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THE Inangahua Times. THURSDAY, MARCH. 4, 1909. THE WRECK OF THE PENGUIN.

THE wreck of a vessel.at any time is a matter of national concern, as it brings home to the minds of all, the [responsibility entailed on these whi go down (0 the sea in ships,? More especially is this realised when the wreck, as in the cise of the Penguin, is accompanied by a heavy loss of Then the average citizen sees, with startling distinctness, the dangers incurred and the responsibility undertaken by those, in whose hands he so h«s. life and fortune. The-, wreck of the Penguin especially has been one of these cases. ]ln a short run on a stormv night she was swept out of her course by an extraordinary current under extraordinary circumstances. The current was accompanied. by a heavy sea and the darkness of an especially dark nigfct. The captain of the Penguin! indeed had only set his course |after making allowances for a ffteavy set of current, On leaping Picton, •Captain Naylor set his course more southerly thag he had ever: set it before. Hef foresaw the danger of the cunjlnt, and prepared for it. AlaJ tor human foresight, the allowance made under that set of fcircumstances was not sufficient.ftn the course of 171 miles the veslsel was driven I broadside on to th| extent of 6| 'mibs. The tide #as abnormal, 'and played hav|c with the allowances and calculations of

even an experienced sea captain that Captain Naylor had proved himself. There Wjjis not a single voice lifted up?.', in evidence against Captain Naylor. Captain Post said "It was sine act of God," something utterly|impossib!e to be foreseen, an abnormal current hardly ever experienced. And thus the ship dtijing on a more southerly courses than usual, drifted broadsidelon was carried bodily by wind aritd sea, almost a third of the way |o the north, of the course on wjiich she made her seventeen miles. No compass could betray /that shifting. There was no sigh in heaven or earth to tell thaf vessel, sloom enveloped and sea. beset as she

was, her whereabouts—only (he dead reckoning which unfortunately proved to be utterly misleading. It is hard indeed in such a case to award punishment or give justice. The captain had taken extra precautions, which it indeed seemed were overruled by the hand of Pro\ idence. But, on the other hand, unless some punishment is awarded it is easy to attribute to Gtid, that which is due to man— carelessness, error or wilful ; wrong doing. Putmhnent is necessary, punishm ntlo bring home to every f eafaring man that his individual position is at stalje as well as the mesof thise who have trusted him. No rran in the world is note sorry afterwards than the captain, who knpws that under! his direction, men, women, happy young girls and buoyant youth have been heed-!

lessly cast away. That is a punishment that will rest Wilh him for all the days ©Jf his life. But something more is needed simply to show men of his class that their professional reputation is at stake, and that they should bDk before—not after. That the Court has done, and with its , decision, the colony is satisfied. »

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/IT19090304.2.4

Bibliographic details

Inangahua Times, 4 March 1909, Page 2

Word Count
538

THE Inangahua Times. THURSDAY, MARCH. 4, 1909. THE WRECK OF THE PENGUIN. Inangahua Times, 4 March 1909, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. THURSDAY, MARCH. 4, 1909. THE WRECK OF THE PENGUIN. Inangahua Times, 4 March 1909, Page 2