The Portland daily press., 1893-10-31

HanIen.
In the PRESS of yesterday reference
was made to the exciting trip of Captain
Dauphney of the James H. HamIen, and
to his constant efforts to defeat the plots
of his crew, led as he believes by his
mate. Yesterday in speaking of his re-
markable trip the captain added some
particulars, and also outlined the manner
in which many owners have been
cheated.
South Africa, the mate approached him
on the subject of taking the vessel into
Bermuda, and making some money out
of her." The plan was only outlined, as
the captain promptly ordered the mate
not to mention the subject to him again,
but enough was said to make it plain
that the mate had in mind a plan tried
before by others, if not by himself. That
plan was to take the vessel into the Ber-
mudas in an alleged leaking condition,
and to fix things so as to make it easy to
carry her through a survey. 1t could
have been done in this way, alleged to
have been done in at least one instance.
The vessel could have been taken in and
pumped out. Then the water pipes could
have been started and a thousand
gallons of water allowed to go free. That
would have shown at least six inches of
water when the pumps would have been
next tried. Suppose the first trial of the
pumps to be made just before, and the
second Immediately after dinner, an
hour, or an hour and half later, they
would show the presence of water enough
to justify the ordering of the making of
thorough repairs
Of course there would not be money in
this without an understanding with the
man who would dc the work He could
pretend to be doing an extensive job,
could put in bolt here and there, make
pretense of making her water tight,
and at last paint her. The next trial of
the pumps would show that she was
Sound" again, and perhaps $4,000 be
divided between the captain and the man
who would pretend to do the work. In
the case of the James H. Hamlen, it is
his belief that the mates plot was to take
her in, run her ashore and get what they
could from the wreckers. They could
only have taken her in after killing the
captain, and the mate would hardly
have ventured to have long trusted the
sailors. His one hope of safety would
have been in an immediate escape
Capt. Dauphney believes that his own
b e.
that he removed the chronometer, and
kept them ignorant of their bearings
They did not venture to kill him while
totally unable to say where they WERE
Their plot had for its objective point
the taking of the vessel into the Bur-
mudas, and they could not be certain
what port they might make.
1t was while they were in this state of
confusion, and while in the belief of the
captain, the mate was trying to get at
| his reckoning, that they made Vineyard
Haven, not New York, as was at first
reported. The vessel made the harbor
in the night, and in the morning the
| mate and crew were simply astonished
when they found themselves surrounded
by vessels. They knew that the game
was up, unless the captain should risk
the brief passage to Boston with them on
board. Had he done SO they could not
of course, have taken the vessel where
they had at first resolved that she should
go, but by killing the captain they
would have escaped the danger of legal
proceedings against them all. The
captain let it be known that he proposed
to take his vessel to Boston by aid of a
tug, and then they all left for shore. 1t
cost the owners $140 to take their vessel
to Boston, but the captain saved vessel
| and cargo.
Capt. Dauphney said yesterday that at
| one time things looked so bad for him
| that he almost resolved to take his life
in his hands and to try to master them
| by shooting the mates, and one other,
Handwriting two more, and risking the
rest When he made the harbor the
captain was not sick with brain fever,
but was completely worn out, and for
the first time for many days felt safe. The
owners are fully satisfied with his
| course.