HOW THE WAITARA WAS LOST.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4589, 19 September 1883, Page 2

HOW THE WAITARA WAS LOST.

The Auckland Star's London corres-pondent,-in a letter abbot the collision between the Hurunui and'Waitara. says :.;.,_, —Davis, an A.B. on. board the Waitara, : showed how the accident really happened. It seems he was at the wheel when the Hurunui was sighted, and heard the second mate (Saunders) give orders for the helm to be put hard up. This was at once done, and it this policy had been adhered to there would have been no collision. Saunders, however, remembered that the rules of the road required the Waitara to pass underneath the Hurunui's stern. He therefore* ordered the helm to be put down, but seeing a moment or two later this was wrong, had it put up again. This chopping and changing undoubtedly caused the collision. Had Saunders decided quickly what to do, and done it, both ships would have escaped. In summing up the-Commissioners entirely acquitted Capatin Hazlewood and officers of the Hurunui of all blame in the matter. The Waitara, on the contrary, seemed to have been distinctly at fault. The result of the inquiry has caused a good deal of surprise and some dissatisfaction. There can be no question that Webster displayed great carelessness in going below and dropping off to sleep at the time he did ; moreover, the entangling-in-the-rigging business," which resulted in his appearing safe and sound on the deck of the Hurunui two minutes after the collision occurred, does not seentto anybody to have been at all cldipy explained. The "place of a captain at the time of danger is on the deck of his own ship, and any contretemps which results in the skipper being the first person saved, will never, I fear be relished ;>, by the public.