THE TAIAROA INQUIRY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1305, 12 May 1886, Page 2

THE TAIAROA INQUIRY.

(DOTTED PBEBS ASSOCIATION.) ;

WELLINGTON, May 12.. ' r The Taiaroa enquiry was resumed at 12.15 to-day. Mr. Travers addressed the court on Captain Thomson'^ behalf. He contended that, even if the coarse had never been altered %t all after passing Cape Campbell, the ship would BtijjJl have passed the land three' miles outside of Waipapa Point. Mr. Bell's assumption" that the captain was mistaken in thinking he really altered the course below the cape was not Justified by the /evidence, for they had Captain Thomson's assertion that he, did- do it. >The Court here interrupted' Mr. Travers, and after consultation said they had no doubt the order to alter the course w.asgiven. Gbunsel^went on to say that when the master of a ship was 1 presumably on the right course and had "confidence in, ' his officers, he naturally Would not think of looking at the- compasses, especially when from 4 p.m. the second mate and then the chief officer were in charge. He argued that it was not fair to blame the captain for that. There were some, ;un-., portant circumstances which had never"' come to the master's notice. The j chief mate Was informed that land had been! seen on the port bow, and it was his dutvj ' regulations or no regulations, to have at once taken his steps to put -the ship in safety. He did not wish toVpeak hardly of the dead, but, the stern -logic of factor seemed to indicate that in the interval between the first mate's taking 1 charge* and the time of striking great negligence had been Bhown by him. In .aU prob* ability, by some er*or or other/ the course >■ Was altered. The Taiaroa's propeller always projected slightly ironf the water» and gave the idea of her being light) no matter how übe ■ was > loaded^ This Had been observed the very morning she Itffc Wellington. . The- only pbintTni submitted was whether there was Negligence on the #ars ofjthe JJapteia\ in'the interval between ft o'dookj when Xj f went beld#,' ,afld f the, time "4f atrikiniri4 morrow, when judgment will begiY«ti^H o!>

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