INQUIRY RE WRECK OF THE DUKE .; OF SUTHERLAND. ..j;.:.'

(united press association.) yv-jf'jii,> ' Tim.vru, May. 4. The sitting of a Court of Inquiry into the wreck of the Duke of Sutherland, commenced to-day, but the inquiry is not j/et completed. Tlie evidence, so far, is to the reflect that the vessel sprang a leak through striking the ground. -»,. > Tlie wreck, with boats, &c., was sold to-day, and realised altogether LB4. • • vsh}<• j ;. '- Timaru, Mays. s i The preliminary inquiry into the wreck of r the Duke of Sutherland concluded to-day, and the evi dence will he forwarded to. the Marine Board. Nothing new transpired, except that the vessel had been sounded three hours before she struck, and was then perfectly dry. .., , ; -'•'?< <. The Timaru V Herald says The mishap to the ; Duke of Sutherland is a most unfortunate one, coming so soon as it does after the wreck of the City of Cashmere. We are glad to learn that our - Harbormaster has, from first to last, objected to large vessels being brought so close in; and that only a few days ago, although urgently pressed to do so, he refused to bring the City of Perth'nearer ( the Landing Service than she at present lies.. -The hard ship in the present case, so far as the vesseLand the port is concerned,'is that she was, like the' City of-. Cashmere, ail but ready for sea, and, but for the want of working appliances qu the part of the Har bor Board, would long ere this have been on 'her. way to England. She had, in the first instance, to wait until the barques Electra and Elizabeth Graham were loaded, and when she dll get a start—and'a good one—it was only to result in her coming to grief,? The Duke of Sutherland was a strongly-built wooden vessel of 1047 tons register. She was built at Aber deen in 1865, and was one of the'famous.‘/clippers.’ For many years past she had been running in tho Australian trade. She is owned by Jacobs Brothers. and Co., of London, and was surveyed in 1877, and reelassed for oight years.” n • j -j > j >. 