NORTHUMBERLAND’S MISHAP.

Otago Witness, Volume 1851, Issue 3809, 15 March 1927, Page 75

NORTHUMBERLAND’S MISHAP.

FINDING OF THE COURT. AUCKLAND, March 11. The captain and officers of the Federal Line steamship Northumberland, which struck a sumberged rock while on its voyage from Auckland to Gisborne on January 25, were exonerated from all blamfi by the finding of the Court of Nautical Inquiry which was given to-dav bv Mr E. C. Cutten. S.M. ‘Mr Cutten .at with Captains L. C. H. Worrall and F. W. Barron as assessors. They were late in entering the court to give judgment, and there was a certain tenseness in the atmosphere whilst counsel, the officers of the ship, the Press representatives, and the court officials awaited the fateful decision. When Mr Cutten and the two captains entered the court there was a sudden hush of conver- : sation. Everybody rose and remained : standing until the magistrate and the assessors were seated, and Captain Broughton, the master of the Northumberland, stood stiffly at attention whilst M- Cutten read his judgment The proceedings were brief. Mr Cutten said the only point the court had to consider was whether or not the ship was steered on the course set. It would he an unusual proceeding for a ship to be steered on any course different from that wlrch was set by the master, and the court Lad carefully considered the evidence in this case. From this evidence it would appear that the ship did steer the course set. The finding of the court ; was that the ship, whilst taking a course which appeared to be a safe and proper one, struck a submerged rock, no blame being attachable to anyone. Mr Moody, who had represented Captain Broughton during the inquiry, immediatelv rose and made a formal application for the master’s certificate to be returned to him. Mr Cutten: That will, of course be done.