ELINGAMITE WRECK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXII, Issue 8246, 11 December 1911, Page 3

ELINGAMITE WRECK.

NEW ENQUIRY OPENED.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, December 9. The enquiry into .tlieVloss of theElingamite off th'b Three'- Kings, in 1902, was re-opened to-day before the Chief Justice and Captains Smith and Chrisp. . In opening the ease, the SolicitorGeneral, who appeared for the Marine Department, said that there could be no real doubt that the vessel was carried northward by a current when the captain was steering what he considered was a safe course. He was in roality travelling directly towards, the West King. The finding of the original Court was that Captain Attwood was guilty of gross negligence in driving full speed through a fog up to. 10 a.m. on Sunday, when he must have known that he was near land. He did not take soundings before or after 10 a.m., and he altered the vessel's course without sufficient reason. The Solici-tor-General said tha.t his duty was somewhat repugnant, but he had gone carefully into the matter, and came to the conclusion that an error in the charting was irrelevant in judging Captain Attwood's conduct. The' Chief Justice remarked that the point was if the captain had known of the correct position of the islands, would he not have allowed more sea room? Counsel for Captain Attwood —That is the position in a. nutshell. f During evidence to-day, Captain Blackburn c, nautical adviser to the Marine Department, stated that the islands -were a mile and, a half to the south and a third of a mile to the east of the position on the chart Captain Attwood' was probably using until the re-charting was done. Witness had no < idea that the charts issued by the Marine Department contained erro--1 noous information.