The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-15
THE SAILORS WE'RE DRUNK.
Wild Orgies on the Sinking of the
Steamer Miranda.

Oberlin, O., Sept. 14.-Prof. G. Fred
erick Wright, the eminent geologist,
has lust returned and today made a
statement which will cause surprise
among people interested in the success
of the Cook expedition. OF which he
was a member. 1t will be remembered
the expedition was brought to sud
den termination by the sinking OF the
steamer Miranda.
Prof Wright makes the statement
that during the night of the storm
nearly all of the crew of the Inflated
ship were beastly drunk. He also
makes the assertion that in changing
the passengers from the Miranda to the
RigeI one boat hand was hustled over
the gangway by the seat of his trous-
ers. The Miranda met with an acct
dent week previous, but the damage
to her hull was underestimated. This
night, under high sea, she sprang a
leak During the three hours the Rigel
was attempting to lay to the Miranda,
the excited and mutinous crew broke
into the forecastle. where the liquor
was stored, taking the liquor and hold
ing high riot They became so reck-
less they even struggled bottles of
whisky under their clothes while in
the terrible peril of crossing between
the two ships.
Prof Wright stated that in his opin-
ion the officers of the boat were in no
wise responsible for this strange con-
dition of affairs, but that 1t 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, even with the crew sober.
Another Version.
New York, Sept. 14.-Dr. Cook, who
engineered the Miranda expedition to
Greenland was today shown a dispatch
from Oberlin. o., saying many of the
crew of the steamer Miranda 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 it 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 Intoxicating liquors on
board the Miranda were locked up. and
in charge of the steward. I am conf
dent he never gave any of the crew
anything to drink and did not abuse his
trust.
ION the second night out, on our re
turn home, ABOUT 300 miles off the coast
of Greenland the Miranda blew three
blasts of her whistles, which was the
signal of distress previously agreed up
ca. 1t was then decided to abandon the
steamer, but the crew were not trans
ferred until three hours afterwards.
Before the transfer had been effect
ed, the crew broke into the lockers con-
tanning 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 which l wish to make is that no.
body on the Miranda was intoxicated
at the time she struck the reef.
In regard to the statement of Pro-
fessor Wright that the reef on which
the Miranda struck was plainly marked
on the chart, l wish to say he is some
what mistaken. The only charts of the
coast that are obtainable are the Uni
ted States photographed and the
British charts. Neither of these gives
the position Of the reef. The Danish
charts, however, which are really the
of the Danish Trading COM
pany, give the position of the reef. IN
fortunately we did not have these Dan
ish charts or the accident would not
have happened.