The Daily bulletin., 1893-10-04
WEDNESDAY, OCT. A, 1893.
CANVASS OF THE BLAME.


unfortunate position. So far as the
captain Of the steamship is concern
ed, it is probable that he will have
to answer to a maritime court of in
quiry. He is not responsible to the
authorities Of this port, but to those
Of the country whence he derives
his certificate and to the owners of
his ship. With regard to the pilots Of
Honolulu, however, the case is diff
ferent. They are responsible to the
Government Of this country, and SO
the whole community-seriously in
jured by the disaster-will hold
them. There is no excuse of being
surprised possible in the case of the
Miowera. The steamship was sig
nailed as ten miles off Diamond Head
when twilight was scarcely passed.
There was ample time to have had
all the buoys in the harbor passage
lighted, and for the pilot assigned
to this steamship to have met her
far enough off the reef to relieve the
captain of all responsibility. Far
back in what some delight to call
the degenerate times of the mon
archy-even in the height of Kala-
kaua's much satirised "fuss and fea-
thers"-when steamship was due
the buoys we're lighted up before
nightfall.
There has not been a change for
the worse Notwithstanding the
thoughtless remarks heard to the
contrary-caused by the alteration
in the pilotage system from pay
ment by fees to the system under
which the pilots are paid by salaries.
Under the old system the pilots
amicably agreed not to compete with
each other, but to take duty in rota-
ton for plotting ocean steamships
in and out of port. The necessity is
not now that of having swift sloops
patrolling the horizon" but, to use
an expressive slang phrase, of hav-
ing the pilots "get move on"
with a reasonable degree of celerity.
The port has not business enough
to support any pilotage fleet ade
quate to sentinel the two sides and
front of the harbor approaches out
at sea, much less to be constantly
securing the horizon out of sight
OF land. All the Notwithstanding
and Notwithstanding required
for the port is very efficiently done
by the lookout on Diamond Head.
The circumstances and conditions
are very much different from those Of
San Francisco. There the roaring bar
over which vessels have to be piloted
is many miles from the docks. Here
the entrance to the docks is short
passage directly from the ocean, and
no pilot is generally needed before
the ship makes the harbor lights. II
the captain of the Miowera tried to
enter after making the lights, with,
out waiting for the tardy pilot, he
will doubtless be held answerable to
those who hold his position and his
certificate in their keeping. But
that fact would not relieve the Ho.
nolulu pilot from the responsibility
of making timely connection with
the approaching steamship.
1t is we'll known that the electric
lights of Honolulu, being on about
level with the harbor lights, have
been source of embarrassment tc
navigators approaching the harbol
at night. When the electric light.
we're first started, it was customary
to have them put out while steam
ship was entering or leaving The
harbor. How far the electric lightl
misled the eyes of Captain Stott i,
estimating his distance and seek
ing his bearings may come
Sut ou olbClol AufcoIlk
The evidence is that he once hac
the red and green lights in line, anc
if that position could have beer
kept he might have got in safely
without waiting for the pilot. Blu
when the green light disappeared
he was in danger, and it was whil'
attempting to get out of DANCE
that his keel took the reef. Wha
we believe nine-tenths of the com
munity hold is that if the pilot hat
been as prompt as he might ant
should have been in going out t.
meet the steamship, she woulo
not be to-day stranded alongsid
of the perfectly safe and easily &C
cessible harbor passage, and nothing
would be heard of Captain Stott'
alleged presumption in feeling hi
way for the harbor lights so clos
inshore.
Band Concert.