THE WAIKARE INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 715, 14 January 1910, Page 4

THE WAIKARE INQUIRY.

'■ The. finding of.the.Marino, Court lof - Inquiry,' which ■ sat in connection with' the. wreck,.'of the excursion steamer Waikare at DuskySound, will meet with general approval. .The accident to the steamer i was .plainly the'- outcome of misadventure. The usual ' course, was steered; the customary' precautions wore taken .to ,ensuro,..tho, safety, of the vessel. An. uncharted rock, was responsible for the; accident .and .this; but serves to show, and it is -ljbcoinihg;-.-" increasingly. '■ eyidorit,--.:- tlie; ; necessity, for a more complete survey of tho waters around , the New Zealand l '-coast. The cost of- this undertaking vwould be very great, but a beginning might be made with tho more frequented ', steamship: routes and'a moderato sum Bet asido each year for this purpose. It is pleasing to v note that the Court: placed on ; record ..its appreciation of the admirable conduct of Captain Newton and -his officers, and .crew ■ iri-'-coping with; the emergency with which they were so suddenly con- ■ fronted.* -Even under - the conditions which, existed the promptness ' shown in getting away, the boats and attending to tho safety of the passengers was most creditable., The accident I ';further demonstrated /the completeness'of:: the equipment pro- . vided by the Union:' Steam Ship Company for tho protection of passongers and crew against the possibilities attendant on such contingencies. r ,i \