The morning call., 1894-09-15
DRUNK AT SEA.
Why the Miranda Was
Lost.
DR.. COOK ADMITS 1T.
Says the Sailors Stole
Liquor.
ALL IN DEADLY PERIL.
With Storm Blowing Over the
Arctic Ocean.
THAT MADE NO DIFFERENCE.
The Men on the Excursion Ship Were
Beyond the Control of Their
Officers.
THAT MADE NO DIFFERENCE.
The Men on the Excursion Ship Were
Beyond the Control of Their
Officers.

OBERLIN. Ohio, Sept. 14.-Professor G.
Frederick Wright, the eminent geologist
has just returned. and t'-day made
statement which will cause surprise among
people interested in tha success of the
Cook expedition of which he was menl-
0er 1t will be remembered that the ex-
pedltlon was brought to sudden termI-
nation by the sinking of the steamer
Miranda.
Professor Wright makes the statement
that during the night of the storm nearly
all the crew of the i'll fated steamer we're
Deasily drunk. He also makes the asser-
ton that in changing the passengers from
the Miranda to the Rigel one boat-hand
was rustled over the gangway by the seat
of his trousers.
The Miranda met with an accident a
week previous, but the damage to the hull
was underestimated. This night under a
high sea she sprang a leak. During the
three hours the Rigel was attempting to
lay beside the Miranda the excited crew
broke into the forecastle, where the liquor
was stored, taking the liquor and holding
nigh riot. They became so reckless they
even smuggIed bottles of whisky under
their clothes while in the terrible peril of
crossing between the two ships.
Prof. Wright stated that in his opinion
the officers OF the boat were in no wise re-
sponslble for this strange condition OF
affairs, but that it was human nature for
men Of this class in such a position to act
as they did. He says the Miranda would
undoubtedly have gone down with crew
soher. II such had been the case.
NEW YORK, Sept. 14.-Dr. Cook, who
| engineered the Miranda expedition to
Greenland. was to-day shown a dispatch
from Oberlin, Obi, saying that many of
the crew of the steamer were drunk at the
time she was abandoned and that the reef
on which the vessel struck was plainly
marked on the chart. He said:
while IL is true some OF the crew of the
steamer were intoxicated at times, nobody
was under the influence of LIQUOR at the
| time she struck the rocks. All the int0xi-
| eating liquors on board the Miranda were
| licked up and in charge of the steward.
am confident be never gave any member
of the crew anything to drink aud did not
| abuse his trust.
before the transfer had been eff ected
the crew broke the lockers containing the
| spirits, and besides drinking a liberal
quantity stuffed their pockets with bottles
of liquor. When they reached the schooner
! some of them were very much intoxicated.
! But the point whicn wish to make is
| that nobody on the Miranda was intoxi-
Gated at the time she struck the reef. In
regard to the statement of Professor
Wright that the reef on which the Miranda
struck was plainly marked on the chart, l
wish to say he is somewhat mistaken. The
only charts of the coast that are obtain
able are the United States Hydrographical
| and the British charts. Neither of these
| gives the position of the reef. The Danish
charts. however, which are really the
property of the Danish Trading Company,
give the position of the reef. Unfor-
tunately we did not have these Danish
charts, or the accident would not have
| happened"