Alleged Incompetence of Caption and Crew New York, Dec. 19.
The United States Commissioner, Mr, Francis F, O'Neil, who presided. fever the federal inquiry into the loss of the Lamport and Hol liner Vestris, has reported to Cor on the investigation of the District Attorney Mr, Tuttle, on the sinking fof the ill-fated vessel, Mr, O'Neil, who recommends sweeping reforms in the Maritime Regulations, attributes the heavy loss of life in the first place to the lack of stability of the Vestris when she encountered storms; secondly, to the "incompetence of Capt, Wil-iam J. Carey and the crew." and, thirdly, to the antiquated type of life-belts which were in use on, the vessel "a type which is barreff by United States law.
Mr. O'Neil finds that the Vestris was not subject to the reulations of the British Board of Trade since she never touched at her port of registry (Liverpool) on her regular rou Ue finds also that she was not. subject to the United States maritime regulations owing to the immunity granted to foreign vessels, The owners of the Vestris are allowing har sister-ship, the Vauban, to be tilted to one side when next she arrives in New York to enable officers of the United States Inspection Service to study her behaviour in an attempt to solve the mystery of the Vestris disaster—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.