Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-03-11
PACIFIC COAST.

4 ~
ing of the directors held afterwards. IN
following officers were chosen: Pres
dent, Henry Landes: Vice Presiden,
Chas. Eisenbeis; Cashier, r. q. Hill.
bank building will be erected immedj
ately.
Patrick Kane, steward of the surve,
ing schooner Ernest, fell overheard fror
a boat at Irondale while going off to th
vessel, and was drowned. He was ana
tive OF Ireland, and about 80 years O
age.
A sailor named Sweeney, belonging I
the schooner Carrie Hayden, has bee
missing for some days, and it ia sup
posed he is drowned.
Clearance House Statistics.
! SAN Francisco, March lO.-Clearauc
house figures show a falling of in bust
| ness of $2,O00.0O0 from Jan. lst to dat
for the corresponding period of las
year.
Failures.
Pacific Coast failures for the wsel
number seventeen asagaiut eleven dur
ing the previous week.
Important to Shippers.
Eugene L. Sullivan, Collector Of Gus
toms, has received letter from Actine
Secretary of ths Treasury French, call
ing his attention to the fact that The un
loading OF vessels at places in this dis
trict not designated as ports is contrar,
TO law. Much feeling il manifested il
the matter bv shippers and especial,
residents Of Oakland, as an order Issued
by tae Collector notifying deputies o.
the essential features of the letter prac
tically seals the commerce OF Oakland
until the acs of Congress can be secured
making Oakland port. of delivery
The dsoision revives an old question al
to the rights of consignees at this port
Report In Regard 30 the Tacema's
Loss.
San FRAN6rsco, March lO.-The oificia
report on the loss of the iron collier TIA.
coma was rendered this afternoon
After reviewing at length tho testimony
adduced during the Investigation, the
report goes on to state that the testi.
mony relative to COURSES steered after
leaving Cape Flattsry is very conflicting
and the inspectors wore obliged to rely
entirely upon that Of the first officer
The courses given by Korts are highly
improbable under the circumstances, as
he states that the ship, on passing Fiat
terry rocks, steered southwest then south
by east, and he couldn's remember
changing the course at noon 10 south
east By east, while it was his duty to
know this, as he was on deck most OF
the time taking courses, which the
watch officers declare was eteersd. A
drau9ht of fifteen miles in twelve hours,
which the Captain admits prevails from
Cape Fiattery to sixty miles south OF
the Columbia river, and heave of the
sea towards land would place a ship
very near to the point where she struck,
allowing for deviation of the compass,
which is also known by him, as he states
In his evidence that on run of four
teen miles to Flattery rock he found the
Tacoma was three miles nearer shore
than she should have been on the course
steered, and this should have warned
him to give her course more to sesward.
The inspectors find that land was plain
~ visible on tho afternoon Of the 18th.
He estimated the distance at from ten
30 Is miles, and concluded that if Capt.
korts had consulted the charts at the
time he would have discovered the YES
sci out of her proper course and nearer
to land than she should have been.
Moreover, he had all the surface of the
ocean lying outside him, wherein to
navigate, and had no occasion, and
no advantage was gained by being with
in forty miles of the coast, as the course
from Cape Flattery to San Francisco is
direct for forty-six or forty seven miles,
and would take him twenty-five or thirty
miles clear of Cape Mendocino before
there would be any necessity Of chang
ing. Relative to his leaving the ship
the inspectors say they consider he acted
very unwisely and unsea manlike. II
was his duty to remain by her until
every man had been saved. It was a
grave error on his part as master, and
he should not have been Influenced by
any body. His plea that he had no
officer whom he could trust to 60 ashore
is frail one, as be had officers of great
experience and worthy Of confidence.
They believe that after he landed he did
everything possible to save the lives of
those on the wreck, and took every
means to secure assistance. The report
closed by saying the inspectors can
arrive at no other conclusion than that
Capt. Korts navigated the Tacoma with
great negligence after passing Cape
Flattery, and that he did not maintain
that degree Of discipline necessary ON
board steam vessels, there being no
fault found with any Of his officers, nor
can any blame 30 attached to them In
the matter. The investigation holds this
Captain wholly responsible ON account
Of this gross negligence ON his part,
thereby causing tho loes OF the steamer
ON the night of the 18th of January, and
order suspension Of the license of