The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-29

an hour, during which the pilot made three
tacks to try and get into deeper water. When
asked, the pilot said the vessel was on Charles
TON bar. Laid the vessel off shore Monday
night, and at daylight, on Tuesday, saw buoy,
which pilot said was located on Charleston
bar. He also made several other marks, all
of which he said belonged to Charleston bar.
On Tuesday afternoon pilot again stood In
with the vessel, when she again struck the
bottom hard, and remained fast ashore Pilot
said she was in the middle Of Swash Channel
one of the entrances to the port of Charles
ton. The captain went in his boat to The light
house, when it was found out that the schoon-
er was on the breakers of st. Helena bar,
about thirty miles to the southwark Of Charles
ton, The captain employeda St. Helena pilot,
who put press of canvass on the ves-
sci, forced her over into deep water,
carried her up towards the lighthouse.
where she was anchored in safety.
While the vessel was ashore, the sea broke
around her heavily, causing her to leak badly.
The st. Helena pilot said that had the schooner
remained on the breakergsanother tide, she
and her cargo would Have been totally lost.
Some temporary repairs were made to dimin-
ish the leak, which being done the captain de-
ternlned to proceed with his vessel to Charles
ton. He discharged pilot Wilson (but gave
him passage, to Charleston,) and the vessel
was taken to sea by the st. Helena pilot, and
on arriving of Charleston bar took another
pilot who brought her safely into port. The
damage to the vessel by being run ashore
amounted to upwards of $4,000, which falls
heavily on the captain, who is said to be q
poor man, and not insured. The commission
ers of pilotage, after investigating the matter,
suspended Wilson from the exercise Of his
business as pilot for the term Of three
months.
Now, we respectfully beg leave to call the
attention of your Excellency to the final result
of this case:
First. An ignorant pilot boards vessel thlr-
ty miles from Charleston bar and undertakes
to pilot her into that port, having a fine, fair
wind, weather hazy. Had the pilot been
equal to his business, he would have known
that with such wind 1t would not have taken
the vessel twelve hours to have made thirty
miles. But after he had run her down the coast
for that space Of time, and had actually made
sixty miles, be supposed he was of Charleston,
when he was really of st. Helena, and this
opinion he continued to maintain after he had
run the vessel ashore, and again asserted it
the next day.
Second. The pilot (Wilson) being utterly in
capable of relieving the vessel from the dem
gerous position in which he had placed her, Is
discharged by the captain, who seeks and OBJ
taIns assistance elsewhere, and is thereby en-
abled to bring bis vessel to her destined port,
although damaged to the extent ofs5ooo.
Third. The commissioners Of pilotage sus-
pend Wilson for three months, after which
time he will be empowered again to board
vessels bound for Charleston.
Now we respectfully submit to your Excel
lency whether, from the facts of the case, it is
not highly probable that the pilot (Wilson)
knows as little about Charleston bar as he does
about that of st. Helena, seeing that he de-
clared the vessel to be In the Swash Channel,
when she was actually on the north breakers
of st. Helena. Another query we would sub
mlt is whether an intelligent board OF commits
sioners, either themselves expert pilots, or
calling in such to assist them In their examIn-
alton, would have been likely to have COM
mlssioned Wilson as full branch pilot, and
whether, also, portion Ct the moral RESPONSE
bllty for the loss which has occurred in this
case does not rest upon your E1cellency's ad-
minIstration?
When we make inquiry az TO the reasons
which moved your Excellency to make such
inappropriate appointments, we are told that
the necessities Of the Republican party In
South Carolina require that all the offices
should be filed by Republicans. But surely
this subservIency to party should not be
allowed to extend to the injury of the
citizens generally, and more particularly of
your fellow-cltlzens residing beyond the do
main of your Excellency's government. Can
1t indeed be the case that the Republican
party in South Carolina Is so deficient In men
of intelligence and education, that such i'm
portant offices have to be filed by ignorant
and unlettered appolntees? Have the princi-
pies of that party such weak hold on the
.ople of the State as to require the spolls Of
party to be distributed to them to keep the or.
ganlzation from falling to pieces?
We trust that your Excellence will give the
subject the serious consideration which Its iln<
portance demands, and will take such action
in the premises as will remedy the evil COM
planned Of
We remain your Excellencys obedlent SER
want, In behalf Of
NORTHERN SHIP-owNERS AND UNDERWRITERS.