25571-1912-Finding-of-the-Marine-Court-of-lnquiry-into-the-wreck-of-the-S-S-Dacre-Castle — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, NOVEMBER 1, 1912.

No. 330.-The following Finding of the Marine Court of Inquiry into the wreck of the British Steamship Dacre Castle, is published for general information.

1st November, 1912.

FINDING.

CLAUD SEVERN,

Colonial Secretary.

We find that the British S.S. Dacre Castle, Official No. 124,119 of Liverpool, of which Edward Arthur Gough the number of whose certificate of competency is 034489, London, was master, left Yokohama on a voyage to Boston and New York, viâ ports, and arrived at Keelung, Formosa, on the 14th September, 1912, with a general cargo, of about 5,300 tons, this being about one half her total capacity. That she was there moored head and stern between two buoys in the inner harbour, and starboard anchor down.

On the 15th September a typhoon warning was hoisted, and the barometer gave warn- ing of approaching bad weather. On that evening additional wires to the buoys were supplied. The following day at about 4 p.m. the stern wires parted. The ship, which had swung round in the vicinity of two Japanese steamers, was given a sheer to port, and the port anchor let go. She then began to drag, and as soon as sufficient steam was available— at 5 p.m.-she got under way and proceeded to outer harbour, where both anchors were let go, in line to windard. Twice these anchors dragged, and ship was taken to windward and re-anchored. The second time she was struck by a very heavy squall and carried bodily onto the rocks, where she shortly afterwards broke in two.

We are of opinion that all possible steps were taken to prevent disaster, and that no blame attaches to any one concerned.

We wish to place on record our sense of the good seamanship displayed by the master in getting his ship out of the very narrow waters of the inner harbour under the then existing circumstances.

Given under our hands at Victoria, in the Colony Hongkong, this 1st day of Novem-- ber, 1912.

BASIL TAYLOR, Commander, R.N.,

Stipendiary Magistrate and President of the Court.

CONTENAY EDWIN STAINER, Lieutenant, R.N.,

H.M.S. Tamar.

DONALD MACFADYEN,

Master, British S.S. Jelunga.

JAMES WILLIAM EVANS,

Master, British S.S. Haimun,

WILLIAM JOSEPH BISHOP,

Master, British S.S. Dilwara.

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