The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-10-21
THE COURTS DECISION
Captains and TilofS Express
Their Views as to SfOtpS
Blame.

.T want to say that endorse all
that Captain Fuller has said regard
ing the reliability of the harbor lights
as a means of finding the harbor en-
trance"
1t was Captain J. r. Macaulay vino
spoke referring to the wreck of the
Miowera, and the recent finding of
the court of inquiry which exonerated
Captain Stott from all blame for the
stranding of his ship.
Captain Macaulay was standing on
the front porch of his cottage which
stands ON the southern slope of
Punchbowl, aud commands n sweep
ing view of the ocean from Diamond
Head to Barber's Point, and from
where, as he explained to the ADvER-
TIsER representative last evening, he
was an eyewitness OF the stranding
of the Miowera.
"On the evening on which the
stranding occurred" began Captain
Macaulay, 81 was sitting on my porch
here talking with a friend when the
steamer was telephoned, but as | was
not on duty that evening, 1 did not
go down, but remained at home.
Well, I saw the steamer long before
she reached the bell buoy, but before
then paid no particular attention to
her, and probably would not have
done so even then had it not been
that she was going rather fast for her
near approach to the harbor entrance.
"Now 1 notice in this evenings
Bulletin, the statement is made that
Captain Stott was using small star
| hoard helm previous to running on
| the rocks. This statement is mani
| testify false, as he never used star
| board helm after passing the bell
buoy, but on the contrary he used a
| port helm. Had he used starboard
| helm he would have gone out and not
| in, and would therefore have been
safe.
"Now regarding the red and green
| lights, / want to say that L have
been sailing into this harbor during
| the past eleven years almost con-
stantly-in fact 1 know of none who
has had occasion to use those lights
more than 1 during that time-and
never yet have L known either of
them to fail in showing all they were
| ever intended to show, and that is the
| channel entrance and noth'',g more,
so that had Captain Stott succeeded
in passing in at the entrance he
would certainly have gone ashore be
fore passing the lighthouse, as there
is an angle TO be made, the channel
not being a straight one, and to learn
how to make this turn with safety re-
quires a good deal of experience and
which Captain Stott does not possess
do not deny that when once inside
the channel the light may have beer
obscured in the manner described, but
after the channel has been entered the
green light has already served it
purpose and Captain Fuller is righ
about the light being plain enough
for what it is intended.
Regarding the speed of the Mic
vera, her full speed is seventeen and
half knots an hour, which would
per hour. Now the Miowera wa:
running at full speed when in th'
vacinity of the bell buoy, and did no
slow down to half speed till within
two thousand yards of the channe
, entrance, and perhaps less. Had he
engines been stopped then she woulC
have been carried on the rocks by tn,
Roadway, and had the pilot been oil
the bridge when she was yet half ;
mile away from the entrance he coul'
have done nothing to save her and
, consider it q very fortunate thing TO
the pilot that he was not further on
at the time,
| 1.-THE idea that the ships presen
position is due to the fact that tn
, pilot was not further out to meet hel
{ / consider to be altogether wrong an
| unjust to the pilot, the pilot was see
lighting the buoy lights, which
, proof conclusive that he was attend
2 ing to his duties.
, "Here is the law on the subject,
r said the captain, producing set {
2 | regulations, wherein rule Z says
, Upon the arrival of any vessel NAL
? | ing the usual marine signal for
3 pilot, it shall be the duty of the pile
} or pilots at the port to Immediate
= put off to such vessel" ETC., etc
E which, as Captain Macauley says
{ goes to show that the pilot on dut
f was not only performing his duty b
r being on hand, but was out lightin
r up his buoys fully twenty minute
r before the law requires that he Shout
], be. In other words, he was at tn
2 channel entrance at the time h
; should have been leaving the boz
landing according to the law.
d 1.-THE Miowera was exactly seve
N | ninutas - continued the caDtaiu, 81