The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-28
THE KEARSARGES CAPTAIN.
uu TIVID sToRH OF Tine WRECK ON
RONCl DOR REEF

.,..ts the loss Of the corvette KsarsarRs on
poncador Reef was taken yesterday. II COM
a,,s.d the statements Of Admiral Stanton.
auder-in Chief Of the North Atlantic
station. and Commander Heyerman OF the
Ksarsarge.
,srant. Commander J. ID. Jerrold Kelley. the
indes Advocate. began the work Of the day
h,r.adinr tho proceedings Of the day before
Th.ss we're adopted by the court. The only
airsrence in the appearance ofthe court room
"a. ,hs presencs OF a table. to the left OF the
Judge Advocate for Commander HeJermsn
I'd Mia n navigator. Lieut. Charles II. Lyman.
comm nder Kelley arose to rsnd article 1.752 OF
An. naval regulations. which states that In case
~ vr.ek, or grounding. q navigator on duty In
,hs station where a court OF inquiry IL held be
air,eted to work up the reckoning OF the un-
lucky ship from the data obtained from her
navigating oflcer. to enable the court to III the
,,us posltion OF the ship at the time OF the dis
..,er Also to lay of her position on the chart
~ which she was navigated. her position when
..hors the rate and direction of the tide
s,ra,ms and the time OF the tide. When this
"a, ,ead the court appointed Lieut. c. q.
povmsn. who has been ordered to the Marble
rad AZ executive oflcer. to prepare the state
msnt After pause the Judge Advocate said:
II wish to call the Ccmmander-in-C Chief Of
the North Atlantic station. Admiral Stanton"
The Admiral entered INN sdiatsly and. after
boving TO the officers OF the court. took his
ss.t in the witness chair to the right Of the
Judge Advocate. Admiral Stanton testified
that he received = telegram from the Navy De.
p.rtment, and In compliance with IL sailed
from Port. au. Prince. Hayti. Jan. 81 for Blue
Acids. Nicaragua. On Feb. 2. the day the
E..rsaree grounded. he said the position Of
the shin at noon was latitude 13' "a north.
longitude So o. west. In the morning at =
o'clock" he continued. "the position OF the
,hip as marked on the chart and her course as
laid there took US TO the south OF Roncador
Bank"
/ Judge Advocate Kelley asked the Admiral
what he had to say OF the conduct Of tho OH
GERS and men during the wreck and aNerward.
Their conduct" he replied. was indeed
most excellent throughout those scenes.
There were no signs Of trepidation whom
the old ship struck and no lack OF obedience
ct any time. Every man was cheerful"
Commander Kelley asked permission to put
IN evidence several documents. Among them
ware Commander Hsysrman's narrative OF the
wreck and Admiral stanton's report to the
Secretary Of tho Navy OF events subsequent to
the wreck. when Admiral Stanton's state
msnt ended. the Judge Advocate turned to
Commander Heysrman and Lieut. Lyman
and asked them II they desired to question
the Admiral. They answered that they did
not. and as the court had no further auss-
tons Admiral Stanton bowed and left the wit
meas chair.
Twill now call Commander Oscar F. Hsysr-
man" said Judge Advocate Kelley. The Com
mander stepped toward Admiral Ghsrardi.
President OF the court. and was sworn. 1t
was very quiet In the court room as the
rugged-faced Comm lander took his seat In the
witness chair. Admiral Ghsrardi regarded him
closely with kindly smile on his face. Com
mander Heyerman 10 . robust. military-look-
ing man. with dark sea tan on his face. As
he sat down he cast an induiring glance at the
Judge Advocate. Several charts OF Roncador
Bank and the adjacent waters were shown
him. which he identified a. the charts By
which the RsarsarRe had been steered. The
rough log Of the corvette from Feb. to Is.
was also brought forward rs an exhibit before
the court The smooth. or copied log, had been
lost In tho disaster. Commander Hsyerman
carefully Inspected the rough log. turning
said that the courses. runs, and local sSmpHss
deyiations had been carefully noted. When ne
syssss. ~.
been lost in the wreck.
1t was on my desk at the time" he said,
thing. I hardly expected to save more than
II
book we're made. but they proved un'uO-
Ing with Admiral Stanton when the latter as
sumed command at HAyti OF the North Allan
III. x.sthsr." he said. from the time Of
our departure from Port-au. Prince until Feb:
was very good and correct observations Of
for that purpose. were accurate. with the OK
ception OF the telescope Of tho night ssxtant.
a.
=, In answer to question Commander Hsysr-
AZ noon on Feb. / there was strong cur
Of about !. knots an hour" The ships posi-
no morn az I oSSh S 4a so Msss By dead
reckoning, and latitude 13' 4s north. longi.
showed me tier. "s Was current Selling Il:
ship north and west at about - knots"
Had you any reasons to expect any re-
Il had not" was the answer.
Of n m reply to another question the commander
The nearest d9pgsr / appIehendsd was
Ss Elk. k F ss STwSad
sourse yo . were thenistsering take you. Com
Five miles to the north side" replied Com
pIThs Judge Adyoeats read 9 description Of
and then the Ksarsarges commander WAS
,sS cd concerning the speed OF his vessel before
tne wreck.
From noon she was making about six
Knots; but the wind fell to Ave knots at $3.50
o'clock and ordered the propeller to be I'M.
coupled and steam TO be got up, as We had
we're ready at 40 o'clock. and at that time
the breeze freshened and we sped along 1t |
about eight and a half knots Observations |
were taken at o'clock and the position OF the |
We We expected to reach RoncadOr kssi
was about eighteen or nineteen miles away |
A. o'clock; At q o'clock nothing |
TIA, that We. had passed to the north q
.he reel but that We had been I'M |
abs t. see II on account OF the haze. There |
S was sun a good light on the water and look
, uSs were alott. / sent an officer TO the fore |
,onSal AIT yard 10 look around. He reported |
nSTrhihE " sight at 80 O'clock"
A. ne Judge Advocate asked the commander
shg navy regulations governing the duties OF a
mn sptaln when expecting to approach |
anu anu lhese regulations Commander HeyOr- |
la, nhAn gave 10 ful, showing his familiarity with |
Kn .ana. Before $50 o'clock the course OF the
hssrsarge had been south southeast, but At |
snst hour u was changed to due west. CON-
"A41er heyeIman said in explaining this.
a. had not sighted the key and / changed
M tns course 70 west, thinking l was 1--WE miles |
two mil "f,Nk a V..gLl