BY MISADVENTURE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 69, 14 December 1932, Page 11

BY MISADVENTURE

Accident to Scow Echo FINDING OF COURT Master Held Blameless Having investigated the circumstances of the accident which happened when the auxiliary scow Echo was entering the harbor in thick weather on the night of November 26, the Marine Court of Inquiry Lays no blame on the master of the vessel, Captain W. 0. Jarman, tor what occurred. In its finding, delivered yesterday, the court expressed ihe opinion that the vessel hart struck Pillar Rock by misadventure. Neither the master nor any of the crew was to blame.

“In our opinion,” said the Coutt, “this casualty was due to a combination of circumstances for which the master cannot be held to blame. The fact that the vessel was of such a type as to be unable in the weather prevailing to turn and make to windward and was thus compelled to carry on, and the fact that at the critical time the whole of the harbour lights were obscured by a squall of blinding rain, combined to make the master’s position one of extreme difficulty. It was necessary for him to carry on suiliciently far to clear Barrett’s Reef, and the absence of any lights other than Pencarrow made it .difficult for him to estimate exactly when he had done tills. When he finally gave the word for the change of course the vessel was nearing the shore on the Pencarrow side, and the difficulty in the wind and weather existing in bringing her round to this course was the final circumstance which led to her striking. "The casualty was, we think, due to misadventure and was not contributed to by any act or default on the part of her master or any of her crew.”

Earlier in its finding the Court had expressed the following opinion, when commenting upon the weather conditions at the entrance to the harbour: “In a normally powered steamer a prudent master would . . . have headed out to sea until the visibility improved ; tut for this vessel, being a scow having only low-powered engines, and there being a moderate gale blowing and heavy sea running, such a manoeuvre was impossible. The master was compelled to make the entrance.”

The president of the court was Mr. E. Page, S.M., who had with him as assessors Captain G. AVilkinson and Captain F. Dewhurst. Mr. J. Prendeville appeared for the Marine Department; Mr. N. A. Foden for the master of the Echo, Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson, with him Mr. 0. E. Purchase, for the Wellington Harbour Board; and Mr. H. E. Evans for the owners of the Echo, the Eekford Company.