The evening world., 1894-03-03
REEF CURRENTS.
Commander Heyerman Wants E1-
pert Testimony About Them.
Would Call City OF Para Oncers In
the K%earsarge investigation.

The Naval Court OF Inquiry which Is
gathering evidence to he used in deter.
mining whether the loss Of the United
states corvette Kearsarse was due to
carelessncSs or caused by circumstance
beyond the power Of any human agency
to control, ~recorvened at 1890 o'clock
his morning in the Equipment Building
at the Brooklyn Navy-Yard.
Before the days proceedings began
Judge Advocate Kelley said III In all
probability this would he the last day OF
taking testimony. All that remained,
hesaid then. was to get some documen-
tary evidence from Washington.
Commander Heyerman then requested
through the Judge Advocate that Capt.
Lockwood and Chief Omcer S%aursnsen,
Of the City OF Para. be called az wit
nesses to give expert evidence concern.
ing the currents around Elncador Reef,
capt Lockwood. according to Com
mander Heyerman. has been cruising In
the vicinity of Roncador Reef for the
past fifteen or sixteen years, and had.
on one occasion. been carried nearly
twenty miles out of his course by the
current.
ADMIRAL .Gherardi questioned the com.
potency OF such testimony. He under.
stood, he said, that Capt. Lockwood, In
his trips between New York and Colon,
did not pass within loo miles OF Roncador
Reef.
that capt. Lockwood could give expert
testimony as to the treacherous currents
around the reef. because he had on a GER
tain occasion been carried very close to
II by an un.ooked-for set OF the current,
Commander Heyerman also asked thu
Lieut.. Pillsbury. who was now In Bos
ton, he sent for to tell what he knew
about the waters around Roncador
Itpnt pnlahuFy la anpIpsnJ IN he an All.
thority on the currents OF the Caribbean
Sea.
rs Admiral Gherardi seemed to have p
doubt as to the prorrlety of introducing
this expert evidence, the courtroom was
cleared, for the twentieth time since
the proceedings were begun, and the
matter was discussed
When the court was declared oyer
again, fifteen minutes later. the Judge
Advocate announced to Commander
Heverman that Admiral tiherardi woult
postpone giving his decision until latei
capt. Weeks, Of the steamer New,
port of the Columbian line, will b.
from Colon.
Lieut.. Lyman was recalled to the stand
n said that on Feb. the sights or
taken by Cadet Mccormick.
Mccormick, he said, had taken sewers
sights, and he uymanD had worked NJ
n's lAtlt1l1e from mem
There Is a well known custom In tn,
navy thai the navigator must PERSONAL,
take all the sights from which the lati
tnie and longitude are determined
II was ssid, however. that on Feb.
Lieut.. Lyman was I'll and allowed Cade
Mccormick u take the observations.
Judge-Advo'ate Kelley then sta ted tina
he would not call anv more wltnerse.
to-day. Lieut.. Pil.sbury was not here
he said, and Lieut., Bowman was bus,
working up the rough log. o thel
A telegram was sent to Lieut.. Pillsbury
In Boston, to come on at once.
Mr.. Kelly explained to the reporter
that a Naval Court subpoena was abou
as f~ar-reaching an instrument as b,
knew OF. On one occasion he knew o
an ofiiced Nho was summoned to com,
here from Constantinople, md witnesse
were frequently brought from China 4
testify In Naval Courts OF Inquiry.