GROUNDING OF THE WESTRALIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 169, 16 July 1908, Page 5

GROUNDING OF THE WESTRALIA.

—»i m i CAPTAIN'S CERTIFICATE SUSPENDED. SYDNEY, July 10. In the Court of Marine Inquiry to-day, before Judge Backhouse and Messrs J. J. Simpson and Chas. Taylor, assessors, Henry Lyttelton Dunsford, formerly master of the steamer Westralia, was called upon to show cause why his certificate should not be dealt with for his having allowed the steamer to run aground at Port Hacking on June-18, whilst on the voyage from Hobart to Sydney. Mr Baxter Bruce said he wished to submit to the court a statement made by the manager of the Sydney branch of Huddart, Parker and Co. This was to the effect that Captain Dunsford had been in the company's employ 16 years, during the whole of which • time there was no record against him. He had always been considered a most capable man. Counsel would guarantee that as a result of the present experience the captain would be one of the most careful skippers on the coast. He had lost his ship, lost his salary, and had been put to considerable law expenses. In the cir cumstances, counsel asked the court to show the captain as much mercy as it could His Honor said that having made careful inquiry into the whole of the circumstances, the Court considered that the grounding of the steamer, whereby she sustained serious injury, was caused by the wrongful action of the master in travelling at a much greater speed) than he should have done at the time of the accident. The Court directed that his certificate of competency he suspended for twelve months as from June 18. The Court had carefully' considered the appeal made by counsel, but could not see its way to suspend the certificate for any less term than twelve months. If proper representations were made, the Court, would recommend the issue of a first officer's certificate in the meantime. His Honor added that he would like to point out that the Court could find no circumstances to justify the action of the master in going at full speed for a quarter of an hour in a dense fog whilst the steamer was very close to the shore, and approaching ports from which he could expect to meet shipping at any moment.