Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-28


from New York he had 70 knowledge OF any
change in the lights around tine Assateague
and Winter Quarter shoals. lie knew the
latter light to be red. forty fee: high and
visible twelve miles" No information had
reached him of any substitution. His table OF
compass deviations WAS correct and a. hand.
Then followed some questions as to the habit
Of the commander in regard TO the use of the
lead and log. The latter had always proved
reliable on previous trips. 1t was patent
log
The light that appeared TO be the shore light
looked red. After awhile IL looked ''pinkish."
On subsequent nights-he remained at the
wreck nine days-he observed it TO be red on
several occasions. not always.
THAT RED LIGHT.
Lieut.. Com. Dayton asked il the red was
similar to the red of a ships port light The
answer was that lit was red. and so red that il
entirely lost its character as a white light"
WAS ii SO red that if il had been low enough
you might have mistaken it for a vessels
Light"
Yes"
In response to a query by the Judge advocate
witness described Assateague light a white
light, SET well back from shore, visible eighteen
miles
The steamer was not always sailed according
to the courses set down in the log, for they
might have been wrongly rec orded in the book.
made for the patent log. She underran that
much. Six degrees essterly deviation was
made for the course sailed, as set in the last
night orders.
LIEUT. NOEL AS A WITNESS.
The next witness was Lieut. York Noel, ex-
ecutire officer of the Despatch. He told story
OF the last trip of the steamer down the coast
He described the first course run from Scotland
light ship, south, degrees west, being re-
lieved by Lieut. Mulhgan. The vessel
passed Five Fathom Bank light ship
at pm. and steered S0.24 west.
and on the run to Tenwick Island the log was
corrected and found TO be 10 per cent fast. At
the island the steamer was sheered of to clear
schooner, but brought back again in five
minutes When the necessary distance for
picking up Winter Quarter shoai light. at 80
am, red light was reported to witness by
lookout, who was in the rigging. A few minutes
later he saw it himself. IL was red. The quar-
termaster was asked and he verified it. There
was no other conclusion possible than the light
was Winter Quarter sLoal. 1t was a trife to
the west-perhaps point-from what had been
expected. as his course running, and he
shifted his course TO So 40 west to clear it well.
The witness was called to the chart 10 point
out his lines and he explained that this course
20 40w would carry him west of the light
ship. the light aiterward turned out to be
Assateague light, and the Winter Quarter light
must have been either off station or else not
showing, as there was but the one light visible
RELIEVED BY LIEUT.. MICHIGAN.
'"n.' "'"e'' eAio' nc was re-
heved by Lieut. Muhigan. whom he told to
sail for Cape Charles light. he also said:
You are safe as long you do not pass in
side of the light ship There was plenty of
water outside. He then left deck and turned
IN and shortly after was awakened by the
grounding of the ship. The red light Was still
visible but closer, and be was confused by the
apparent contradiction of things. He was still
convinced that il was the Winter Quarter shoai
light ship.
SORT OF A Pooh RAN.
.1 MAJ, oxo.,,.;,,, O.. -~.--..
was eAeeu'i,e omcer' haNlga.ing omcer
ana "atcn ofncer. said Lieut. Noel In reply to
a question.
"A sort of poob Rah re,,.rlad cor,,,,arsou
Browpson
The rnn racorao5 in .ha ioo hooh :. A.,
actual reading ~ ,be ,,a,.n, laoe IT, ,,s,,,aD
t;o,, yyas alna3s r,a1a @ .',is =. - S1'',
rscLon;,g IN ,aoors =, a. - -. " - ~ -.
r,nst ha ,n.5a - .Jo.,;.'1 e, .nas
Wa los, with the st,i, hn, U;,,,. 'he he run ,
accurate memory OF theIn From tbe t,ms ,ha ..
- .-.e,sns "a L s toin .ne .iiiie tne
-, ~ 'e HI,."s tosu i9e was Ip srit'en up
.h,n;naa H., inr',,'' or ane Pase1n, ios Nere
in SIGH, Of iond IT, sbi,, ra,, a+ a - =, - -.
l,nt, fror, ~, VI Sp. .@ ,ys., Va niils
IL w.s imnossibIa 70 cot ho,.o,n ni.b 80
.loun1 l.aaA and
tY,ora ,.'as -, - -. souN~ee "eie ~Aen-
When the last log reckoning was taken the
set was to the easteriy.
THE AGE OF THE MOON.
''what was the age of the moon?' was the
ungallant question of .he Judge advocate
..sbe was in the end of tho s.co,a ,r.r,o,
a. 49,
ana the ttdes were, therefore, low and weak,
was tie eA ApiatatoIy repty;
NJ! me witness saio tnat ne expected to sight
winter Quar.er at i;zo am. at the latest. he
was looking for II at any time for ten minutes
before that lie sighted the red light at rs.
IL was abonf one and half points west of the
expected place. The wind had freshened a
little since leaving fenWlck Island, but from
about the same quarter There was misty,
hazy appearance over the land ever since the
moon had set, at about $50.
''The light was great deal redder than
many vessels carry that pass for red lights.
There was no doubt about its redness." The
witness said this in response to a question. The
light was also seen red by Andrew Anderson.
chief cuartermaster. The lookout on the fore.
castle reported the light some minutes after
witness had seen it. 1t was reported thus:
Light hor'
Where away?'