The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-12
THE LOSS OF THE ONEIDA.
Rear- Admiral ROwan's Responsibility for the
Disaster Canvassed-Doubts Concerninx His
Confirmation as Vice. ADMIRAL

WASHINGTON, Dec. IL. - Since Rear Admiral
frmation for the Office OF Vice. Admiral very gene
raj inquiry has been made In some circles as to the
charges preferred against him some months ago in
connection with the loss OF the Oneida. The first
letters received from Japan after that sad occur
renee mentioned the fact that the Oneida went to
without her full complement OF boats, she having
lost the most of those belonging to her in typhoon
short time before, and the subsequent accounts
contained statement by Master Yates, the officer
Of the deck at the time OF the accident in which he
said -
his bat, said Sir, the ship is going down. know it,
asked for Saas @ could % not I get tSem
Mr. Yates also, in his testimony before the British
Court OF Inquiry, said:-
Ss Of S H
Some Of them would have carried provisions and some
not: When we isft Yokohama We hsd not that compile
had proper complement of boats could not have
ali the boats we might have Saved all the ships company
In addition to this testimony is the statement
made TO the Tribune correspondent in Japan by Cap
tain's Clerk Crownlngsheld, Immediately after the
collision, in which he said that repeated applica-
tioDs verbal and written, had been made for leave
to obtain boats, all OF which were refused, the Ad
miral having endorsed on one OF the applications,
"You must wait for boats until you reach cheaper
port"
on the I'd of March the House passed resolution
asking the Secretary OF the Navy for information in
regard to the loss OF the oneida, and reply, Mr..
Robeson, on the 3Oth of March, sent to the House
the report OF Admiral Rowan. accompanied sy a re-
Convened at the British Consulate at Yokohama'
and the reports Of Mr.. De Long, our Minister to
Japan. on the 2h OF May the Secretary OF the Navy
sent to the House, in response to the resolu-
ton, the report OF the proceedings OF the Court OF
Inquiry ordered by Admiral Rowan, These were
printed In the Tribune at the time. Congress being
issat fed with the nrs report passed the follow
ing joint resolution on April T:-
Whereas On the s4th day of January last the United
hama Japan, came in collision with the British PENN
instantly with the loss of nearly all her officers and the
RIsr,as The Navy Department has been unable in
answer 10 request Of the House of Representatives to
ing the circumstances of the loss beyond its extent and
H1ersa That full and impartial and satisfactory in
o Hhae % @ he ne
eesd By the Senate and House of Representative of
the United states in Congress assembled That the Sec
Iesry OF the NAVY shall WITH the Least practicable dsay
of the loss of u s. steamer Oneida and her
tain Of the steamer BOmbs' with view ascertain the
and for the ructOn OF life which tended the oatSs
tr1Phe and make report OF the same @ 70 Congress ~
proved this resolution, and nearly year since the
Oneida was lost and yet no inves igatiop is known
| to have been made 10y order OF the Navy Depart
nent, the investigation having been made by Admit
raj Rowan before The resolution passed ana no re-
| port transmitted to Congress. Meantime the
vsing officers and OF the oneida have returned
home, and several unpleasant rumors have leaked
the responsibility the loss Of life resulting from
be established beyond doubt, it having
Court OF Inquiry ordered by Admiral Rowan, aud
substantiaied by the evidence above, and that is
! that the Oneida, contrary TO ali naval law and
usage, went 10 with only half her full compile
ment OF boats and many OF the friends OF those who
were lost claim that Admiral Rowan is responsible
for this High naval authorities assert on the other
hand, that as Admiral Rowan not in japan at
! the time the Oneida sailed, Captein Williams was
the senior ofoer and, therefore, had the right 70
procure any boats he needed, aud that had the Adj
mra been there, Captain Williams would have been
fully JUSTIFIED in refusing 20 &c 20 sea until his COM
Ilem(Et OF lOsts was made Up, As f2r as c1n he
| learned no investigation has ever taken place on
this point