FOREST HALL WRECK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 47, 20 March 1909, Page 2

FOREST HALL WRECK.

THE NAUTICAL COURT'S FINDINC*. CAPTAIN'S CROSSLY NEOLIUENT NAVIGATION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, .Last Night. The .enquiry into tin; circumstances of the. wreck of the ship Forrest Hall, iienr Oaipc .Maria Um Dienian, on February ■>!, was concluded this afternoon Evidence was given .that tile insurances on the hull, (freight and cargo amounted .roughly to. C 10,000. -Mr. Keed, who appealed for the captain, .said tine latter foul frankly taken the blame on himself, lie did not know whel'her ,the Court minted him tw deal with Hie suggeatioiiii thrown out that Jn« rficnt had deliberately run the ship ashore for the punposc of gettiii" the insurance. All lie could sav was that if the captain had <toiie this 'he had done it m the most stupid maimer that could Im! conceived. As regards navigation the captain admitted ithat he had comnutted an error uf judgment, but wh'at lie (counsel) wanted the Court to kike into consideration was that the captain wan seriously ill, wliMi. circumstance aftcitted .life judgment JJail Captain Collins been in his proper senses he would silver haw gone so nesir tile, laud.

Air. Mays said this was the first ease ever heard .of .by nautical men of a ship going ashore on a weather shore in calm weather and in 'broad daylight. I his wu* an aspect of the matter which uouhl not be ignored. Tine Court, after retiring for a quarter ol an hour, "brought in an unanimous finding. They found it very difficult indeed to underseand why the captain (put (the vessel on the tack he did when he had made up his mind to .«> either through Cook Strait or to the. estrone south of New Zealand, but' Ihey were further of opinion that the j eviileiKie would not justify them in I'Miling that the wreck was due to the delibcTlitc act of the nnwter. They found, however, that the. wreck was!

diic to his gios-ly negligent navigation, viz., in slamling to the land longer than he was justified i„ doing a»id iu omitting to lake soundings or any steps whatever to ascertain the depth of water. J'he.v furtliev found that the duell ollicn was i H „ 0 wuy to blame lor the wreck. i)„ t| H . contrary thev "•;■'•'■ "( "'I'""! llij.l if the captain h:,d adopted the duel ollicer's ,u."rcstiun shortly befoiv the .y.,.,5cl slniciTin all prol-nbility the disaster would never have occurred. They were also of opin- .»'« Ihtif tire ship was seaworthy, fully '": l ( ""«l, and .equipped in accordance [ Willi the law. They ordered that the. masters certificate be suspended for wo years, and that he pay the costs of lie enquiry. As regards ,the return of he „, a tcs certilittHe,.they would leave i Unit to the Customs Department, be- . «uihc they understood that would bo i .the .subject of u. sjiec'uil investigation ,or enquiry. °