Evening journal., 1892-07-15
A PILOTS TROUBLES.
D. w. Conwell Comes to Grief
For Running a Ship Aground.
HIS LICENSE HAS BEEN REDUCED.

The Earn Line steamer Roxburgh stuck
Her Nose Into the Mud ON Her Way Up
the Delaware Hereafter the Pilot Can
not Take Charge of a ship that Draws
More than Twelve Feet Of Water.
The Delaware Pilot Commissioners met
at the Office of Secretary b. Frank Town
send, Ina the Equitable Building, this
city. to-day. Those present were presi-
dent John p Nirden. John r. Price,
Charles NJ Morris, William Bright aud
b Frank Townsend
The session began shortly after 10
o'clock. IL was called for the purpose OF
hearing evidence i'm the complaint
against Pilot Delaware W. Conwell, the
Lewes pilot who was accused of run
ming an Earn Line steamer ashore three
times between the Delaware Breakwater
and Philadelphia.
Pilot Cnnwell was present, as was also
George +. Emnshaw secretary and treas
urer of the Earn Line Steamship Com
pany. He was accompanied 10y the cap
tain of the steamship RoXburgh
Complaint From the Company.
The first thing done was the prescnta-
tion of the complaint II was as follows.
I'VE regret to have 90 report TO YOU
that Pilot ID. w Conwell. whilst en-
chai go of our steamship RoXburgh acted
in very peculiar manner He boarded
/ this steamer at 6 p. m. ON June Of. 1892
/ and an went well until the steamer arrived
within about half mile of Fort Delaware,
when the master and chief officer. seeing
/ the channel perfectly clear. went 10
] 9 Col N...
the second officer on the bridge
with the pilot, This was Si5 o. m.,
June 22 and a few minutes later the
second officer sent for the master, saying
there was something wrong. When the
master got on the bridge he found the
steamer had been turned around and
was steaming down the river again at
full speed.
"The master at once asked Pilot Con
well what he was trying TO do but the
pilot did not seem to take any notice
lie then turned the steamer around
again aud about g.i1 a. m. tn,
steamer ran fun speed on tn,
hard bottom ON the east side of thi
channel, between Fort Delaware an,
New Castle. New Castle range light
houses bearing H. ~ W. One red spa
buoy ahead on port bow and onl
spar buoy astern ON port quarter Afte
getting of next tide with the assistance
OF two tug boats the vessel proceeded an'
came 60 an anchorage off Deep waite
Point
cat 3.55a m.. June %. She weighe
anchor and proceeded towards Philadel
phia At A3O o. M, while still in charg
of Pilot Conwell, the steamer again too
the ground aud remained until 130 d
m, same day, when ship got OIL and pre-
ceeded to dischargng berth withou
further casualty
''We must ask you TO hold an IN
y Quiry into the above case as In on
[ opinion, Pilot Conwell should b
required TO give a full explanation
of his conduct First. in turning "a
ship down tine river without any reason
S condly. in getting her ashore at hig
D water; and thirdly. in getting her ashor
the second time for three hours.
ConwelI Reduced in Rank.
This was followed by statements fror
, Secretary Earnshow and the captain.
i the main they corroborated the complaint
. Pilot Conwell was then given an OF
4 portunity to defend himself He pract
; cally admitted that the charges weI
T, true, and could not make excuses of sue
character as would Justify the acts.
After considering the matter the con
j missioners took his first class license ava
from him and granted him one that onl
. allows him TO pilot vessels drawin
j. twelve feet of water or less