Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-21
A sCUTTLED SHIP
Attempt 10 Sink n Vessel in Mid
Oeeau--The Perpetrators of
the Crime Only suspected.


] San Francisco Chronicle.
10 connection with the recent 70
, age to San Francisco from Havr
France. the American clipper sh.
, Joseph 5. Pinney, owned in New Yor
; but hailing from Thomaston, a stol
| is told Of an attempt Of some memb.
OF the crew Of tWenty-eight men
scuttle the ship in mid ocean. II
Joseph s. Pinney entered port {
Saturday night, but no intimation
the attempted scuttling was left
the Marine Exchange, where q men
orandum is generally left by master
Of vessels Of all interesting even.
occurring on the voyages. There W,
also a disposition to suppress all info
nation concerning the matter. Thol
10 authority were inclined at first /
deny that anything of the kind ha
occurred on the voyage, but on ques
tiOniDg they furnished a few meagr
details. The Joseph S. Pinney, CON
manded by Captain Curling, lei
Havre in ballast on August 3, an.
arrived off Farsllone Islands six day
ago, after a passage Of III days, which
with the exception OF the attempte,
scuttling, was marred by no materia
incident or accident. The vessel hac
been engaged as a freight ship fol
guano and coal, and during the early
portion Of her voyage her hold hac
been thoroughly cleaned, enough
water having been pumped in at vari.
rious times TO sink her. AT 6 o'clock
on the evening of August Both, and
while the ship was in latitude z north
and longitude 220 west, and in the
North Atlantic. the'pumps were tried
as usual. Water was found in the
hold TO the depth OF three feet eight
inches. The CONSERVATION on board
may better be imagined than de-.
scribed, Captain Curling, who is an
eighth wne in the ship, being ac
compaDied by his wife aud two
young children. All hands were
called to the pumps, which
were kept going during the night Of
the Both, the water pouring in at the
rate Of two feet an hour, a rate that
would have filled and sunk the ship
10 twelve hours.
In the meantime search was made
between decks, and while the leaks
we're not found. their locality was
fixed approximately by the sound OF
the watcf rushing in, as forward near
the keelsOn and under the breasthook
At daylight two banks we're sighted.
and one of them proving to
be the German ship Mexico,
aud the other a French vessel whose
name had been forgotten. They
we're signaled to stand by in case
of necessity until the leak had been
discovered, and if possible, stopped.
The two vessels hove to and stood by
off the Pinney's starboard bow. The
pumps were at work all this time, and
the cheering intelligence was soon
circulated that the pumps had gained
on the water and the hold was pumped
out. Another descent into the hold,
and the leaks were discovered 10 the
locality Of the ship above described
The leaks were found to be three
auger holes, two of one and a half inch
in diameter through the lining and
planking, and the third a smaller
one, but not complete, as the planking
had not been pierced. The three holes
were found to have been plugged up
in the lining, and the plugs in turn
covered by loose ballast, and this fact
at first batied discovery. The leaks
we're stopped after chOppiug away a
small portion Of the lining, and the
Pinny resumed her voyage after part
ing company with the two foreign
crafts. Ali hands were in turn sub
jected to an examination by Captain
Curling, so the log n%arrates, but the
men denied all knowledge of the mat
ter, though the ships carpenter sup
piled one slight clew in stating that
he missed an anger from the ships tool
chest. The auger handle and the
borings made in piercing the wooden
sides were also found in the hold
where they had been deposited by the
water that had seeped through the
inner lining. The crew is said to have
been Obedient and teachable on the
voyage. The men left the vessel at 10
o'clock on Saturday night after she
had been moOred at Mission Rock,
Sergts. Bonner and Baxter, of the
harbor police, remaining with the
ship until that hour.
There was sufficient evidence, so the
reporter was informed, to warrant the
arrest of any of the crew, and SO the
matter rests at present. AT the vari
Gus sailor boardinghouses the fore
castle hands were found, but nothing
colld be learned from them. The
ships steward said Captain Curling
said he thought Second Mate Davis
had done it, but he refused to answer
further questions.
After a long search Second Mate
Charles Davis was found entering the
international Hotel at midnight.
did Captain Curling send you to
me for my opinion2' bawled out the
mariner, in response to the reporters
introductory question, uttered in the
most gentle and persuasive manner.
He did not?' was the reply.
Then | refuse to say one word
about the matter. I've been accused
of this right to my face"
by whom; the Captain?"
II won't tell you that, But l have
been accused Of it. and | won't say
anything to you-that's square enough
talk. | will speak what | have seen
before the Judge, and | want to GO
before the court. | can put my hand
on the mar that did it | have my
suspicious, but l won't talk to night.
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