DUE TO OVERLOADING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 28, 1 August 1929, Page 13

DUE TO OVERLOADING

UNFIT TO FACE SEAS

BRITISH COURT'S FINDING

British Official Wireless. (Eeceived Ist August, 11 a.m.)'

RUGBY, 31st July.

Mr. Butler Aspinall, Wreck Commissioner, gave judgment to-day in the Board of Trade Inquiry into the loss of the Lamport and Hull liner Ve'stris, which sank in tho Atlantic off the American Coast on 12th November, 1923^ with the loss of 112 lives. The inquir/ lasted forty days—the longest maritime inquiry ever held in this country. The tribunal had submitted a list of fiftyeight questions to answer. The Court found that over-loading was a contributory cause to the loss of the ship. Among other causes were the tender conditions .of the ship, insufficient margin of stability and reserve of buoyancy, and heavy weather and a high wind, which caused the vessel to list to starboard The cargo and coal were properly loaded and distributed, ana were secured from shifting, but coal should not have been carried in the upper shoots.- The half-doors on the upper deck were not weathertight. The weatherdeek hatches were not battened down. Tarpaulins had been supplied, but were not available when required! ihe vessel had not the freeboard required. The lifeboats were in a seaworthy condition, and arrangements for efifctenT and launehine were proper and UNSAFE CONDITION. The Vestris was not in a safe condition on leaving Hoboken, and no steps were taken to bring her to her.proper marks before going to sea. The vessel was not fit to encounter the perils of -i voyage. The reason for more boats not getting away was probably that the disaster overtook the ship sooner than was expected. There was.no lack of order or discipline among the crew. There was no satisfactory, evidence, however, that definite orders were given to abandon ship. The passengers and crew did not go to pre-arranged places because no order-for boat stations was given. , In all probability, owing to the list other orders were given and the passengers and crewwere diverted to other places. There was some disorganisation owing to the passengers and crew" going to boat* other than those allotted to^henu Thl women and children were placed in the port boats m a mistaken application of the traditional order, «\y O men and children first." It was also held that an S.O.S. message- should have been sent out six hours earlier.