THE MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12817, 17 July 1912, Page 4

THE MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY.

The vei-ditit of 'the Nautical CoWt of Inquiry which lias been' investigating,' the circumstances attending the strjwidhig of the steamer Star of Canada could have come to no other conclusion on the: evidence presented l toit than that which was anrtOunced this afiernoon 1 . The disaster must be jjecorde'd as 'one of those, acts of pure misadventui* .sometimes occurring at sea' which could scai'oely; have been foreseen^ and which only an excessive amount of ■ caution, beyond; what^ is* reasonably expected- of the' most ", prudent liavijgator, .could- have, averted.- --; plain, straigli'tfprwfl.rd account of tWstrandiirg. given by . Captain Hart arid his .officers bore the 1 , impress of truth,; and cleanly demonstrated tha<j every caje was taJken • by ■■ the master of - the Star of . Canada to- ,Qbaery« the weather ooadi-. tionsValid -aiitend 'to the- safety of the. shi^ on 'thef'nighib that- she 'was driven ashore. r .The ' sjbe.adiness of the- ,barometer and> the frequent- loreaks' m the weathei' denoting the- likelihood of its 'taking off" 1 may. ,'hav.e given Captain 1 H«irt a sens© of false, security, but the evidence tof local- BhipmAsters Ayas strongly confirmatory of his own opinion that he ; was -..fully justified' m holding Qn-at the -anchorage; ■'. which has always been regarded- the safest m the bay, and that it. .was « quite an unexpected- -fiqunll of exceptional violence which caused : Me mishap. The singular \jart of the occurrence is that though the vessel dragged, her anchors with considerable rapidity,

no vibration was felt aboard the ship as she drifted, and' this fact led strongly to the • inference that the cable parted, which, however, was disproved yesterday by the diver's investigation. A subsequent .discovery -made tbiday, that; the anchor was lying on its side, to some extent accounts for th& absence of-, vibrations At the time of the accident and' iri the 'sub-, sequent strenuous endeavors to get the' steamer afloat again,- Captain Hart bore' himself with commendable coolness, ; courage, and energy", arid -we axe ': sure : that there, -will; be a genuiine feeling of : pleasure m this'-' community that' he' has come through the ordeal of the public inquiry ; without! a stain.'.on his long, and ■ honorable ' career. ' There -is -satisfaction 5 also to be. exprep^ed at the fact that nothing was Mducedab the inquiry to give Bhipmasters much cpncerii ■ regard- . ing the -• safety of this port.; it wasshown that. the Star' of Canada aird other vessels, including., .Captain Hart's o^iyh , commands, have lield; out safely 'm much ; more' severe ■' weather^ and; the miahap to the Star of Canada 1 was oiie of those accidents that coji , scarcely be account--ed for, and M'hich. might have happened just as easily, as Mr My«rs pointed > oTit. : at Wellington,: or Auckland^ or any other well-condttcted • port. ■ - ; ■ *•