The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-09-29
RELIEF EXPEDITIONS
American COnsuls are Not Auth
0riZed to end Such.
A False Impression Corrected
About the Disaster of the
Ship w. A. Campbell.

The steamer Claudine brought
the information that Chas. Fur
neaux, the American Consular
Agent at Hilo, had sent the
steamer Kinau from Hilo in search
of the missing boatload of sailors
belonging to the wrecked vessel w.
A. Campbell, and now it turns out
that the news was incorrect.
Purser Kibling stated yesterday
that while the Kinau was at Hilo,
he proposed that Furneaux should
send that vessel in search of the
missing men, but the American
representative did not act on the
suggestion and finally at the re-
quest of several citizens of Hilo,
who agreed to pay all expenses of
the trip, the Kinau left Hilo at
noon on Thursday, September 22d,
in search of the boatload of human
freight. Mr.. Sullivan, the first
mate Of the Inflated vessel, was
taken on board the Kinau at East
Point. Sullivan's advice was
wanted as to what course the relief
expedition would take and after
thirty hours at sea without seeing
a sign Of the boat the Kinau re-
turned to Hilo. Immediately on
her arrival, Mr.. Goodale and sew
eral other gentlemen offered to pay
for the expenses of the trip, but
Mr.. Beckley would not accept the
money until he saw his superiors.
Yesterday morning the affair was
reported to Mr.. Wilder, who gen.
erously stated that no bill was to
be presented and that the company
would refuse to accept any pay
ment whatever.
Purser Beckley states that the
rescued men are at present in Hilo
under the care of the q. S. Consul
lar Agent. They are rapidly recov-
ering from their terrible ordeal and
will come to this city on the next
trip of the Kinau.
Several experienced shipmasters
of this port are of the opinion that
the Captains boat, which parted
company with the one containing
the mate, may have been picked
up by some European-bound vessel,
as lat IA North and long. 100 West
Northern Pacific ports as we'll as
vessels from the South crossing
that meridian heading for Pacific
Coast ports.
FALSE IMPRESSIONS CORRECTED.
The general public is not aware
that the disaster occurred about
2100 miles from Hawaii, and not
off the Puma coast, as many imag-
inc; it took Mate Sullivan and his
companions "a days under sail to
reach Hawaii. Sullivan in his
statement printed elsewhere, states
that "the boats were provisioned
and the men placed in them it
was decided by the captain and
myself to make for Hilo, Hawaii,
as the most favorable, although
land was much closer to the east"
CONsULs NOT AUTHORIZED.
Mr.. H. w. Severance, U. S. Con-
sui General, stated yesterday that
as far as he knew, Mr.. Furneaux,
the U. S. Consular Agent at Hilo,
did as much as he could possibly
do without overstepping the bounds
of his authority. He further stated
that American consuls are not au-
thorized to send relief expeditions
in search of seamen in distress
unless they have positive informa.
ton that the people are at Ger.
tain point; then relief may be ex
tended. A consul may propose tc
an owner of vessel to go in search
of missing people, and if the search
is successful, the representative
can promise on the part of hi:
Government that the owner of the
vessel will be compensated ant
if the search is unsuccessful, thu
ship owner must be satisfied will
the knowledge that he has don,
something for the cause of hu
mainly.