New-York tribune., 1870-09-10
TIE ONEIDA DISASTER.

by a trustworthy correspondent IN japan thht Oapt
Batcheder. honest American, friend of the Oneida
officers, a of experience and reputation in the
raising Of vessels and entirely responsible for anything
he assumes, made 10 Admiral Rowan Of the Asiatic
Squadron propositions OF which the following are copies
YokoHGuA, April 30, 1870.
AdrirI RowAy-SIR think could raise the wreck Of the
Oneida by singing her between large vessels and place her on the
at safety will endeAvo do fer 5000 all In
oued provided you will advance $4,000 pay portion Of the
heavy expense shall have incur the work progresses The re-
manng paid within months afer the vessel has been
raised All the battery rigging sS, be reuOYed before attempting to
raise the hull
raised will further agree to dock and complete
collision the onds making trip with the
200 inclusive and in hnd
impossible oned. after making hthfal attempts
expended by to be loss and further claim
made failure raise the wreck Of
Oneida woul simply that would be willing TO lose much
money before wo abandon the noble vessel and
quite pride citizens AMI should
place my you
Government will have cause 10 regret it. Faithfully
I'M BArcHELDKR.
PLAs-sHP DELAWARE, YoKoHAxA, MAY 2. 1870.
I'M BaroHsLDRR esQSR; this morning received proposal
Oneida make the advance propose shall
days contingent for
large behind will give eighty hOuhd dollars
1880 % the put the 0r the upper beach Of Yokoska
her and pay the whole amount will
alo sid giving the le s Of the Idaho and allow the
Monocscy tow the wreck into port. Respectfully Sc
s. O. ROWAN, Rear i-AdmrGl Con mandins Asac Squadron
SECOND BATcHKLDgR.
YOKOHAMA May I, 1870.
Rear Adnira C. RowAS-SR: In yours Of the ID inst
beg to say should be pleased to pro
pose bu, accident causing failure in raising
large amount and only ask the
$4,000 from Government Should not succeed should be great
nothing whereas would receive large por
ton Of your battery and materials saved from the
wreck should advance the and would draw
on the Government sixty days sight could easily
for what money required. Most respectfully yours,
I'M. BArcHKLDKR.
US. FLAe-sHR DELAWARE, YOKOHAMA, May 10, 1870.
I'M BArcHELDKR eq-SR expected to have after the
proposition made by you the Oneida Am to under
made ns oaer wish to know before concluding
other arrangements now n hand. Respectfully yours.
S. c. Rowan, Rear Adj Cong Asiatic Squadron.
FURTHER oFFER WITHOUT
YOKOHAMA MAY 13, 1870.
Rear admiral RowAS-SIR Referring conversation Of
this regarding proposition raise the Oneida am wn to
accept your offer Of SOOO provided will advance $1,000 when
battery safe recovered from the 0ned snd further
when the vessels placed the wreck and chains attached
the fully convinced from experience that will
fully make the attempt raise the Oneida and should
you give you detailed statement of probable cost Of
posd atempt place YOkOsk
Most respectfully yours, NJ BATcHEIDKR'
u s. FLAGSHIP DELAWARE, YOKOHAMA, MAY H. 1870
j. NJ BArcHRlDgR eq-Sm am receipt Of your communication
yesterdays date in which to raise the Oneida for $4,000
provided advance Of made cannot in justice to the
Government
all the risks Of failure therefore Obliged to reject your Offer Very
respectfully, &c Rowan,
Rear. Admiral and Commsndef.in- Chief u s. Asstc Fleet
YoKoHASA MAY Is, 1870.
Rear Gniro C. Rowan, oonmanda7 Asiatie FetsrR Yours
yesterday date declining accept my 6nS offer the Oneida
required Of 1000 when the battery raised
vessels and chains made fast oihe Oneida
regret could the required advance In justice
myself aud family cannot take less Were la nch would
cI commenced the Oneida relying upon the Gov
repay future The $4,000 advance
qured of the hull the would have
required advanced could have raised the Oneida Most
respectfully yours, NJ BATcHELDkE.
SINGULAR ACTION DY ADMIRAL ROWAN.
At one time Admiral Rowan sent the following memo
randa bearing neither date or signature to Capt.
Bachelor, ntmatng that offer of that kind would
he accepted, hut withdrew it when Capt. Bachelor
acceeded to the terms:
guns carriages hgsngs anchors cables
and the Idaho and when the chains
iss, the hulk the Government will pay $4,000
And when the Oneida securely saost in the harbor
Yokosks float in safety she will be placed
shore rocks when tide is lowest with
injured part placed the hest position for repairs then the Govern
pay 10000 more and be free Of all charges and claims what
thereafter"
1t seems strange that historic ship, costing the Gov
ernment more than s3OO,OOO and having board per
sonal effects OF great intrinsic value TO the friends OF the
martyrs and which the Government should have spared
no reasonable pains to recover thought TO be
worth the risk of $4,000 In fact risk was involved
for the battery spars, rigging safe, &c, which would
undoubtedly nave Deen saved were %or. q, h eaSo 'nS
ached comparatively all the expense and labor OF rals
ing Oneida would have been But the offer was
accepted and the ship, with her contents is left TO
ruin. Capt Bathelder proposed 10 make the oneida
was done nor was any person allowed TO do anything.
1t understood that arrangements for raising the
Oneida fully completed in the absence OF Admiral
Rowan after the disaster occurred but the arrival
of the Admiral arrested the work.
l,;ta Voknh mad IN no
ious to prove himself blameess and Capt Williams at
fault for not having more boats: The only man who
was saved from the Oneida and who knew anything
about the matter should have been called as witness
II is reported that M CroWnngsmeld me caRlalns
for boats and received an answer both verbally ana
directions 10 ,cdh uW he got 10 cheaper
port Mr.: Yates says that he was on Board OF Esl,
boats and that Capt Williams told them TO make the es
mate low possible or the Admiral would not allow
it, 1t may be said that in the Admirals absence Capt
Williams the senior officer in Japan, and would have
bought boats his responsibility but the Admiral
had refused the requisOn and left orders to that effect
In regard to raising the Oneida i'll sentence Admiral
Powdn says, 81 shall leave for home in few DAYS and
beind;" and in another sentence offers $4,000 for what
be completed long after he left 1t not reason
able 10 require any to take all the risk bear all the
expenses leaving the Admiral entirely free from all re-
ments in hand" what arrangements Nothing was
done. The inacon indicates either indifference or in
with Wonder, to use mild term by relatives Of the
victims who were lost by the criminal careessness Of this
The Japan Mail published in Yokohama, under date
OF July l6 says: We firmly believe that an action
would lie against the American Admiral the United
States Government in behalf OF the relatives OF the de
ceased crew. for negectng TO have the Oneida properly
supplied with boats and II strict Justice Is invoked it is
that IL must begin The Nal Is an English paper
in English pay and interest and proper allowance should
he made on that account but IL may tell some truth.
Those who, thirteen years ago, mourned the
death OF the great lyric poet of France will be sstonhed
10 from a recent paragraph in newspaper pub
lshed In Erie Pa under the heading Of "Tbe Brave