The Evening Mail. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1876.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 206, 18 December 1876, Page 2

The Evening Mail.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1876.

"Words arc things, ami a drop of ink falling npon a thought nmy prwJilcc that which niakcs thoWDds thinfe."

Perhaps there has been no official inquiry of late years in which the finding has been so freely discussed, and given rise to such diversity of opinion, as that with regard to the loss of the steamship Otngo. There i 3 scarcely a New Zealand journal which has not expressed an opinion as to who was chargeable for the loss of the vessel, and while a large portion heartily endorse the verdict returned, there are not a few ivho virtually hold the captain responsible for the catastrophe. Thosa who side with Captain Caider argue that no precaution woal.ft untaken by that gentleman for t.ie safety of the vessel, and the onus of the disaster is solely and wholly to be placed upon the shouldcra of the second mate. Is arriving at this conclusion, and

in taking this view of the matter, they are strongly influenced by the equivocal position in which that gentleman was placed with regard to Mr. Palmer, the second mate. It must be confessed that Captain Cax.dep. laboured under most serious and decided disadrantage through being forced to accept the services of an officer in whom so far from being able to place implicit confidence, on the contrary he had reason to check for incompetency and neglect. In t .is individual case the great burden of the disaster will have to be borne by the owners, who, in our opinion, are in the main responsible. It appeared from the evidence of the commander tb&f-he had no voice in the selection of .jus officers, and that such appointments were made by the owners themselves ; so that if a seaman happened to pass his examination and receive his certificate as mate, although p-issibly theoretically perfect, yet practically incompetent, and wilfully neglectful, his superior officer was powerless to more than r.buke his shortcomings. We cannot possibly imagine a responsible position in. which it i 3 so necessary that the suborI dinates should be wholly and entirely ! under the control of the head than in the | command of a vess-.1. In the ordinary I transactions of life, it is impossible to ex- ! pect success in the affairs of a company, | the management of which is tied up in | any way ; and it would be an injustice to expect a manager to guarantee success or prosperity as the responsible head, while he was debarred the full control over the machinery by which such a result was to be achieved. In the case under review, it is quite apparent that, as Mr. Palmer. was appointed by the owners to the position of second mate, without having either experience or merit to recommend him, that, even had Captain Calder protested against his keeping the position after his first dereliction, su'Hcient interest would have been brought to bear to overrule his objection. Indeed, it was proved in evidjnee that a report was made to the owners as to the second officer's incapability and unreliability, and it was treated in a jocular manner, as if of no importance whatever. It is just possible, then, that Captain Caldkij, being aware of the manner in which the strings were pulled, had no wish to uniuc.ssarily become obnoxious to the owners by steadfastly running counter to their wishes. It is quite right that owners of vessels should have power to appoint commanders in whom they have confid.-iic;, but there are other interests involved far more weighty than those which sway the merchant, and other and higher considerations which make it necessaiy that, while making the captain responsible for the safety of his ship and the lives of his passengers, all possible means for carrying such out should be placed at his command. We trust that one of the effects of the disaster and the evidence revealed at the investigation will be to cause the Colonial Board of Trade to make it incumbent that the appointment of the subordinate officers will be in future in the hands of the commander, and as he is alone responsible for the safety of those placed under his charge, he will be in no way crippled by the foisting upon him of incpable officers, as has been the case with Captain Caldeu. It is true is a material difference between the crews of the Inter-Colo"ial steamers and the ocean clippers, tlio former generally continuing with the vessel from year's end to year's end; while in the latter the master has very often to procure a crew at some obscure port on his voyage. Mr. Corfield, the British Acting-Consul at Pemambilco, has prominently brought this evil before the public, and ventilated the subject by publishing a portion of the log of a vessel visiting that port. From that most reliable source it was apparent that ships are allowed to sail out of British ports with crews in a state in which a cab-driver woidd not be allowed to proceed along the street, the inference being that commercial adventurers and speculating insurers are allowed a scope to make their profits, being apparently exempt from regidations applied to street and railway traffic, mine?, &c,, for the protection of human life. With the following extract from the log in question, and the fact storing us in the face that incompetent officers are frequently appointed, it is no matter of astonishment that a large number of vesss-ls never reach J their destination: —"Barque , Fri- j

day, Decemberlo,lß73. —Lsftthe Prince's Dock at nearly high water. The mate and boatswain never came on board at the time appointed, but joined in company with the crew at the pierhead, there being taken in tow of a steamtug. On proceeding outwards, discovered that all hands with the exception of two boys, were more or less intoxicated. When abreast of the Rock Lighthouse, some disturbance arose between the boatswain and others of the crew with the pilot, whom I after some time got separated. The conflict was from the pilot requesting them to get the jibboom rigged out. The pilot was continually soliciting me for spirits, which I refused to give him. Also found A.B. utterly incapable, falling down at the wheel while steering the vessel, having in his possession a flask containing a quantity of rum, which I took and threw overboard. During the passage to the Bell Buoy I found the crew in such a state of intoxication that it became impossible to get the jibboom rigged out and sails set on tne ship ; consequently, had to keep the steamtug tawing to hinder the vessel from going ashore, it blowing a fresh breeze at the time from the nor'-west; wind increasing. leaving the Bell Buoy, at ten a.m., thought it best to let those of the crew who were worst drunk to lie down, if possible to get them sober; the boy E. S. (first voyage at sea) having to steer the ship. It was during these proceedings thai it was discovered that T. J., who joiusi at t'.is pierheal a3 a substitute for J. Dixon, who neglected to proceed in the ship, was a soldier, or had been in that capacity, and never engaged at sea service before; therefore, useless on shipboard. At nine p.m., Great Ormeshead bearing aoout south, the crew being in a better state and condition, got sails set on the vessel. Tow-rope hauled in. This morning, 11th December, the pilot was taken off by the cutter on the station at Point Lynes."