Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-04-30
THE ATLANTIC DISASTER.

Finding ofthe Court of Inquir iry-Capt
Williams Censured and his Certifi-
cate as Master suspended for Two
Years.
$ B. Mcdonald, collector of customs
at Halifax, gave judgment in the At
lantic inquiry on Friday, in open court.
The course of Capt. Williams, in bear
ing up for Halifax, is commended as
prudent. The ship had not sufficient
coal on board at the time of sailing, for
ship of her class the coal was of
inferior quality, of which she consumed
seventy tons per day. thus giving her
less than thirteen days supply when
leaving port. Had all circumstance
on the passage been favorable, this
quantity of coal would undoubtedly
have carried the ship and passengers
safely to New York, but passage
across the Atlantic in winter without
more or less unfavorable weather is the
exception and not the rule.
Contingencies Of low rate of speed.
resulting from head winds and foul
weather, ought to have been provided
for.
Assuming the position of the vessel
as stated by Captain Williams to have
been correct, the course steered should
have carried her well 10 the east OF
Samoro had there been no current.
The officer left in charge did not
obey the orders given by Captain Will
llams, to awake him at three o'clock :;
he slept until awakened by the shock
of the ship striking the shore, from
twelve to seventeen minutes after three.
The conduct of Captain Williams and
officers, after the ship struck, was all
that could be demanded in their trying
situation.
The management of the ship is con-
demned from the time of changi. the
course, at l 2. NJ. Monday. until the
time she became wreck.
The error in calculating the ships
speed must have been from incompe-
tencv or carelesspes IN cal ulating on
the part of those attending the log.
The conduct of Captain Williams in
leaving t he deck at midnight is con-
demned as imprudent and calculated
to create the. impression in the minds
of officers on duty that they were not
so near land as to make extra vigilance
imperative at that time.
The greatest error was the failure to
use the lead, although the ship was in
soundings eight houls before she
struck This is neglect of duty for
which there can be positively no ex-
cuse. So accurately are sounaings laid
down upon the chart that had the lead
been used at proper intervals the
ships safety would have been guaran-
tesd.
From a careful review of all the facts
of the case, [ feel. compelled to state
that my belief is that the conduct OF
Capt. Williams in the management of
his ship, during the twelve or fourteen
hours preceding the disaster, was so
gravely at variance with what ought to
/ have been the conduct of a man placed
in his responsible position, as to call
| for severe sensure, and to justify me IN
saving that his certificate as extra mas
ter and master might be cancelled !;
but in consideration of the praise
worthy and energetic efforts made by
him to save life after the ship struck,
the mitigated penalty of suspension OF
his certificate for two years should be
imposed.
| also feel it my duty to state that
the conduct of Brown, the fourth OIL
Ger, in preventing the servant from
calling Captain Williams at twenty
minutes to three O'Clock, as ordered,
was 1ndecorus, and an improper viola
ton of the captains order, and fur
.ther, in fact, that he was one OF the
officers of the watch after 12 O'Clock,
he ought to have seen the light, and
did not see it, and ought to have seen
| land and did not see it. There IS an
implied culpable neglect and want OF
which, consideration for pupi1c
safety demands should be marked by
censure and moderate punishment, and
/ therefore decide that the eertlheats o1 u
fourth officer Brown, as master, shall
be suspended for two months