The Portland daily press., 1875-10-27
MARINE NEWS,
Mutiny on board the Steamship
Montana.
An Unseaworthy Vessel and Incompetent
Officers.

NEW York, Oct. PA number of passen-
gers arrived here yesterday on the steamship
Dakotah, who originally started on the steam
ship Montana, OF the Williams and Guion line
The Montana, so the passengers state, Is poorly
constructed to encounter heavy sea, but new
ertheless was driven at full speed against such
seas in order to beat the steamers of other
lines which left Liverpool for New York at the
same time; The water swept the decks contin-
ually, until the forward deck was broken by
the seas; but the captain continued at full
speed, although demonstrated with by the pas.
sengers. The saloons and state.roOms were
flooded with water, and the lower compact
ments were filled: -, The baggage was g., smashed
were hardly available, being choked, and it
was generally believed there was no hope for
the ship.
The crew, fireman and engineers began to
comprehend the dangerous situation, and final
ly informed the captain that they would not
work unless the vessel was turned back The
captain then ordered the fires down and let the
ship roll in the trough of the sea for over half
day. The crew threatened to take the long
boat and leave the ship, whereupon the passen-
gers held a meeting and sent the following note
to the captain:
''Sir,-We beg leave to submit to you the fol-
lowing considerations First, the crew of the
Montana refuse to do duty. Second the vessel
has IS feet of water In her hold Third, the
drinking water has become contaminated and
its use is deleterious Fourth, we are only 800
miles from Queenstown. In view of these
considerations, while earnestly expressing our
confidence in yourself and your officers, we ask
you to return at once to Queenstown"
The captain replied to the committee that be
felt inclined to give the crew another chance to
resume their duty, but if they still refused, he
should feel it incumbent on him to return to
Liverpool or Queenstown. An hour or so
elapsed, and the men being still determined
not to proceed, the steamer was at last headed
back.
The Montana arrived in the Mersey Wednes-
day morning, but still, even at her dock, was
compelled to keep her pumps going An ex-
animation showed that the iron plates which
covered the forward deck were broken BY the
seas, as though they had been matchwOod. On
her arrival in port the passengers became anx-
ious about their baggage, which was found all
mixed, smashed and floating around in tho
hold. 1t was only by the most persistent fish
Jig that any articles could be recovered. On
application to the company for compensation,
the only answer was that they could do nothing
beyond forwarding the passengers to New York
in the Dakotah.
1t is the general impression that the vessel
was driven at too great speed in heavy sea,
in order to accomplish a quick passage: that
the captain and officers bad lot sufficient COM
mand over the crew; that during the four hours
of Friday night, when the storm was raging at
its worst, the fourth officer whose watch it
was, was asleep in the wheel house instead of
attending to his duty; that the crew had no
confidence in their officers, and that the Mon.
tana is unseaworthy. Great hardship was ex-
perienced by the passengers losing their bag
gage. as many were well-to-dO emigrants to the
United States, having good quantities OF house.
hold effects. all of which were lost, as we'll as
all of the baggage of the cabin passengers Be-
sides the damage by water, the iewelry and
dresses were undoubtedly plundered by thieves.
The company absolutely refuses TO make any
restitution.