The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1889-05-14


native independence. and 10 secure
I good order IN the Islands upon prin-
ciples Of equal rights TO the powers
interested. We want to go into the
. conference with as much freedom
from previously expressed views Is
+. possible.
( I must. therefore. decline 10 ex-
/ press any views in advance. save
that I an sure the conference viii
be actuated by desire TO do Justice
% the honor OF the countries inter
estei. and to maintain the rights Of
all concerned.
Two OF three circumstances con
nected with getting the Trenton
ready for service marked her as a
Jonah" and several officers have
had their orders changed when sent
70 Ler. The first attempt 10 launch
her was December 80. 1876. but al
ter two hours work the effort was
abandoned Soon after being
launched she was put into dock and
coppered. and when she was taken
out she was found 10 leak so badly
that she had to be redocked. twas
then found that two or three holes
near the sternpost had been care
lessly or maliciously bored and left
without plugging. 4 few weeks
later large piece Of the machinery
fell from the crane when being hoist
ed on board and caused considerable
damage as IL went pIunging through
the decks to the bottom OF the vessel.
Now that the Samoan disaster has
passed into history. interesting facts
IN relation 70 its cause are likely 10
come TO light and none more signifi-
cant than the following: The fact
that none OF the iIltsted vessels were
provided with coal a the time Of
the accident Is well known. and i
Is evident that some one had blum
dered- L now trGnspires that this
c0alless condition OF the boats was
not unpreyentable. and that an offer
was actually made 70 the heads OF
the Nary Department. which. had il
been accepted. might have pre-
vented the calamity. i prominent
firm IN San Francisco. whose head Is
acquainted with the Samoan coast
and the imminent danger existing
there al this time Of the year -espe-
cially msnacing boats unpr0vided
with fuel-made an offer. through
Paymaster Goldsborough. 10 supply
Australian coal 70 the vessels at
Samoa al the rate OF ten dollars
per ton.
This offer was referred to C0mmo-
d0re Schley. who IS the head OF the
Equipment Bureau al Washington.
and was refused The contract was.
instead. carried of by Philadel-
phis firm who sent 1000 tons at
very high rates u PsgO Pago. Had |
the offer OF Australian coal been |
accepted. It can be easily seen that |
the disaster might have been avoided, |
g the coal could have been placed /
on board within thirty days.
Respecting the San Francisco dis !
patch criicising the Navy Depart /
meat for is failure 70 accept the /
offer Of coal from Australia Tor the /
American men-of-wa- at Apia. Com /
modore Scbley. OF the Bureau OF +
Equipment. said: We do not YET /
know that the loss d our vessels at /
Auia was due 70 { lack Of coal 5Iv /
latest adY;css. dated the last week n +
January. show that there was Z sup /
ply Of coal On the beach amounting /
10 80 ions Nine weeks ago the !
3Ionongahela sailed IRON san Fran I
cisco % Ap:a With 60J tons Of coal. I
which We had On hand al the Mare .
Island Nay Yard Il vas not. +
therefore. necessary 70 buy Yelling I
Ton coal Al ten dollars Der ton when /
We had coal OF Cur Own which had /
been bought and paid fo-. yelling
ton cal VIII not bear exposure to I
weather and i would not be good !
economy 70 lay II Z stock Of II At q
place where vet have no provision /
for shelter