New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-17
THE LOSS OF THE SCHILLER,
OFFICIAL INQUIRY IN ENGLAND.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY IN ENGLAND.
rc,,,1s OF INSTRUMENTATION OF THE FIRST
OFFICER AND SECOND MATR-A sRvEJsE CROSS
EXAMINATION = CAPTAINS NEGLECT TO TAKE
-eoUSDINGs. ----.------
IFRow An CisIoSAI. CORP oyDrSr TBE TRBrN.
LoNpoN, June 5.-Thc official inquiry order d ly
the British Government into the CIRCUMSTANCES at
tcnfrc the less Of tho Schiler was held this week
AT the Greenwich Police Court, before Mr.. Patteson,
the magistfate of ta district, assisted by Captains
HIlfis anil Pfyce rs nautical assessors. The inquiry,
though not formally completed is practically con
cluled An adjournment il me lie to this day week,
to enable any persons DESTROYS If giving further
testimony to come forward and do So Among these
viii probably b. Mr. Doricn Smith, the resident
proprietor of st. Agnes, and few other Scillonians
but it is extremely unlikely that any evidence win
now be given which viii in any way affect the
aspect OF tho testimony which has already been
taken. The inquiry was conducted in The manner
prov ided by tho British Merchant Shipping act, ANA
appears to have been very thorough and searching.
The various interests were reprosent'd by connseI.
Mr. Charles Bowen appeared on behalf Of the British
Board Of Trade; Mr.. Manscl .j.nes tor the owners
of the ship and Mr.. Baticn for the representatives
of The captain
POINTS OF ISQUIEY.
The testimony taken does not disclose story IN
any material degree different from the accounts OF
this terrible disaster which have already been pub
lsbed. The witnesses were, however. somewhat
more circumstantial in their details. Tho main OBJ
ject OF the inqliry being to ascertain If any blame
was to b. attributed to any one. special inquiry was
directed to certain points not very closely inquired
into on the occasion of the wreck. Indeed. the is'uo
before the Tribunal rs stated by Mr.. Bowen who
though appearing on behalf of the Board OF Trade
virtually represented the general public. was mar
roweh 10 thedccsion of the Eve following qucStions
First: How did the schiller get into the position IN
which she was lost! Second: Did sho nae proper pr
caniions during the fog, and especially during me Us,
f dgt not to ohssrvcdi Fon. WHY were moi moro
OF the passengers ana crew sayedi And, rum: Would
any Communication between the 1Sh i-house ana ile
shore have awaited IT, prevent 80 great loss OF life!
At the outset Mr.. Mansell Jones offered every IA
cilliy in his power behalf of the owner OF the
ship but lac wished to say their behalf chat they
did SO without prejudice to their interests i'll then
own country. He also incidentally stated that the
Companv coniA not see how department of the
British Government had power TO order an inquiry
into the loss of ship owned in q foreign country
In reply 10 this observation. several precedenfs were
quoted among them the case occurring IN 1850 81
the Enlymion. n United States vessel which was
burned in the Ilcr5ey. Moreover it was stated that
the German Government had sent dispatch stating
that the Imperial German Government thoroughly
acquiescrd in this inquiry on the part OF tine Royal
British authorities and it will he Of great interest
TO the Imperial Government TO learn TIE result of
the inquiry" This matter was probably only law
yer's Saving clause for Mr.. Jones trne 10 his
creed and the Company certainly did offer every
facility for a full calculation Of the facts.
TESTIMONY OF THE FIrs1 OFFICER.
A coed deal of the evidence taken at iiIsi was
,,,r.l,. f,r-,o1 and need not be than
toned The fact that the Schillerwas an iron screw
steamer ~ 81 II tons register. casscd a Lioyds
and that she sailed on the 9th OF April from New
York for Plymouth Chcrbourg, and Hamburg with
800 souls on board, j., well known on your side
Of the Atlantic as Wei a. ours 1t is, unhappy, no.
orous that she struck the Retarricr Lodges near
Bishops Rock, Scilly Islands, on the night OF the
9Th of Nav, when the vessel aud all Oh board save
IL were lost. Various other facts of this Kind hav-
ing been established Heinrich Killers, the surviving
fist officer of ,he Inflated ship, paced upon the
stand and subjected TO o long examination lie Is
a very intelligent and careful officer, who enjoyed
thr confidence Of the captain and his brother Officers
He has made seven voyages OF II passages across
the Allantic six Of these passages intending the
last, were on board the Schill,r. On the fatal home
ward voyage lac said. they had varying winds aud
foggv weather. and during the last thee days the
take any observi ions except as 10 variations oi the
compass Alter o'clock Oh the Frday evening
The evening OF tho wreck-thc fog became very
thick and at 9 o'clock the speed OF the ship was
slackened. Sho had hitherto been running at full
speed-ab0ut If knots-and from t. half-past she
ran about o KNOBS At 0l2 o'clock the conrse of the
ship. which was then east 80 by south, was changed
to Southwest and her speed still further slack
ened TO six or seven knots. The wind then from
the southwest. This portion of the evidence de-
serves special attention, for it bears on the solution
of the Grst AID perhaps most important question
submitted TO the Court-how the ship came to
get upon the rocks at all. The witness proceeded to
tell the Court that the sails had been clewed and
fured before the course was changed and the speed
of the engines slackcIe1. Two men had been on the
lookout before the course was changed, and no
more than two men were placed there aftcrward 1t
appears to have been custom to keep two men, and
no more continually on the lookout. At this time
he and the captain were talking upon tho
bridge the subject of the conversation
being the position of the ship and the
,lcsirabiity of not running nearer TO land.
The captain estimated that he was abont % miles
from the nearest land, the Bishop Lighthouse, but
the Chief officer considered they heading seven
miles 20 the south of it, lie and the captain had, at
noon on that day. made a calculation of tho dead
reckoning and the result they considered
themselves 1870 n latitude and 1923 W. longi-
tude Notwithstanding this impression Of their posi-
tion tho lead was not cast. and tho witness added
that il bad not been cast for three days previously
No lights were to be soen indeed he admits that Mt
the time the ships course was changed they could
only lust see the stem Of the ship from the bridge
The men had no special orders except the ordinary
ORDER that they arc to be well on the lookout IN
case of fog. Tho fog whistle was sounded every
half minute from o'clock mp to the time of the
ship's striking which was at 10 O'clock while she