THE CORONER'S JURY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 51, 2 March 1909, Page 3

THE CORONER'S JURY.

THE VERDICT. "CONDUCT OF CAPTAIN AND CREW ADMIRABLE." A LIGHT ON TONGUE POINT SUGGESTED. After a retirement of 70 minutes the jury before which' the inquest on the victims of tht Penguin disaster was conducted returned the following verdict : — 1. That 'Mrs. Brittain and others came to their death, by the wreck of the Penguin. 2. That the course laid down by Captain Naylor would, under ordinary oircumstances, have been perfectly safe, but was affected by adverse winds and contrary tides and currents, and having lost his bearings through the thickness of the weather — no lights being visible after 8.30 p.m., and the vessel struck at 10.2 p.m. — the Penguin struck upon some object, the exact locality of which has not been defined, and became a total wreck. 3. That the conduct of Captain Naylor and the crew of the Penguin after the vessel struck was in all respects admirable. 4. That on the evidence submitted it is apparent all was done by the Union Steam Ship Company, the police, Mr. and Mrs. M'Menamen and their men, for the care of the dead and the welfare of the survivors that could be done under the circumstances. 5. That having regard to the number of wrecks in this vicinity, and with a view to preventing the recurrence of I such a deplorable disaster as the wreck j of the Penguin, and consequent loss of life, the jury is of opinion that a light on Tongue Point is desirable, and its erection should be considered favourably by the Marine Department. 6. That the jury is of opinion that steps should be taken speedily by the Marine Department to locate the hull of the Penguin. His Worship thanked the jury for the attention it had given to the evidence and for the manner in which it had carried out its duties. [The above appeared in a special edition of, the Evening Po&t issued last evening.]