River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-05-02
THE ATLANTIC DISASTER,

Finding ofths court or irv4Cao,
Ntittains tenEured and hES CcrtiG-
cate as Master sRSpendedI Tor Two
Years. ~ go
,. Mcdonald, collector Of customs
at Halifax, gave Judgment in the At.
lsntic 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 sufficisn.
coal on board at the tins of sailing, foe
ship Of her class the coal was o.
inferior quality, Of which shs consumed
seventy tons per day thus giving her
less than thirteen days supply when
leaving port. Had all sircum stance,
on the passage been favorable, this
quantity of coal would undoubtedly
have carried the ship and passengers
safely to New York, but a 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 20 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 changing the
course, at / p. NJ. Monday, until the
time she became q wreck.
The error in calculating the ships
speed must have been from incompe-
tency or csrelessnes IN calculating on
the part of those attending the log.
The conduct of Captsin Williams In
leaving 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
81 uchT lduu hS W nlhhc tAkkA viz
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 soundings laid
down upon the chart, that had the lead
been used at proper intervals the
ships safety would have been guaran-
tsed.
From 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
saying 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 Off
Ger, in preventing the servant from
calling Captain Williams at twenty
minutes to three o'clock, as ordered,
was lndecorus, 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 II 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 public
safety demands should be marked by
censure and moderate punishment, and
| therefore decide that the certificate of
fourth officer Brown, as master, shall
be suspended for two months.