LOSS OF S.S. EGYPT

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15035, 5 September 1922, Page 4

LOSS OF S.S. EGYPT

The court of inquiry into the loss of the P. and 0. Company steamer Egypt, which* it will be remembered, sank off Brest as the result of a Collision with the steamer Seine during a fog, has now delivered its findings. When wrecked the Egypt had on board 38 passengers and a crew numbering 291, and the mishap resulted In the loss of 87 lives and £1,000,000 in specie, which was in transit on the vessel. The large loss of life was attributed by survivors to the fact that the boats were rushed by Lascar seamen, who composed part of the cre"tt, though the white officers were spoken of by passengers as having exhibited magnificent courage. The verdict of the court of inquiry, however, indicates that matters aboard the Egypt were not as they should have been, and by suspending the master's certificate for six months and severely censuring the chief officer the court has pronounced them to -blame in part for what occurred. Neither the personal courage nor the of these officers appears to have been impugned by the court, their dereliction of duty apparently having been that they had not sufficient control over the crew to ensure good order and the efficient launching of the boats. Had the boats been properly handled a great loss of life, the court considered, might have been avoided, and attention was directed to the fact that in no case did the allotted officer and crew go to the proper boat. The root cause of the trouble, though it is not specifically stated, appears to have been that the crew had not received sufficient boat drill and emergency station training, and it is also indicated that the court considered the company's management partly to blame for this condition of affairs. Whatever the cause, the regrettable disaster to the Egypt has directed pointed attention to the serious consequences likely to attend any negligence in such matters, and in their own interests, as well as for the safety of the passengers under their charge, ships' officers are likely to exercise for the future even greater care than they may have done in the past.