56284-1918-Further-amendment-of-the-White-Lists-for-China-and-Siam — Page 2

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, JUNE 21, 1918.

KONG

Siam.

Add the following names :---

Loh Buau Heng, Bangkok. Siam Produce Co., Bangkok.

Siam Trading Company, Bangkok.

No. 238. The following Finding of the Marine Court of Enquiry held on the 13th June, 1918, to enquire into the stranding of the British Steamship Tjitaroen, is published for general information.

21st June, 1918.

CLAUD SEVERN,

Colonial Secretary.

A

en

FINDING.

We find that the British Steamship Tjitarvem, Official No. 142210 of Hongkong of which FRANCIS HENRY HAMBLIN, Certificate No. 1976 Hongkong was Master left Shanghai route for Singapore on May 24th, and on May 28th at 1.25 p.m. was 24 miles south of the Great Lammocks Lighthouse, when a course of S. 13° W. magnetic was steered and the ship proceeded at full speed towards the Pratas Reefs distant 150 miles which the Master intended to make with the object of checking the rate of his chrono- meters which had been found unreliable after leaving Shanghai. The ship proceeded on this course and speed and 3.30 a.m. May 29th the Master was called by his own orders and came on deck with the intention of shortly afterwards turning the ship around to the north to wait for daylight. At 3.35 a.m. the ship struck on the north side of the Pratas Reef.

The Court do not consider that the course steered from the Lammocks was a safe one taking into consideration the impossibility of obtaining any warning of close approach to this Reef by any means other than visibility, which under the most favourable condi- tions is only a few miles, and that the stranding of this ship was due to the careless and faulty navigation of the Master in approaching this dangerous Reef at full speed during the hours of darkness, and placing too much reliance on his patent log whose accuracy was quite unknown to him. But taking into consideration that after the ship had struck everything was done by the Master in a seamanlike way for the safety of the ship and crew, that strenuous efforts were made to get the ship floated, and communication was established with Hongkong, which eventually enabled the ship to be got off, the Court adjudge the Master, FRANCIS HENRY HAMBLIN, to be severely censured.

Given under our hands at Victoria, in the Colony of Hongkong, this 14th day of June, 1918.

(Signed)

37

C. W. BECKWITH, Commander, R.N.,

Stipendiary Magistrate and President of the Court,

F. J. B GIBSON, Commander, R.N.,

H.M.S. Tamar.

A. MACKENZIE,

Master, British S.S. Glenfalloch,

B. W. S. PRITCHARD,

Master, British S.S. Wollowra.

T. ARTHUR.

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