The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-11
CAPT. sEALEy,s LErrER TO TEE uvroN.

About 2 o'clock last night Capt. Sealey
addressed and delivered in person to Presi-
dent Keenan,. of the Workingmen's Benev-
oient Association. the following letter:
A notice wss left upon the steamship ITALIA
| to-uay, addressed to me- saying that should I
give my vessel to any contractor or stevedore
VINO employs or works outside labor, your
associations viii, whenever may require skilled
| workmen, refuse to work for me, until such
time as discover that am acting against my
| own interests, and against the interests of the
owners or insurers of the vessel. AS this notice
was followed by general strike OF longshore-
| men, desire to define my position in this mat
| ter and TO explain TO your associations the cir
cumstances of the present difficulty so far as 1
may be related to t.
The facts briefly are that owing to a fire in
NO 3 hold of nay vessel, it became necessary to
| discharge 925 bales Of cotton that had been
| slowed therein by Messrs. Powers & McGee, the
| stevedores selected by my charterers. After
| the cargo was discharged, it was discovered
| that there were but four bales of cotton burnt
and about $50 bales wet, and British consular
survey recommended that the balance of the
| discharged cargo, after being re-conditioned
| where necessary, should be restowed in the
ship. As my bills Of lading were outstanding
Tor this cotton, under which was bound to de-
nver II 70 the consignees according to my con-
tracts, it became necessary for me to obey the
Recommendation of the survey, and reload the
| cotton.
| THE CONTRACT WITH Mr.. POWERS.
accordingly applied to Mr.. Powers of Pow
INTO contract with him. in the presence of two
other witnesses, on Friday morning last, to
reload and restow the dry portion Of the dis
charged cargo. at a price suggested by him,
namely, 90 cents per bale. Within q few mo-
ments after the agreement was mace Mr. Pow
ers returned to me saying that he must refuse
| 20 load the ship. On the same day he pre-
sented bis bill for discharging the cotton from
| the hold where the fire occurred, and the bill
was promptly paid. As all the other cargo de-
signed for the ship was slowed, and she was
w m fact " ha han
| sary TO I'LL up the No. hold before proceeding
to sea, so addressed letters to
the other stevedores of the port, stating
therein the making and breach of the contract
with MIR. Powers and requesting them to finish
| the ship. But one reply was received, which
was TO the effect that no other stevedore would
reload the No. hold in order to make the
steamer seaworthy, | took the only other re-
naming step, hired such labor as could obtain
and proceeded to roll the cotton into the ship
without screwing it as is usually done.
THE CAPTAINS POSITION.
If my action in proceeding as believe nv
duty required, under the circumstances, brings
me IN conflict with your associations, can only
express my personal regret have no quarrel
with your associations. / have appealed to all
the stevedores know. / have appealed 10 the
longshoremen, and | now appeal to your asso-
Citations to come forward and load the ship ac-
cordlng TO your own rules. My only desire
under the circumstances. is TO get my vessel
loaded and slowed, in order that she may pro-
coed upon her voyage without further loss of
time.
have not been able to obtain any reason
from MIR. Powers for his refusal to load the ship,
and cannot but believe that other persons are
influencing his conduct.
a CONFERENCE WITH THE UNION.
1t was learned last night from j. Parker
kirIin, Esq, the New York attorney repre-
senting the owners and master, that the
delivery of the letter led to conference
between Capt. Sealey and Mr.. Keenan,, in
which Mr.. Keenan, promised that the long
shorenlen will investigate the cause of the
stevedpres' refusal to finish loading the
ship, and will take such action as will tend
to break the deadlock at the earliest prac-
ticable moment, which was satisfactory to
Capt. Sealey, and Mr.. Kirlin expresses the
opinion that an adjustment of the differ
ences may be reached to-day.
Mr.. kirlin represents the owners of the
Thalia, Gladstone G. Cornforth, who sent
him here to advise the master as to the dis
position OF the damaged cargo and what
ever matters might come up He has been
in the city since last Thursday. He SAYS
that the rumor which was set on foot in the
city yesterday That he is the attorney for
any club is unt1us. and, as far as he knows,
the Thalia is not entered in any club He
says that 800 bales will complete the ships
cargo, and that the cotton was being rolled
in when the work WINS stouDed.