Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-01
THE SAMOAN INQUI RY.
The Examination Into Lieut.. Davenport's
Conduct at Apia.
HIS Counsel Reads a Long Statement
From the Defendant - Lieut..
Hawley's Testimony.

Hawley's Testimony.
The second days session Of the court Of
inquiry into the case of Lieut.. r. G. Daven-
port. U. 8. NJ, began at 1890 this morning
in the civil engineers office at the navy
yard. Lieut.. Davenport, 1t will be remem-
bered, was on board the Nipsic during the
cyclone at Samoa in March, 1885, and this
court Of inquiry, which began on wednes-
day, involves the question as to his conduct
as navigator on the Nipsic on that occasion.
The court consists of Capt. F. B. McNair
president; Commander Chas. H. Davis and
Lieut. Commander Richard Rush, with First
Lieut. Chas. H. Laucheimer as Judge advo-
cate. Lieut.. Davenport was present with
his counsel. Lieut.. Richard Wainwright
Lieut.. DavenpOrt's Statement.
After court was opened and the records of
the first day were read. Lieut.. Wainwright
read a letter of request from Lieut.. Daven-
port. as to the holding of this court, and re-
ferring to the reports which had been made
as to his conduct. and which had led him
to ask for such a court Among other
similar rumors as to his conduct, the letter
said. one was involved in a letter which was
sent to the committee on admissions of a
club alleging improper conduct on his pa It.
This letter and the action of the committee
resulted in the withdrawal Of his name,
which had been put up for membership.
Accompanying Lieut.. Davenport's letter to
the Secretary of the Navy was a lengthy
statement as to the details of the hurricane
which struck the Nipsic. The origin and
force OF the hurricane were described, and
diagrams showing the ships position were
also submitted with the statement which
was read by Lieut. Wainwright Lieut.
Davenports actions during the hurricane
ot idaro IL
and with great minuteness in this state
ment, which was spread upon the records
of the court
The ship was beached, according to this
statement, about I am, on a smooth sand
beach In front of the United States con-
sulate. and she glided on so easily that
the shock was scarcely felt. The men in
the engine room were not ordered up. as
II was thought best to keep them there to
stop the engines, as the navigator knew
from his own study of the surroundings
that the Nipsic could so ashore here with
out serious injury. a schooner had been
beached there shortly before without any
material damage being done.
The statement described the effects of
the awful hurricane on the Nipsic, and the
scenes on board during its perlous adyen-
ture. According to this Lieut. Davenport
was among the last to leave the ship. With
great deliberation he let himself down over
the side and succeeded in swimming ashore
though the current was running like a
millrace. He only left his ship when It
had become certain that for him to remain
any longer would mean loss OF life or
broken limbs in the wreckage. He did all
he could both before and after leaving
the ship to save the lives of others and
after 1t was all over a number told him
that they owed their salvation to him. BE-
fore lying down that night he made copious
notes of all the details of the Bleaching of
the Nipsic and these notes were verified
by others who were witnesses OF the scene
Al the time he made statement to the
n IN fh0f
complaint to make OF his behavior on the
occasion OF the hurricane he would demand
court of inquiry at once, but no COM
plants were made. He heard no more
about any dissa ttstactfon as to his conduct
on that occasion until early in 1889. when
he heard from the United States that gos-
sip inimical to him was being spread about
by one OF his juniors. who disliked him,
basing these remarks on his swimming
ashore. although that officer knew moth
Ing about the occurrence. In concluding the
statement, Lieut.. Davenport said that he
left it with the court to decide whether
he had not acted a that time with discretion
and coolness. and in a manner beiitting an
officer Of his rank.
The First Witness
The first regular witness called before
the court was Lieut.. John NJ. Hawley who
was on the Nipsic at the time and who
was frequently referred to in Lieut.. Daven-
ports statement. Lieut.. Hawley came up
from Annapolis this morning. having been
subpoenaed to appear before the court.
Lieut.. Hawley stated that on the occasion
Of the hurricane in the harbor of Apa he
was the executive officer on the Nipsic
He was asked by Lieut.. Wainwright a gen.
eral question as to what he knew of Lieut.
DavenpOrts action during and after the
hurricane. The witness then went on to
tell with great deal of technical detail
that would hardly be intelligible to a lands
man, all the orders that were given and
all the efforts that were made to save the
ship.
On numerous occasions during the night
OF the storm he had consultations with
Lieut.. Davenport. About daylight witness
said 1t became necessary to veer ship to
keep clear of German ship and little
later one or the chains parted. He told
Capt. Mullen that the only thing to do was
to run the ship ashore to save the lives Of
the men on aboard, though possibly to lose
! the ship Otherwise they would have gone
on to he reef and all lives would probably
have been lost. as had happened in the case
OF German ship. Orders were given to
lower the cutter. to send line ashore and
to lower the gig. He himself superintendei
the lowering of the cutter and he sent
| ashore in 1t the sick. the doctor and the
two engineers. hawser was gotten
ashore. being pulled in by the natives and
shortly afterwards the order was given by
the commanding officer 10 abandon the
ship and witness went below to see that
all were up. Saw Lieut. DaveEp port on deck
and coEversed with him as to saving the
signals and other matters that were lit
tering up the deck Witness was ordered
three times to leave the ship. though he
saw no necessity for leaving at first FL
nally Lieut. Shearman came to him from
| Capt. Mullen to tell him that the regula-
| tlons required that the commanding officer
should be the last to leave the ship and
| that he really must go. The witness told
in detail the part that Lieut.. Davenport
| took in the incident Of the beaching of the
ship and he had not completed his story
| when the court took q recess for luncheon
| shortly after noon.
| Gen. HendersOn's Broken Leg.
| Mr.. Horace Cake is in receipt of a lette,