rose, and. addressing the Court, said : Might [ ask your Worship if you will give any option of a fine? Mr. Maitland : No,' t do not, Mr. Stout. Tf I did T should have said so. I don't • think that any fine under the circumstances would be commensurate with'the' nature of the offence. . ",'Mr.' Stout:' The law contemplates,-a fine. " : " ■ ■;.'■' ; ' • ' > . .".

'•'Mr. Maitland: leaves it. to 'the discretion of'the- Judge, who has to

uumnus'ei' justice, whether it shall-be in- i dieted'or not. ;, - ; -::<■•'■•?■ -;. ; ...^^V;.':.; , \.>\l .»'•'' :' There sire' two other'charges' against the ... defendant; -Are, they to" be; •proceeded with ?, V "};'(.; ;' : ,f •;> Mi*.; Haggittjsaid that under the circumstances theywould be withdrawn.