The New York herald., 1870-02-04
THE LATE MARINE DISASTER.

The Sinking of tho Steamer Brunette--Cap.
| tain A. q. jones' Version of the NIishap-
ssThe Brunette's Omcers to Blame.''
The last sad marine disaster resulting in the sink
ing OF the steamer Brunette by colllding with the
Havre steamship Santiago de Cuba, during the night
Of Tuesday, with the loss Of valuable cargo ana two
lives, reported In the HERALD Of yesterday has
caused the OF the latter vessel to give his YER
sion Of the lamentable occurrence. Captain A. q.
Jones, the officer in question, declines most viQor.
Ously to wear the mantle Of blame which the
officers Of the Brunette have thrown upon
his shoulders, averrng that the cause of
the accident was due alone to their ignorance
pidity. He further states that the residue OF their
statements are erroneous, being prompted by self.
preservation entirely, a. trutnfuness could never
cause such malicious inslnuations as their report
conveys.
Captain Jones says that his instructions from the
owner Of the Santiago de Cuba were, tnat upon her
return vo, age he should take the southern passage
and he fully complied with the orders. Moreover,
his vessel at the time was in disabled condition,
caused by an accident to the engine and that was
the Of his being In the latitude where the &C
cdent occurred. HIS statement is exceeding clear,
and OF such interest that invites perusal Captain
Jones Says
On Tuesday night about fifteen minutes past ten
O'CLOCK the santiago de CUBA, with The crank pin Of
ucr engine DrOkeu, was OH w OOuanQ3, SquGn BeaCn,
en- route to New York, having made by instructions
the southern passage Tue second OFFICER Mr.. Cor.
nelus, was in charge OF the DECK ne had just re-
lieved me- and was sitting IN my room, which Is
near the pilot house. We were endeavOring because
OF our crippled condition. which ut that time had
been such over forty hours to make as smooth wa
as possible to relieve the strain upon the injured
portion OF the engine. AT this hour the Santiago de
Caoa was wa 1.ea healing In northwest BY north,
or our starboard bow about three points.
the ofiicer in command instantly orde ed
holy nutor napd knAn ntnn mills
point. Alert and cautious ne anxiously watched
the approaching vessel, and In few minutes, fnd-
ordered in . louder voice, which heard distinctly,
the helm to be "hard astarboard." so soon as |
heard tins order stepped from my room on deck
tanned to be the steamer Brunette TO her officers,
from the respective courses we were steamIng but
green light and the masthead white light.
10 them our req port light was entirely
to distinguish i. as they bore down upon us, and the
sight OF this red light could only give them the right
to put their wheel aport This was their fatal mis-
| second order to put the Santiago de Cuba's helm
astarboard the ship kept OF another point to the
westward; but, despite all this prccauon, and con.
trary to oil rules of river ana ocean navigation and
the Steamboat laws OF the United States made for
such cases the Brunettes wheel was put hard aport
which Kept her of south southwest causing her to
cross our bow and nence the collision. Every effort
was made by us to prevent 1t; but the ignorance OF
the laws Of navigation the part OF the Brunettes
Officers must throw the blame entirely upon them
and their own statements 80 convict them.
1t appears tnat IN the opinion OF the learned
marine oficer OF the Brunette, II my ship had
not come IN collision with her we would have soon
been ashore. In answer TO this, and which can
without dfncuty be proven after we had taken on
board the crew OF the sinking vessel which occupied
some time, aud We had continued course to the
northwest BY north, we steamed fuiy thirty minutes
before land was made. This statement, in view of
the known truth is too absurd for moments
serious reflection by any experienced seafarng man.
Besides the above Captain Jones very good ma
turedy says that he has been In command vessels
for more than thirty years-ffteen years In seam-
ships-and rather pcrtinently asks that with his
record and known qualifications, II he could commit
such an absurd nautical error as that charged to
himr'