The Taiaroa Inquiry.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1707, 13 May 1886, Page 2

The Taiaroa Inquiry.

(united rtj^ss Association). Wellington, Wednesday. At the Taiaroa enquiry whioh wM resumed to-day, Mr Travers addressed the Court on Captain Thomson's behalf. He contended that even if the course had never been altered at all after pasting Cape Campbell, the ship would still have passed the land three miles outside Waipapa Point. Mr Bell's assumption that the captain was mistaken m thinking he really had altered the course below the Cape was not justified by the evidence, for they had Captain Thomson's assertion that he did do it. (The court her* interrupted Mr Travers, and after consultation said they had no doubt the order to alter* the course was given.) Counsel went onto say that where the master ot a ship was presumably ou the right course, and had confidence m. hi» officers, he naturally would not think of looking at the compass, especially when from 4 p.m. the second mate> .and then the chief officer, were m charge. He argued that it was not fair to blame the captain for that there was some impor tant circumstances which had never come to the master's notice. The chief mate was informed that land had been seen on the port bow, and it was hii duty, regulations or no regulation's,' to have at once taken steps to put the ship m safety. He did not wish to speak hardly of the dead, but the stern logic of facts seemed to indicate that m the interval between the first mate taking charge and the time of striking, great negligence bad been shown by him. In all probability, by some error or ether, the course was altered. The Tattroa'g propeller always projected slightly from the water whatever her trim, and gave the idea of her being light no matter how she was loaded. This had been observed the very morning she left Wellington. He submitted that the only point was, whether there was negligence on thepart of the captain m the interval between 6 o'clock, when he went below> and the time of striking.