Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-08

3
can steamer Yangtsze, which brought
them to Yokohama.
CONCLUSIONS OF THE CoURT-THE BoM-
BAY CAPTAIN Mildly cEYsURED.
Following are the conclusions arrived
at by the court of inquiry:
That the effect of the collision on the
Bombay was comparatively slight; that
guns were fred from the Oneida as sig
nails of distress from ten to fifteen min
utes after the collision took place; that
the reports of these guns were not heard,
nor the flashes seen on board the Bonn
bay; that after the collision the fact of
the Bombay having been hailed from the
Oneida, was reported to Mr.. Eyre; that
Mr.. Eyre only knew that some of the
upper works of the Oneida had been car
ried away, and was unaware of the
amount of injury sustained by her; that
the Bombay was mail steamer carrying
passengers and cargo, and was built in
compartments, only one of which was
reported to him as making water fast;
that the whole extent of the injury sus-
tanned by the Bombay was not ascer-
tanned till the day following the collision;
that Immediately after the collision it
was not considered to be serious; for had
it been so, it is natural to suppose that
the knowledge of the pilot would have
been arailed of, and the Bombay run on
to the Saratoga Spit.
That in our opinion no danger to the
Bombay, her passengers or cargo, was
apprehended by Mr.. Eyre; that from the
questions he asked the pilot he evidently
thought that the Oneida might possibly
have sustained serious injury; that he
waited at the most FIVE minutes after the
collision to see if signals of distress were
made from the Oneida; that after his
ship again proceeded he gave no orders
that lookout should be kept in the di-
rection of the Oneida; that had he or
any one else been keeping proper look
out the flashes of the Oneida's guns must
have been seen, though their reports
might not have been heard.
Under all the circumstances, it becomes
our duty to pronounce, whether in our
opinion Mr.. Eyre was justified in pro-
ceeding on his voyage without waiting to
ascertain whether the Oneida was in
need of assistance.
We recognize the fact that he was
placed in a position of great difficulty
and doubt, and in circumstances under
which hewas called upon to act promptly;
but we regret to have to record it as our
opinion that he acted hastily and i'll
advisedly in that, instead of waiting and
endeavoring to render assistance to the
Oneida, he, without having reason to be-
lieve that his own vessel was in a peril
GUS condition, proceeded on his voyage.
This conduct constitutes, in our opin-
ion, breach of the 33d section of the
63d chapter of the Merchant Shipping
Act Amendment Act of 1862, and we
therefore feel called upon to suspend
Mr. Eyre's certificate for six calendar
months from this date.
FRED LowDER, H. B. NJ Consul,
President of the Court
ARTHUR TINKER, Com. II. NJ. Ocean.
DAVID MOORE, Staff Com, do
JoHS GILFILLAN, Master 5. S. Sultan.
WIN. CHAPMAN, Master Rockliffe.
Kanagawa, 18th February, 1870
COMMENTS on THE REPoRT-THE COURT
GEHsVRED.
The japan Herald criticises the action
and verdict Of the eonrt-charging that
it was partial and piFeumsorihed in its
range of inquiry, and organized in the
interests of the surviving captain. Still
it thinks the evidence goes to show that
no deliberate inhumanity could be
charged against him. 1t says;
1t is not little singular that the court
appointed to inquire into the circum-
stances of this tragedy-in which, in the
course of few minutes, one hundred
and twelve hapless beings met their
doom, and ship built and equipped at
a cost of $500 900 was sunk, an irrecov-
able wreck, to the bottom of the sea
should have been evoked at the instance
of the captain of the surviving ship and /
the local agent Of the great steamboat
company TO which the Bombay belongs
not, we may be sure, 70 incriminate
Capt, Eyre, bat TO exculpate him from /
blame. so far, indeed, as public opin- |
ion was concerned, this prompt action /
to secure full, impartial and searching /
into the details of this |
most melancholy case, was rewarded by /
a great modification of feeling in Capt. /
Eyre laNOr, Wnenf ~ Nhe puDhcdtlOH 1
Of the eyideaes, the real circumstances
Of the event became more tnliy known.
REMAINS OF CAPT. WILLIAMS or THE I
ONEIDA
The japan Gazette of february 9TH says:
Last evening the only eoFRse that has
vet been found out Of all the officers and
crew who perished in the Oneida, was
brought % the harbor, and taken on
board the L. S :. Idaho II was that of
Capt. f. P. Williams. IL was dsnuded
1f clothes, with the strange exception Of
MS shirt collar, which bore his initials.
Il was recovered well out Of the chan
nel, many miles below the wreck. The
is that with the strong cur
rent seward, and the prevailing direction
of the wind during tbs lasI hew days,
most Of the bodies will be taken out TO
sea, and Few if any recovered.
Hfs FUNERAL
The same paper Of ihe Sch ssvos the
account Of the funeral Of Capt.
williams.