Wichita eagle., 1889-02-05
SERIOUS ACCUSATION.
DESTROYING uNsEAwoRTHY SHIPS.
Tho Startling Charge Made by q Naval
Ohcer-How Worthless Vessels
are Sold to Insurance
Companies r.
Washington Cor. Troy On. " Times

|
"About the only vessels which stand in
fear OF our navy are our merchantmen, 81
| said, half seriously and half in jest, to q
navy officer the other day. One of the
numerous cases of collision with man-of.
| war was in my mind at the time. He
seemed very glad of the opportunity and
went on to say: Eyes, the newspapers
are full Of that sort Of thing, and you
would think the navy made q business Of
running down schooners and brigs while
their crews are asleep. The fact is, that
we do we'll to sink as few as we do. These
| water-iogged old scows make point of
! getting in our way. The ocean is covered
with old craft, unable to earn their run.
| ming expenses, and always heavily in.
sured, In hopes that something will happen
| to send them to the bottom. In many
cases the captain is part owner, and he
likes nothing better than to get run into,
so that he can lose his ship and save the
crew. This is especially the case if he can
collide with Government vessel, for then
he gets his insurance and always wins
suit for damages. In lawsuits with juries
In seaport towns, the Government always
goes to the wall. Why, it has grown so
notorious that one Of the standing direc.
tions to sailing officers is to take to his heels
rather than let merchantmen come near
him. remember being the executive of
the Mayfower, heavy iron vessel of 400
tons, on the way from Norfolk to Boston.
Passing through Vineyard Sound we saw
large three-masted schooner in front Of
us, on which we were slowly gaining.
When she was 400 yards ahead we were in
tending to pass her on the starboard, two
or three hundred feet distant. 1t was a
bright day, and the schooner's crew leaned
over the rail Waiting us. When we were
within few hundred feet l happened to
see their wheelman throw the spokes over.
setting the schooner at right angles across
our bows. Had not seen him we should
surely have cut her through. Quick as
lightning / OF dered our engines reversed
and the helm put down. But an iron pro-
peller can not be handled like yacht, and
we only escaped the schooner's stern by
twenty feet. They did 1t purposely, and if
had not happened to see their wheelman,
the Government would have had damages
to pay and l hould have been court-mar-
tailed. Last winter Lieutenant Sabree,
who is in the Greedy relief expedition, was
taking the Pinta down East. One evening,
when off Nantucket, the deck officer re-
ported brig ahead. Sebree went Oh deck
and ordered the Pinta to keep off point,
so as to pass. There was no more need Of
a collision than to run ashore. As
he drew near the brig changed her course,
the vessels being plainly visible to each
other. Thinking that she wanted
to ascertain her locality or ask question,
he slowed up. When they were near
enough to speak the brig sheered down
across his bows. The Pinta was moving
slowly, and at best answers her helm poor
ly. Sebree tried to avoid colliding and
succeeded to the extent that the two only
rubbed their sides, although not very
gently. He hailed the brig and asked if
any damage had been DONE The only an
swer was curses. After lying there for
quarter of an hour and receiving no an
swer TO repeated offers of assistance, he
made steam and left. That night the
schooner sunk in deep water. The crew
disappeared and could not be found at the
trial, but her captain and mate went in
and swore that the Pinta burst her sides
open. Sebree went out with divers, but
could not find the sunken Tally-Ho. If he
had, few augur holes would probably
have shown why she sunk. But the briggs
owner received $4,000, twice her value, as
damages. Sebree was court martialed and
sentenced to two years suspension. The
sem ence was RENTED when the facts were
all known. / have sailed to Europe, to
Panama and California on the great steam
ship lines, and none of their ships are
handled with such care as prevails in the
navy. But what are you going to do with
a heavy vessel ween you are sailing
quietly along and some lit tie craft runs
right in front of you? That is done repeated.
ly, and yet we are always called careless
and Inefficient