Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1889-03-30 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE LOADING OF GRAIN CARGOES.  SINGULAR PROSECI7TION AT SOUTH STOCKTON.  On Monday afternoon at South Stockton Fatty Sessions Frederick Cornwall, master of the as. Ashseld, of Stockton, was summoned by the Board of Trade for a breach of Section 4 of the Can iage of Grain Act, 1880. It was alleged that on or about the 11th of February, 1339, the defendant, being the master of the Ashfield, said ship being laden with a cargo of wheat at Odessa, which port the ship left on 11th February for Antwerp, did not take all necessary and remonahle precautions in order to prevent the grain cargo of that sliip from shifting, for there was earned between the decks grain in bulk other than such as was necessary for feeding the cargo in the hold and carried in properly constructed feeders contrary to ' the statute in such ease made and provided.—Mr Dandy, of Newcastle, appeared for the Board of Trade, and explained that by Clause 4 of the Art when grain was carried if all reasonable pre. cautions were not taken the party responsible was liable to a penalty not exceeding £3OO. Tho veese! was bound from Odessa to Antwerp with a cargo of wheat and rye. The Act stipulated that when a ship comes , pad Gibraltar there should be no grain carried in bulk between decks, and that all grain carried there most be in hags. The defendant had himself made two returns which showed that the ship carried 90 tone in the feeders, and over and above that some 200 ! tone between decks. The Board of Trade considered it was due to those who go to the ! expense of putting their grain in bars that pro. : secntion should be to.ken.—Rizhard Townsend, I chief officer of the e.s., Ashfield, said the cargo was wheat and rye, loaded at Odessa. The i cargo shifted a little after leaving 'Odessa, and when they got to Malta the ship had a list of seven inches. At Malta they had the cargo righted, and the vessel was perfectly upright both when she left that port and when she arrived at Antwerp.—ln cross' examination witness thought the slight list might be partially attributed to the coal in bunkers having been used more from one side than the other. Witness knew that it was usual ; to nut grain in bags when coming from America, I but never when from the Bleck Sea—Mr Hunton explained that it was not altogether certain that the Act required all grain between docks to be placed in bags. He argued that all, reasonable precautions had to be taken when grain was carried in bulk, and in this initance precautions had been taken, as the cargo was packed with boards and caueas, BO that It Could shift but very little. There was no concealment on the part of the defendant, who had made his proper returns, and that having written • letter to the Board of Trade explaining the reasonable precautions he had taken, and receiving no reply, he had assumed that his explanation was satisfactory until ho was served with a summons.—Mr Dendy pointed out that the explanation referred to a cargo loaded in September last, while this Case arose in February.---The Bench thought there had been a contravention of the Act --whether intentional or not they did not say—but they felt boned to convict, and they imposed a reduced penaly of £2O and costs, or one month imprison. , mint.  SAVED BY A WWII'S Nways.—At Finnringboe, near Colchester, on Sunday a man named Death. intending suicide, inflicted a deep gash in has throat with a razor. With remarkable presence of mind his wife immediately mewed up the wound and stopped the hemorrhage. On a medical man being called. be laid the operation had been performed as well ss he could nave done it himself.