The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-10-21
TIE TEXT OF THE COURTS
FINDING Is MADE
KNOWN.
The Reasons for Captain stott's Ac-
quittal Fully Shown from the
COURTS Standpoint.

court of inquiry into the stranding |
Of the Miowera, showing the COM
plete exoneration of Captain Stott,
follows. The captains certificate
as master of vessel has been re-
turned TO him, together with the
assurance of the court that his case
be presented to the board of |
= London in it's best light. |
to say, the decision has
IN immense amount of
tally in view of the facts
the interview published
rvs ADVERTISER with
payincipal witnesses in
Perry.
rider of naval court,
raSh consulate general,
the 10th, 18th, 18th
x0 October, to inyesti-
nina, stances attending the
British steamship
ort of London, official
Off the port of Homo
and of Oahu, one OF the
Ids, when on a voyage
N. s. W., to Vancouver,
he cause of such strand
- enquire into the conduct
lister, certificated first mate,
mate, third mate, and fourth
nd the crew of the said vessel.
{ the court having heard and
slly considered the evidence CIV
fore it, is unanimously of opinion
10 blame is to be attached to the
.er for the stranding of the 8. s.
vera, and therefore returns to him
masters certificate.
he court is of opinion from the ev-
nee laid before it, that the strand
of the S. s. Miowera on the night
October 2, 1898, was due
First-TO the indistinct appearance
the land, the bearing taken by Cap
ain StOtt supposing it to be Diamond
Head was really the high land TO the
head which was itself obscured, and
that this led the captain to stand on
until really nearer to the entrance
than he supposed.
Secondly-That Captain Stott hav-
ing got the green light well open to
the east of the red was using a small
starboard helm to bring them nearly
together, as by sailing directions,
when the sudden disappearance of the
green light deprived him of his lead
ing mark, and while so deprived of
the green light he must have crossed
the line of bearing and got too lar TO
the west and stranded on the west
side of the harbor entrance about
forty-five feet from the outside buoy
on the west side, while endeavorfng
with a port helm to turn the ships
head to sea eastward. With regard
to the disappearance of the green
light, the evidence of Captains Smyth,
Davies, Sorenson and Campbell, all
men of great experience as masters OF
steamers running in and out of Homo
lulu at all hours of the night as we'll
as by day, proves indisputably that
the green light is frequently obscured
by masts and spars, or even the
funnel Of q vessel or vessels lying at
the Kinau or Likelike wharves (see
plan No. p On the 2d of October
last the British bark County of Meri-
oneth was in such position that
the green light, being situated inshore
of the wharf, struck on her masts or
wards, the latter being squared at the
time in such a manner as to prevent
it from being seen from ship having
her marks nearly on in the entrance
of the passage.
The contention of the harbor master
that the green light was not obscured
until the ship was already too far to
the west is not in accord with the
weight of evidence; but, were II so, II
detracts very seriously from the value
of the light if it be liable TO become
invisible without warning TO ship
a few feet onl. TO the west OF the
channel.
By the evidence of the pilot, the
NIiowera Was we'll to the eastward o.
l,A rr.t cQy q
starboard side-light and mast-heaC
Egbt. soon afterwards she was heaC
on to his boat with port helm. THAI
the green light was obscured by some
inteTvening object is plainly proved
nv the evidence of the pilot, and th'
chief and the third officers of the ship
who state while it was invisible from
the bridge it was plainly visible from
the deck under the bridge, as was DIS
covered after the ship grounded
Captain Davies, of the lnter-lsIan'
(Wilder's) steamship Claudlne, testi
fies that he lost sight of tn
green light from the bridge of hi
Ship, though he afterwards found on
that it was ut the same time visibl
To n number of his passengers on deck
and that this occurred the day befor
the stranding of the Miowera, tn
County of Merioneth being then il
the same position as on the followihi
night.
The court wishes to observe that tn
Miowera did not, nor should she hav
come within the limited range (tel
miles) of the BARRIERS Point light, an
that as there is no light on the east
ward or Diamond Head side of tn
entrance there is no possibility c
getting reliable bearings if the outlin
of the land be even partially hidden.
All the witnesses agree that tn
electric lights of the streets have tn
effect of reducing or diminishing tn
visibility of or "killing" the harbo
red and green lights. In fact that thes
harbor lights whenever the electri
lights are in operation do not sho'
over more than q fraction of the rang
attributed to them, and thus we hav
the very remarkable fact that Will
the glare of the electric lights of tn
town is recognizable at distance {
thirty-five miles, the guiding lights {
the harbor are visible only six {
seven miles for the red and about foU
for the green. The Miowera ran fC
one hour and seventeen minute
making eighteen knots, after sightin
the glare of the lights of the town %
fore raising the red harbor light.