THE NORMANDIE FIRE.
PLACING OF RESPONSIBILITY NEW YORK. April 20. The United States Navy has announced that a Court of Inquiry has placed the full responsibility for the fire on the line Normandie on Febrauary 19, on employees of the Robins Drydock Repair Company. The Court said that the direct and sole cause of the' fire was gross carelessness and utter violation of the rules of common sense by the company’s workmen. The Court recommended proceedings against, the Robins Company for damages to the full extent of the liability. The Court of Inquiry pointed out that the contract covering the conversion of the Normandie limits the Robins Company’s liability to 300,000 dollars. The United States Secretary for the Navy (Colonel Knox) has issued a supplementary report in which he holds two officers assigned to protect the Normandie guilty of carelessness. However, he declared that because of mitigating circumstances the officers would not be court-mar-tialled. They are Lieutenant-Comman-der Early Brooks, of the Coastguard, and Lieutenant-Commander Lester C. Scott, of the Naval Reserve. Colonel Knox has also appointed n committee of marine experts to recommend further steps in efforts to salvage the Normandie.
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Bibliographic details
Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 162, 22 April 1942, Page 3
Word Count
191THE NORMANDIE FIRE. Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 162, 22 April 1942, Page 3
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