The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-04-09

according to the m.dshipman's report, the
log Showed the speed of the Oneida to be q
trife over six knots. To stop the way OF
the Bombay entirely by reversing the engines
would have taken at least three minutes,
for it was given in evidence that for thai
purpose the preparation would take sometime
indeed the chief engineer stated that time
to be three minutes. During these three
minutes the two ships would have sundered
about half a mile. II then the Bombay had
backed astern she could certainly not have
followed the Oneida at a greater rate than
six knots an hour, and thus she would have
simply been keeping the same distance OF
half a mile between them. On the other
hand had the Bombay gone full speed ahead,
she would have been about four minutes
getting right round to pursue the Oneida,
and by that time the latter would have been
nearly half q mile from the scene of the
collision, and-a stern chase is a long chase.
There was not, we are quite sure, the slightest
possibility of the Bombay overtaking the
Oneida before she sunk practically, therefore,
the Captains coming on to Yokohama made
no difference whatever as TO the result. We
see this now, by the light of the evidence.
Captain Eyre did not know it. He did not
state that 1t even crossed his mind, for he
did not think the other ship was so badly
injured. And it is because he did not act
upon the possibility of her requiring assist
ance, tina: he is suspended. But had there
been the full complement of boats, this long
and careful inquiry would, in all probability,
have been a mere investigation as TO which
ship was in the wrong. And the result OF
the inquiry shews us that on that score
Captain Eyre would have been honorabiy
acquitted, and would still be to continue his
long sea career without such n stigma as the
suspension of his certificate must appear to
him to be. Whoever, therefore, is responsible
for the condition of the Oneida with regard
to boats, on him, and on him alone rests all
the blame that the accident, having occurred,
proved SO fatal.
Captain E. P. Williams.
Last evening the only corpse that has yet
been found out of all the officers and crew
who persisted in the Oneida, was brought to
the harbor, and taken on board the Z. S. S.
Maho. It was that of Capt. E. P. Williams.
1t was denuded of clothes, with the strange
exception of the shirt collar. which bore his
initials. 1t was recovered well out of the
channel, many miles below the wreck. The
probability is that with the strong current
seaward, and the prevailing direction of the
wind during the last few days, most of the
bodies will be taken out to sea, and few if
any be recovered.
THE FUNERAL Of Commander e. P. Will
Hams, U. S. n. deceased, late of the U. S. S.
Oneida took place this afternoon. To speak
of it in ordinary every day terms is all that
we can do; and yet the deep feeling that
possessed the heart of every human being
- V1l-oI..ao $4,000 L. A. =
mense cortege, and the great number of
persons who, unable TO join in the process
sion, were witnesses of it throughout its
whole line of march, that the most skeptical
must have been convinced of the warm
regard entertained for the deceased gentle
man who was being conveyed to the Gene
terry, and the whole of his late comrades.
Very sad and solemn was the general public
demeanor; and although in Yokohama we
have had to mOur other friends taken from
amongst as under circumstances that intensi-
fled the ordinary pain of parting, none have
possessed such a peculiarly distressing inter-
est as this.
1t was to have been expected that there
would be a very large attendance; but it
was actually far greater than any one could
have supposed.
Another Collision.
Misfortunes never come singly. The p.
IL o.. Steamer Sund0 which has lust arrived
with the English mail of December Odd,
had just left Hongkong on the. 18th instant,
when, about 20 miles on the voyage, and in
very thick foggy weather, she fairly ran over
the North German bark Garry Jane, bound
to Hongkong from Nagasaki, with Goals to
the p. & o. Co. The fog was so thick.
that the fog signals were kept going on board
the Snnda. They We're heard by the Captain
and crew of the bark, but they had no means
of replying to them; and neither ship saw
the other, until quite close. The Carry
Jane had not steerage way sufficient to do
anything towards getting out Of danger.
When the steamer discovered her, the
engines were Immediately stopped but she
struck the sailing ship on the starboard side
just abaft the foremost. The shock was so
slight that none Of those in the cabins of the
steamer felt it all. The Captain, chief Off
Ger and third officer were on the bridge at
the time, and the boats of the steamer were
Immediately lowered. At 8:3S P. NJ. thew
struck, at SAT the vessel sank and at $50.
every man of the crew was on board the
SWmdn, together with two dogs and a pig.
The Captain and crew were landed at Amoy.
and the SMnda then came on. She has had
thick and heavy weather all the way up.
In this case, no blame is attachable to anv
one and we are glad to be able, in announc-
ing such a serious accident, to report that
there was no loss of life. We must commit
ment the Captain and officers of the Su1da
on the discipline which enabled them to save
all hands SO quickly. The only damage to
the steamer is the carrying away of her
bowsprit.
FIRE ~EXTlNCUHSHERS.