Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-13
A OowARpLY DISCRETION.
The Ashuelot's Commander Dismissed
Her Officers Censured and Suspended
from Duty.


Her Officers Censured and Suspended
from Duty.
Washington Special Neao York World, 10t4.
The findings of the naval court appoint
ed to inquire into the loss of the United
States steamship AshuelOt have reached
the Navy Department. The facts in the
case as developed by the investigation
| show that the Ashuelot was gotten under
way in the harbor of Annoy, China, at
about D. m. February II, 1883, bound to
/ Swallow. Having cleared the harbor,
/ when about four miles off Chapel Island,
| target practice was had, after which,
4 at about p. M, the navigator, Lieuten-
/ ant Wyckoff. took the departure OF
! Chapel Island on the starboard beam
! and about two miles distant. The course
was set at southwest, three-eighths south,
which was held until about o:15 p. M,
! when Commander Mullan came on deck
/ and at the request of Lieutenant Wycko1,
allowed the vessel to be slowed to one
/ bell and hauled off to southwest, one-half
| south. to give the Brothers Rocks
greater clearance. The commander and
/ the navigator then went into the chart
room together, and there Lieutenant
Wyckoff Indicated the position the ship
would be in at a. m. if allowed to run at
a uniform speed of five knots an hour
until that hour, allowing a danger dis
! lance of twenty knots from the Lamock
Rocks.
The commander failed to give in his night
orders, issued for the guidance of the Off
| GERS of the deck, any definite instructions
as to the speed to be maintained, saying
only that the ship would be under one
| bell At about l a. m. the course was
changed in accordance with the night
orders to west-sOuthwest, one-quarter
west, thus heading the ship almost direct
for the Lamock Rocks.
This. in connection with the fact that
she was allowed to overrun the speed
agreed upon, caused the loss of the vessel.
Naval Cadet l.. IL. Wright was in charge
of the deck from u to a. m. under the
supervision of the executive officer from
u to and of the commander from to 4,
it having been directed by the department
that the cadets should be given an Oppor-
tunity to learn their profession. Under
the supervision of the older officers Lieu
tenant Hotchkin took charge of the deck
at 4 a. m, almost Immediately after which
she struck.
The night was dark and foggy. At a..
| m. the navigator came on deck, and, meet
ing the commander in the chart room,
said: "GOOd morning, sir. 1t is still
foggy, sir, and we must put her off," The
commander returned the greeting and
said "What are you doing up here? l
did not intend to call you until D O'clock"
Just then land was reported on the star
board bow, the helm was put hard star
board and the ship stopped. 1t was
stopped too late, however, as she struck a
rock under the starboard bilge abreast the
fOrerigging, afterwards ascertained to be
one of the sun rocks.
All hands were called to save the ship,
but all efforts to that end were soon found
to be Intellectual, and at 4:3O, when all
hands were called to abandon the ship,
the boats were lowered and efforts made
to save all of the crew. Lieutenant lver-
son, the executive officer, took the gig and
endeavOred to tow the steam Launch
! alongside, but failed on account OF the
[ strong current and had to cut her adrift
He then pulled back in the gig under the
stern and was just in time to save Com
mander Mullan, Cadet Webster and some
of the men who were still on board. AT
this time the sailing launch and the cut
! tiers had their full quota of men and Off
GERS and were laying off awaiting in
structiOns.
When the commander left the ship there
were still about fourteen persons on board
and at a muster held subsequently it was
found that eleven enlisted men were miss
!, ing. Naval Cadet Webster was the last
officer to leave the ship, following the
, commander into the GIG. He assisted En-.
gineer Picksell, as well as the men of the
! engineers force, who remained at thell
stations until they received permission tC
come up from below, when the vessel was
l on the point of going down,
Commander Mullan was tried upon
three harges-drunkenness on duty, i'm
properly haZarding the vessel under his
!, ! command, i'll consequence Of which she
l | was ran upon Il rock and lost, and neg
lect of duty. The specifications of the
, first charge were fully substantiated, and
although not absolutely under the III
. tiuence of liquor when the ship struck, 1t
was clearly shown that he was still sui
fering from the effects of it. The speci
fication of the second charge dealt witt
the matter of allowing the ship to run OF
an unsafe course, and this, too, wa:
proven. Under the third charge there
: were three specifications, one of which
Y recites his leaving the ship himself with
out first ascertaining whether all of thu
crew had gotten on.
Commander Mullan was found guilty o
I all three of the charges and sentenced t.
e dismissal, which sentence has been con
e tirmed by the President. Lieutenan
WyckOtf was tried for neglect of duty, bu
y was fully acquitted by the court,
3 Passed Assistant Engineers Entwistl
= and Leitch were found guilty Of neglec
/ of duty in not seeing their men up iron
below before leaving the ship themselves
: and were sentenced, the former to suspen
d sion from duty for one year, and the lat
o ter to be publicly reprimanded by the Sec
p rotary of the Navy.
One of the firemen who had so nobly
stuck to his post answered, with some in
o dignation, when asked, "When and how
S did you leave the Ship" 81 did not Ieay
q her at all-she left me-