Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-28
FIXING THE BLAME.
The investigation Into the Loss
Of the kearsarge.
Admiral Stanton and Commander
hayerman Tell Of the Wreck.
The Ships Navigator Ev:dsasly pida'l Knew
ius. WHARF lhsy We're.

The Ships Navigator Ev:dsasly pida'i Knew
ius. WHARF They We're.
BROOKLYN, N. Y, Feb. 27.-The invest
igation begun yesterday by the board Of in
quiry appointed by Secretary Herbert to
inquire into the wrecking of the Kearsarge
on Rcncador reef, was continued today in
the court martial room at the navy yard
Rear Admiral Gherardi PRECEDING. Rear
Admiral O.car F. Stanton was called TO the
witness stand. He told that the course OF
the keassarge was set on at noon, Feb. 9,
and described the position Of the vessel ai
the time. TIE course taken had been such
~ was supposed to have cleared Roncador
reef.
..At 6 o'clock that evening"" Admiral
Stanton went on. Commander IIeyermap
reported TO me- that the navigator was sure
he had passed the north of Roncador reef.
Shortly before the lookout cried Break
ers ahead
GLOW far off were you from the breakers
~hen you heard the cry of the lookout"
asked Judge Advocate Kelley.
mot more then 500 yards" was the
answer.
The night, the witness added, was dark.
Admiral Stanton said he had given NO order
IS to what course should be taken by the
chip. Admiral Stanton told what happened
after the Kearsarge struck on the reef.
The account does not differ from what was
told by him when he arrived here. He
stated that Ct mmander Hyerman remained
m the ship until the last man had left, and
| Init txrr 80 oaA 60 t,<a kov
off when the admiral left the Kearsarge.
Commander Hyerman was called. lie was
asked concerning the log of the Kearsarge.
The rough and smooth logs for AZ hours
prior to the time the Kearsarge struck were
lost in the wreck, he said. The night order
book was also lost. Regulations regarding
The night order book were always fully car
ried out. He knew the night order book
would be wanted and for that reason he
made two attempts to recover it. Judge
Advocate Kelley led the witness to the time
ne started from San Domingo aud went to
Port au Prince, and his start for Blewhelds,
Nicaragua.
The witness said the course he decided to
follow was to the south of Jamaica, and to
make the Corn islands, and from there over
the gulf Of Blewhelds. If he reached the
coast at night he intended to anchor. The
weather was such that accurate observa-
tons could be made. The navigator never
complained to the witness Of the want of
accuracy 10 charts or instruments, except
,nce he said the sextant was not - good ~
Il might have been. The speed Of the
Kearsarge, the commander said, up to noon
Feb. was from six to eight knots an hour.
There was goo1 breeze and al sail was
vet. The kearsarge ran along then ct
seven knots an hour.
The position of the Kesrsarge at noon,
Feb. 2, the witness said, by dead reckon
ing. was latitude, 1881 north, Longitude,
79.02.30 west: by observation, latitude,
1888; longitude, 79.lG.3O west. That
showed the witness was having to contend
Sith current from the north. The force
Of the current was about one or two knots.
rhe fitness had no knowledge that the
currents might change in the Caribbean sea
without warning. The course at that time,
Commander Heyerman continue', was west
southwest, three-quarters west. On that
Q 'u-.e he expected to pass five miles to the
north Of Roncador reef.
At4 in the afternoon Navigator Lyman
made the usual report ~ to the position he
supposed the ship was in. The witness did
not remember the report he made. The
northwest current continued At that time,
but the navigator saw nothing 10 thow any
thing wrong in the position he assumed the
Xearsarge to be in at that hour. They ex-
pected to make Roncador reef 1t 6. or any
time after. At I they were sbout Is or 10
miles away from the reef. Between and
6 they run about 81 or % miles. Up to
they sighted nothing and concluded they
had passed to the north Of Roncadot reef,
or we're near it, without being able to see
It. The weather was clear and the sun
,bnnt setting. There was . haze on the
horizon.
At $50 the witness sent tie assistant
navigator to the topsallant yard with best
glasses aboard the ship to look around. lie
reported noehing in sight. The witness
took extra precautivn because OF proximity
to the reef. Az further precaution he
gave orders to 60 to the westward. The
witness and navigator were ON deck and
Lieut.. Brainard was officer of the deck.
Witness said:
AT G.50 the lookout cried sBre akers
ahead, and cav them on eitl ef side and
ahead Of us. We were about 200, perhaps
500 yards, away from them. ordered the
wheel to port. hard-a-port, and had the
engines stopped and began to back. We
started mp the other boilers after we strucb,
but could mot back the ship OF. The point
where We struck was six miles to the south
and four miles to the eastward Of where
supposed was"
Commander Heyerman testified concern
ing the landing Of the crew and what they
did ON more. The report Of The inquest on
the death Of Anderson Robbins, IL Sea-
man drowned, was submitted to the board.
Commander Heyerman then told Of tie
coming Of the City Of Paris and the re-
moval Of the shipwrecked crew 10 Colon.
The commander was overcome by emotion
and the red - cleared. In fev nia-
u.es The pgtlic was again admitted. Con-
mansler HeYeSman bad recovered and be
vas askeds. ssf1ow far were you from The
place wheH you should have been whom
you sfruclihe rtef."
ssAbout1Dsven miles,"
That elcse1 his examinslion AMI The |
boafd adjourned until tomoerov mofning.