Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-24
PACIFIC COAST.


DAN 8ANI1S10. req. -S--OAACiai II
quiry into the loss of the steamer Ia
coma commenced this forenoon befor
United States Inspectors Holman an,
Freeman. Captain Geo. D. horts test
| fed to the course sailed BY the vesse
from the time of leaving Port Town
send, without passengers, but with !
persons aboard. After passing Cap
Flattery the log was hove every tw,
hours by the officer of the deck for tn,
purpose of safety. Al 4 O'Clock on th'
morning of the 18th the weather set il
thick and fhe rate of speed Was lessen
ed, bat the sun coming out subsequent
~. the weather cleared off sufficientl,
to warrant going at full speed. Reck
ouinRs were taken and he noticed thai
8 o'clock in the morning the deviation
of the compass was three degrees east
There was some difference between the
standard compass on the bridge and The
pilot house compass. amounting to
about seven degrees on south by south,
the las. course, and deviations of three
eighths of point in the standard com
pass from the true course. Coming
down the Straits of Fuca he found the
bearings did not correspond with the
deviation card. which was not rectified.
though it is customary 10 put right or
ders in writing. This was not done.
That night the vessel struck
He vas asked VIII At Was the latitude and
longitude of the vessel the day previous.
The captain hesitated considerably, and
finally ai he had forgotten. The en-
gineer Q not reported relative to the
numbsr of revolutions, as he was ID the
habit of going down into the engine
room and observing the speed of the
vessel. He gave orders to have a GER
tain speed maintained which sometimes
was kept and other times not. His last
orders were to keep the vessel at fifty
revolutions per minute. he afterward
saw the speed was too great and ordered
1t reduced to forty revolutions. The
chief engineer disobeyed this order be-
cause he had not been consulted IN the
matter. The first intimation he had
that the steamer was near shore was
when she struck. He ordered the helm
put hard to port and the engine stopped.
When the witness came on deck the
weather was thick and the wind south
west. Had no hfeboats on board. The
starboard boats were swamped and he
launched no boats that night.
next morning in company with two
quests, not passengers, he went to the
boat, but returned to the steamer be-
sause he considered the venture unsafe.
He got a line to take ashore. but failed
70 take it there, because the boat would
have been swamped. He
vas certain that none of his men or
officers understood the management of
Ia han
advised by one of his guests to do SO.
md for the further reason that he had
10 officer whom he could trust. After
10 reached shore everything possible |
vas done to save the men on board the |
The first attempt was made |
~ a party consisting of himself, first |
md third officers, two volunteers and |
Or. Bergman of Garden City. The |
'oat nearly swamped, and another eff |
ort was made, but the boat bowlad. |
IN the day after, two boat loads came |
shore. The next morning the mast |
ell and the men aboard persisted.
l.. L. Simmons, first officer, corobor- |
ted the Captains statements regarding |
he deviation of the compass. Saw land |
q the afternoon, abou. thirty miles off. |
When he left the deck at o'clock in |
he evening, the weather was hazy and |
here was light wind. The second |
'fficer was in command. There was no |
light order book aboard: orders were |
ometimes written on slate. When |
he vessel struck he was in bed, and |
Ould see land about two points off the |
'orst side. The ship showed signs of |
'reaking up about an hour after. He |
anne ashore the next forenoon about 10 |
o'clock without any serious trouble. |
saving no deck officer on the ship. 1t |
vas impossible to get to the ship to res
ne the men; saw four seamen in the |
ore rigging and five on the port side of |
he house, which some time afterwards |
ras torn from the deck, and it is thought |
he men were swept away. A line was |
brought to the ship and |
made fast, but as it was a three quarter |
nch line it was useless.
The second officer was also examined,
nut told nothing new.
The Day We Celebrate.
SAN Francisco, Feb. Washing
on's Birthday was observed here with |
more than usual eclat. Troops were |
eviewed by Governor SLOVENIAN and |
tai, and during the afternoon local |
pa sAAk CAuOo OCAcOA6sCA 40 q ACAA way
BUSINESS was very generally suspended. |
n the evening the Mardi Gras festival |
;ook place, the procession parading
through the principal streets. A num- |
YER of beautiful tableaux we're present |
ID, the most notable being the Coat of |
Arms of California mounted ON car |
lrawn by eight richly caparisoned horses
The car of state, containing the King of
he Carnival and suite, the Temple Of
Liberty guarded by a Goddess, and a
beautiful picture the leading figure rep
Washington crossing the Della
sare. After the procession, a grand
march took place at the Mechanics Pa
7ilion, where the Carnival ball was
Kept up all night.
PhalOn Innocent.
portland, Feb. 22.-It is certain that
Phalon is entirely innocent Of Schwarzs
as there were three witnesses
10 prove that he was in a box up stairs
It the time. Nothing further mas de-
veloped in the case.
I Confessed sa9mii ale.
PORTLAND, Feb. 23.-Frank Wheeler, a
we'll known saloon keeper, rode to the
sity jail in q hack at 2:30 this morning
and surrendered himself to the police.
He said his pistol had killed the man
Swartz, at the Palace Theater bar room,
Al 4-D