THE STRANDED TAVIUNI.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13110, 8 May 1908, Page 8

THE STRANDED TAVIUNI.

CAPTAIN BROPHY'S CERTIFICATE

SUSPENDED.

(PREBB ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.)

WEBTPORT, May 7

Tho Nautical Court in giving its judgment in tho Taviuni stranding case, said v. had come to the conclusion that the cause of the casualty was the negligent navigation of the master, James Brophy. Tho reasons for tho findings were:—The vessel, well found and manned, was seeking an anchorage, practically -wit'i i3ie signals against her. . To put it bluntly, she was driven ashore full-speed (because the Court preferred to TeXy on tho evidence of the second engineer as to the time, ho recorded his orders) a few hundred yards from a well-lighted port, on a nigh* which, on the captain's own admission, was not dirty, but dark and squally/ with pists hanging over the land. This jn itself showed negligence of some kind, and when tho circumstances .were further cairqtiired • into it was found that the captain, knowimg that the signals were. against him, and knowing tint -the niriit was not clear, and that mist was nanging along the shore, ran on with his vessel until he could pick up tho red light on the end tip .head, which could only bo seen at a comparatively ehort distance off in misty weather, without taking the simple—and as the Court held, proper and necessary precautions—of taking cross bearings between Cape Foulwind and the harbour lights, or using the lead. . Other masters might not fake these precautions, but tho Court considered it, to be wrong, even indirectly, to countenance any lowering of the standard where life and property wore concerned. The captain's certificate was suspended for three months, and he was ordered to pay the cost of tho enquiry, £35 lls.' The Court found that after the accident, proper steps were taken to protect and preserve tho passengers, crew, mails, and cargo: that the life saving appliances and signalling apparatus on tho ship were in first-class order; and that the red sector on tho Cape Foulwind light was a good one, but was not absolutely necessary. No blame was attached to the other officers of the vessel.

WELLINGTON, May 7. The Union ' Steam iShip Company's tug boat Terawhiti, which has had a oouplo of unsuccessful attempts to tow the stranded Taviuni off the beach at Westport, arrived back in port this morning. The stanch little vessel accomplished a smart run up of 20 hours, averaging an hourly speed of about 11| knots.

It is reported that another attempt irill be made to refloat tho Taviuni at the time of tho next spring tides. The steamer is hard and fast embedded in seven or eight feet of sand. Thero is evidence, however, of the sand clearing slightly foro and aft of the hull.