Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-21
COLUMBUS.
sPONsIBILITY FOR THE
.ERRIBLE DISASTER.
= to Blame for the wreck?-What

avs About Her and the LocaltF %
the stranded ship-The statements
of Well Known Masters.
The terrible fate OF the steam ship Clty
nj Columbus was the topic Of conVersa-
tion everywhere yesterday, on the Streets
in the hotels and depots and along the
river. ! variety OF opinion exists as 10
rba catastrophe, and one theory Is az
vanced as to its cause by one man an"
another bv another. The universal JUG
ment is that somebody is to blame Dul
who il the question which remains 70 pc
decided. c..
A NORNISG NEWS reporter met = apt
Fisher of the New I Ork steamship A6ila-
bassae' in the ScreYen House once las1
NIGHT. and a few minutes Idlel 49,
March. Of the Baltimore steamship 0Onle
Uopkins. Both Of these men alG 1850
of long experience. In taking ~ 1e5s tlIl.
20 Tho loss Of the CITY of Columbus, tney
80 careful to place the blame upon no
ono while thew eXOnerate the Captain
80 the lost vessel from any blame that
T1i,br he attached to him IN connding
The shin to the care Of the second OInceF'
and scout the statement that the pliot
left the wheel and went to the smoke
stock 10 get warm, they do not advance
=
can't. Fisher. who was in command
Of the CITY Of Columbus while plying
bntvvppn Savannah and New YORK De-
/ fore she was sold to the Boston line, ID re-
DIV to an inquiry as TO his opinion III re5aIu
+ to the disaster. said: L have no opthloA
I at present. and will place no censure upon
| anyone until | can hear Iurther III IesdIu
/ TO the accident, as | can place no fell1Ace
. feortaTnrlnV+
/ Gas former commander OF the Clty oil
/ Columbus did you regard her staunch
enough TO stand any weather.!
Certainly. She was as good snip
and as thoroughly appointed as ever
I built in any part OF the world.
s.Can YOU not give some particular dea-
4 son for the occurrence of the disasters!
ssWelI. I could not give any particular
reason. and 90 not feel II my duty 10
give anv reason at ali at present"
.sWhO. i'm your opinion, is to DiameF
j 81 would not put the blame on any one
/ without knowing more OF the clrcum-
Did YOU read the report Of the wreck in
the MORNING NEWS:"
Il did"
Did YOU by reading that report form
anv decided opiniOni'
Il did: and from the Captains state
ment, his course, that's, west southwest,
| would have carried him clear"
.sWhat is YOUR opinion on the whole
4 matter from reading the repOrtsW
Il should suppose that there was ms
/ understanding on the part oil the oIhCeI
of the deck as to the course given by
| Capt Wright"
Are You acquainted, Captain, with
the subaltern officers under Capt.
( WTight| .,.
Il am acquainted with Chief Officer
1 Fuller only. and | believe him to be
thoroughly competent as coaster"
Gould you blame him for the occur
renee of the disasterE'
Not at all. The second officer. it seems
by the report, was in charge OF the deck, and
| Mr.. Fuller was below, as 1 understand 1t,
and. therefore, could not be held respon-
slble."
'.Wbat 90 YOU think viii be the general
effect of the calamity on travel by TINS
! liney"
i do not suppose it VIII have any eff
/ feet at ALL
..Are YOU acquainted with Vineyard
SOund?"
u am not thoroughly acquainted with
the sound. although / have been
through it often. I Will not
attempt to give YOU any idea, Mr.. Re-
porter, until | know more about what has
occurred"
L. Il
of the wrecked vessel given in the MORN
ING NEWS on Saturday was correct, and
conveyed an excellent idea of the char
acter of the snip.
Capt. March, commanding the Baltimore
steamship Johns Hopkins, also expressed
some opinions in regard to the disaster.
Have YOU Travelled Vineyard Sound,
Captain. in the course of your long eXpe-
rience?" asked the News reporter.
Yes, sir"
'sWhat are your impressions in regard
to the Gay Head catastrophe"
Il can form no opinion or impression,
as YOU choose to call it, until can hear
the Captains report or the reason given
by the officer of the deck
''You stated that you were familiar
with the locality of the wreck; will you
/ give some idea Of it,"
Capt. Wright had passed through the
/ worst navigable part of the sound, and
/ had an open, fair way to the ocean. His
/ course, as reported, would have taken
/ him clear of all danger"
'But how do you account for the ships
course when the wreck OccurredP
+ Il cannot form any opinion as to that
I fact. There must certainly have been
/ misunderstanding, as the course iald out
/ by Capt. Wright in the report should
! prove correct"
/ Would you, under the circumstances,
! had you been i'll command. have conided
I the ship to the second officer. as it was
/ stated was done by Capt. Wright?'
/ Yes. would. 1t is customary to do
/ this il the weather is clear and there is
/ nothing to obstruct navigation, and ii
might be necessary, as the Captains
4 duties might call him elsewhere for other
/ purposes. Capt. Wright might have been
mp all night, and. having passed safely
! through all the intricacles Of the sound,
/ and, feeling tired at the moment when he
| believed that all danger was over, might
have given the course to be pursued to
! the second officer"
Captains March and Fisher both stated
/ that the account given by the passenger,
/ F. W. Fairbanks, in regard to the pilot
| having left the pilOt-hOuse and gone to
/ the smokestack to get warm, was unrea-
/ sOnable. They both consider Capt. Wright
4 a thoroughly competent shipmaster, very
/ careful, and of large experience in navi-
! cation