"AN ERROR OF JUDGMENT."

Mataura Ensign, 16 March 1909, Page 4

"AN ERROR OF JUDGMENT."

I DHHKST HALL WRECK. I I'EH UNITED I'ItESS ASSOCI ATH'Ji. AUCKLAND, March LV Tin* Court of Inquiry into the wreck of the vessel .Forrest Hull sat to-day. John Collins, master of the vessel, said that ;it daylight on February 2i tiio ship was heading lor the land, whieh was liftyen miles distant. All sail was .set. He had instructed the chief officer to l;oep as close in as possible to make a favorablo ])c>rt tack. Ho relieved the chief officer at 8 o'clock. When they wero about four miles off the land the crew wero called to stand by to "bunt ship." He kept the vessel on her course till 0.30 p.m., when s'no grazed the. bottom about a mile and a-half from the shore, where she remained fast. About three minutes before tile vessel struck the mate told the man at. the wheel to port, the helm, but witness countermanded the order, and told him to keep straight oil. lie kept straight on, as he believed, outside the line oi danger. He had heard complaints about the crew destroying tin? stores and throwing the food over the nicks. He was too ill to interfere. He attributed the wreck to an error of .judgment, possibly affected by the state of his health.

William Class, chief otlicer of the Forest Hall. said there was no justification for any one saying ho was under the ;iu!luence of drink. lie did - not see a riot on Saturday night, hut tin.' men were "jolly.'' While (jutting the stores oil' witness had a few words with the. steward, and struck him. A slight, struggle ensued, in which the cook lifted an axe to liiin.