THE Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1831, 4 June 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1874.

An inquiry wag held yesterday, at the! Custom-house, beforo. H. F. Andrews,) Esq., Collector of Customs, and Captuiu; Butt, uuder the provisions of the; Inquiry into Wrecks Act, relative to! the injuries to vessels in the recent; .gale. ; . ::; The.evidence;adduced;\vas as s to; damage to the cutters ' Lady Rath,' ' George/ and 'Sydney/ and the officers conducting, the ..inquiry gave tuitous"'opinion ab v ' the- close' of 'their! investigation. Although this is au ! unusual course to pursue in such in-' quiries,-the- propL'r .coursecbei'ng'to hearthe evidence only and remit the same to the Government in Wellington, we should. not so, much complain of the officers"exceeding'theifduty : i'n giviug an opinion if the latter had been borne' out by evidence. The opinion of the Collector and assessor goes forth to the world in condemnation of the holding ground for vessels~ing off this 1 port, whereas the whole evidence adduced only tends to prove that the damage was the result of a want., ,pf f> proper., precautious oil the partijiofjj $ those! in,-!* charge of the vessels. The weather gave ample warning of the gale, aud yet we find that the three vessels! only mustered two anohors amongst thera. Mr Curtis, in his evi-; deuce, says "the 'George' bumped spme tiijie no.one,on 4 board; th'eVeVere U --anchors downyu'or' any! chaiu out." Referring to the ' Lady; Rath/ Mr. Hawkes deposed, " She had) one anchor down and oue man onj board." Mr. Tiller deposed, iu re-i ference to the ~<-George/ "She had; ueither chain or anchor, so far as i' could see." Mr. Harold, the master) of'the'Sydney/ appears to have been] the only one who took proper precau-, Uotis; aiu'd. W Insca'so'-ttn.HinforUrfatie] pwcated, these grcQantioa^

from proving effective. He says he left; annatei in charge with one anchor down, aud instructed him to let go a second if: the wind increased. The niati lot go the second anchor, but in dpingi,ho■• the chains got foul of the Bt()clc, : and,tho vessel diove on to the wharf,. In the face of the above these sapient officers attribute the injury to bad holding ground, instead of to the force of what has been described as '• the heaviest gale experienced at the * Thames," and to the want of proper preventive steps on the part of those in charge. In Auckland the harbourmaster' or his"assisfatt usually 'warn masters of'small craft.of an approaching gale, so that they may prepare to remove" theit- vessels -to - sheltered places and let go second anchors; perhaps the masters of vessels ljiu'g here •• ; on; Sunday ;expected, to be similarly warned 'before taking any steps. <•••■•