THE ELINGAMITE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 4001, 22 January 1903, Page 1

THE ELINGAMITE.

THE FINDING 'OF THE COURT OF ENQUIRY.

AUCKLAND, dak 19. The findififfpf the pqipct fri 'flic Eljiigamite enquiry was given ,this piprning. The Court finda r the’master guilty of grossly negligent' navigation ; also of a grave error in judgment 'ill allowing, the No. 1 boat to leave tllb ship with only half the cbmplcihcnt of people the boat was' able to carty.' '.The master and the first officer g,re' s>.. iilanm |or not having a}l tJhfi.,' pjropcrly equipped, and the tackle in proper order, and the crew efficiently exercised in bqat cjrijl, The rafts were abandoned by the boats, but, those : in the, boats should have stood by the /rafts as Icing as possible,. The master .and officers should have kept the bqats pel vpa together unt|| at leagt a. "pt-i'icpried plan of action had been arrived at. The Court was of iopinion 'that while the certificates, bf'the first and second officers ipnst' bff ‘tPturupd ifipm, t'hp't conduct was not commcmdiolo; either in handling the boats at the time of the wreck or in leaving passengers adrift on the rafts. The court ordered the certificate of the master, Lmcst Bacot Attwobd, to be suspended ■ for one year, and that no pay £ 'io towards thp of the eii'cjiucv, Unsatisfactory as thp testimony of tho engineers was, aril dangerous as the condition of the engines probably was, tho Court cannot hold the surviving engineers responsible for what happened. Thpy ny<?rp tit ■fjmU' prsvs and obeyed orders, and >.ho' Court earn not punish them by. suspending their certificates and ordering them to pay costs.. Referring to tho of those on the large raft, the finding states, that the surviyqr?, s;nffprgc|_ ftg spvpcely as prep cap suffer apd live, but there appears ho foundation for any charge of unnatural conduct.