THE ELINGAMITE WRECK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9643, 19 January 1903, Page 2

THE ELINGAMITE WRECK.

MAG ISTERJAL ENQUIRY. DECISION OF Tlii-: COURT. CAPT. ATWOOD'S CERTIFICATE SUSPENDED. (Per Press Ahsocmlimi.j AUCKLAND, this day. Decision was given to-day by the Elrngiiinite Wreck Enquiry Court. Mr Haseklen, S.M., hi delivering judgment, after going very fully into the circumstances of the wreck, went on. to say : — "The Court is of opinion tluit there was no grounding astern until after the j vessel struck forward. No one on. bouid I outside the engine room perceived any | touching or bumping such as deposed to ;by the engineers, whose- story was at i variance with the known conditions existing at tlie time. The engineers all told , the same story, advanced the same theory, ;a.nd showed the same reluctance- to speak J candidly about the engines. It was clear j that owing to some defect m the. engines j the reversing gear would not act. and the i chance thus of stopping the vessel was i consequently lost. Unsatisfactory .is the testimony of the engineers was us to tlie i dangerous condition of the engines, tlie Court could not hold the surviving engi- ■ liters responsible for what happened. They were at their posts and obeyed the orders. "Although possibly the vessel coiild have been extracted from the danger had the engines been m perfect order, the captain was none the less responsible for having so lost the ship. "The Court found Captain Atwood lia.d been guilty of grossly negligent iKiviga- . tion m driving full speed through a fog | to 10 a.m. on Sunday, when lie must have I known he was near the land ; m negleet- [ ing to sound before aud after 10 a.m. ; m i alter/ing the course without sufficient rev- ; son ; m proceeding at 4^ knots or over without sounding ; m. ntofc carefully ascer--1 taining his speed when going slow' ahead ; j m guessing his speed at noon, on Saturday at 12 knots, when everything painted to a. higher -speed. "The Court found that after the wreck a. grave error of judgment was committed by the master m allowing No. 1 lifeboat to leave the ship and to leave with only half the complement- she was able to carry. No sufficient excuse had been urged either by the master or Captain Reid for leaving the wreck. "The master and lirst officer were to blame for not ha.ving all the l>oa,ts properly equipped and the tackle m. proper order, and tlie crew efficiently exercised m boat drill. Tliose m the boats should lvive stood by the i\ifts as long as possible. The master and officers should have kept both boats and rafts together until at least a concerted plan of action was arrived at. "Wlule the certificates of the first and second officers must be returned to them, their conduct was not commendable, either m handling the boats at the time of the wreck or m leaving passengers adrift on rafts. "Tlie Court ordered Cii.ptn.in Atwood's certificate to be suspended for one year, and also ordered him to pay £50 towards the costs of the enquiry. The certificates of tlw> other officers were returned." Referring to the experiences of those on the large raft, the Court expressed an opinion that there was no foundation for any charge of unnatural conduct, though the survivors had gone through as much as men could do and live.