Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-06-03


10 any defect Of conduct on the part Of Keep
er Martin, who WAS in command and respon.
sible for all operations ., the wreck. II 10
evident from the recital that the slow pro.
cess Of hauling the lines on board the weasel
and the inconvenient position Of the sailors
in the rigging. and the repeated severenee
Of the hauling lines by their fouling with the
wreck and sreckaxe. caused hinderanccs
and disasters in thr progress Of operations
which cannot be imputed to the keeper in
charge. Persistent effort and heroic and
even desperate courage. mark, At different
stages, his conduct upon the occasion. Wheth-
sr he showed - much skill ~ he unques.
tionably did bravery in the Abor,ive efforts
he made to reach the vessel with the surf
boat is question upon which the experts
present disagree. BY some it Was roundly
asserted. As appears in the testimony pro-
cured by the investigation, that the swollen
surf and rushing current made the task i'm
possible. and that even ifthe boa, could have
been Unanswered or forced through such
sea, the breakers pouring over the wreck
would have barred close approach to her i'm
periled company. already inaccessible by
their position in the a!,er-rigging. On the
other hand, some experts declared. without.
however. impuening she courage of the ef-
fort made. that il failed from lack Of ability,
and we're confident that they personally
could have taken out the boat to the wreck
and effected = rescue. Their declarations
must be received with the reflection tha, none
Of them made the attempt, although the op-
portunity Vas open. and the lives Of the peo-
pie on board trembled in the balance. The
situation - regards. boat service is perhaps
summed up in the dry language Of promi-
men, witness, ..Outside Of the crews of the
stations. sav none that we're At oil anxious
to 60" II vas charged ., the time tha,
there we're men on the beach Who were viii
ling TO take ou, the boa, to the vessel, and
we're prevented, owing to an aileged rule Of
the service forbidding the use OF the boats
BY volunteers. Nothing Of the Kind is true
There IL no rule Of the service forbidding
any Of its apparatus from being used to save
life, in the absence or dcfec, Of regular effort.
SO far is this charge from being we'll found
ed. that the evidence taken At the investiga-
ton shows explicitly that the boat vas offer
ed to the most experienced surfman among
the spectators on the beach. with the propo-
siiion to make the attempt 10 reach the YES.
sci, and sas peremptorily declined. although
the human life on board vas then at the
highest point Of agoniTed hazard. and no en.
pert OF true manliness could have shrunk from
the endea,or TO rescue. save from the con
,iction Of its utter impos,ibility. That res
cue b, the boat vas at that time impossible
there il little room TO doubt but, although
il may he conceded tha, Keeper Martins
failure in this effort vas no, due to lack Of
Il ~t.. IL
svailed. IL 10 still . question whether his
management, Of the boa, on this occasion vas
such Is to leave no doub, Of his mastership
as surfman. This question the evidence
fail, to satisfactorily settle. and the officer
Who conducted the in,estigAtion was COM
PEELED TO incline To an adverse opinion |,
ls PLAIN that any uncertainty in regard to the
ability Of a keeper in this respec, mus; be
fatal to his tenure in office. There was,
however. s,ill one other poin. in Keeper
Martins eondue, of operations graycly open
10 criiietsm. The chances Of his being able
10 gain the vessel by the boat during the
day. when tn. aood-,ide had swollen the surf
and the hull Vas submerged. were Of course
greatly diminished, il no, DESTROYED But a,
dawn, when he vas abreast Of the wreck
With his crew. the tide vas low. and the
question is open whether this vas no, the
opportunity. for bold sortie with the boat,
and perhaps the svift rescue Of every one on
board. !, is probable thA, then. if ever, ~as
the opportunity Of gaining the vessel by the
boat, and - the trial. though precarious, IN
volved the chance Of success, in failing 10
make il the keeper committed an error Of
judsmen, which COS, day OF extreme jeop.
.Idy. suffering, and struggle, aud the sacri-
ice o! i've lives. The neglect to make the
ehor, With the boat a, ;his early hour vas
considered BY several Of the witnesses at the
investigation As serious faul, on the part Of
Keeper Martin and as this view vas con
cured in by the officer who conducted the
inquiry. in which the doub, in regard to hi.
mastery at the steering oar gives cumulative
force. the respect fol, for his personal charac-
ter and fng his earnelt effort. upon this occa-
sian could not suffice to make his retention
in the service eHpedien,, and he was accord
ingly removed.