WRECK OF THE ELEANOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 253, 23 October 1907, Page 7

WRECK OF THE ELEANOR.

THE CAPTAIN EXONERATED. The inquiry into the loss of the cutter Eleanor on Maori Rock, Kawau, waa continued after we went to press yesterday afternoon. John Regan, master oi the vessel, in further examination, stated that the night was not very clear, and occasionally mistj\ The Eleanor was not overloaded. He was working on shares, and carried all he could. Otto Haver, able seaman, stated that he went on duty at the -wheel of the cutter at about 5.30 p.m. He did not know that the beacon had been washed away. They were putting into one of the bays at Kawau to get a supply of fresh water. They loaded the vessel up witS as much as she could carry. The decks were not under water, but there was only a little freeboard, about four inches.

Captain C. Fleming, superintendent of mercantile marine, at Auckland, said the Eleanor being a vessel plying within the extended river limits,' from Cape Colville on the one side to Bream Head on the other, was not bound to display a pliinsoll mark or load line, nor a certificate: He thought the Eleanor would carry a cargo of about 40 tons. She would have a full load at the time of the -wreck. She would probably have a freeboard of Sin or 9in. Asked by Mr. Kettle as to the advisableness of allowing- men running these boats on shares to load them up as much as they could, witness said he could not answer that question. However, he had not noticed any case of overloading so far.

The Court decided, after an adjournment of a few minutes, that, having regard to the conditions as they existed on the night of the wreck, they were of opinion that the captain adopted the right course in taking the inside channel, and that everything that a reasonably cautious and prudent man would do had been done by the captain when he realised his position on Maori Kock. The captain was exonerated from all blame, and his certificate was returned. While of opinion that the Collector of Customs had taken reasonable steps to give publicity to the notice of the disappearance of the beacon, the Court thought that in future it would be advisable also to send « notification to the Coastal Masters' Association. The costs of the inquiry were ordered to be borne by the Department.