The New York herald., 1869-01-29
SCOTLAND.
The Loss or the stesmship nm

Tho Loss or the Steamship HIbernia.
The board Of inquiry into the loss Of this vessel
gov, whom Mr. Mclean, one Of the magistrates, said
sne court nad unanimously arrived at the following
n coming to conclusion as to the circumstances
Mnicn lea 90 the loss of the screw steamship Hber-
MA the court has experienced no DIFF
fun ana wh sss sssSs s snsr
~ ~ chsie ths q ner engine department. u hsa owing
20 cse eosence Or as may be feared their loss
Indeed SO much 50 that had the teiegraphic an
nouncement or the rescue of thirtynne OF the pas
by further favorable accounts, we should have
deemed u our duty 10 adjourn the inquiry for fur-
oer nUe. As ~Siss ! there
pared to decide We are Of opinion that the effect OF
the provisions Of the Merchant Shipping Amendment
regards certificates OF competency and service to
engineers Is to diminish the responsibility of the
master and extend that or the latter class OF ocers
and that Captain Munro cannot be held responsible
for the loss OF the ship the accident having occurred
In the engine department.. From the evidence be-
Hiberna was strong ana faithfully built ship. that
the structure and machinery OF the engine depart
mcnt were suIlcient and that the diameter Of the
engines The captain and chof engineer are adj.
mitted to have been under the Impression that when
upon the shaft "a circumstance which hal occurred
on two former yoyages). They deemed 1t advisable
TO draw the shaft In, and drop the screw. II the
done, but unfortunately the shaft proved to have
been broken 1t was drawn out Of the stern pipe,
hence large body of water rushed into the stern
tank. Even then there would have been no danger
had the stuffng box on the bulkhead OF the tank
been intact and the iron man-hOe door the top of
the tank properly screwed up. The water could only
nave nlled this tank and thus have been confined
IN small space. The evidence shows that the
shifting box on the water-,tght bulkhead had been
1nterfered with, or the water could not have found
its way INTO the tunnel. and the upper part OF the
tunnel not being caulKed, and there being q doubt
whether the foremost man-hoe door In the platform
or bottom OF the tunnel was properly secured, the
water would find its way into the after-hold; and
the evidence goes to show that the iron man-hole
door on the top OF the stern tank or water tight
compartment ait over the stern pipe, had not been
properly secured. The court has great reason to
doubt that there was any damage sustained to the
stern plates OF the vessel and the only inference that
can be drawn from the evidence to account for the
increase OF water after the bllge injection had been
applied, ana for time successfully applied, is that
the bige injection had become choked by grain
which was slowed In bulk. While hope remains
OF the safety OF the engineers. any OF them the
court feels bound to defer pronouncing Judgment
upon any alleged errors OF commission or omission
on their'part reserving to itself the right should
circumstances admit OF It, hereafter to receive ad-
dftional evidence and with this view they are OF
opinion that the ends or public justice require that
the inquiry should be deemed to be OPEN The court
will, therefore, make an al interim report TO the
Board Of Trade. s s 8 m