The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-01
THE CHART WAS AT FAULT.
.,n,e1roR LYMAN's TESTIMONY IN
THE KEIRsLRGE INQUIRE

| g.. I.sie-ted that Ne vss Not Correctly
| ,h.rt.s-The vssssrs Chsses OF Ceurss.
IN. mos, interesting part Of the proceeding,
| IN. Kesrsarge court OF inquiry yesterday
.u.i.,ed OF the testimony OF Lieut. Charles
unntipeton Lyman. the navigator Of the ves-
~ ia told the court that according to OBJ
..,r.tions taken by him twenty minutes be-
~. the corvette grounded and afterward
r.,,osd on Roncador Key. the reef upon which
~. Eerrarge was wrecked. IL misplaced on
~ charts issued by the HydroRra phic ONCE.
| Tho latitude IA given correctly. but the lonGi-
,nd. ia wrong. Roncador Reef should be In
S,s.,sd from three to 1--WE miles further west
ard The ship ran aground after the officers
| .unpo,ed that the reef had been passed. No
| .uyyey OF the dangerous coral reef has been
| r.ds since 1895. and the instruments used
then we're not so accurate as those provided
Al present for similar work.
| Ths work Of the co irt began at 1870
/ o'clock, with the reading By Judge Advocate
| n J. Kelley Of the testimony OF the day be-
| ,ore This consisted OF seventy-nve pages Of
| t,p.vritten matter. and II engaged the atten-
Non Of the court for nearly two hours Com
sander Heyerman and Lieut.. Lyman followed
/ the reading very closely. making occasional
/ ,otrsctiona At It's close Commander Kelley
recalled the Captain OF the Kenrsarge
The hrN luesuon asNou Noni heyer-
man was ABOUT 'ne eipn,r cue " Ine cor.
communications to the Navy Department.
Tine commander said that at the time Of the
vreek he did not expect to save his life. but
that he took the code from his bureau drawer
and gave IL To Il. 7. staples. one OF the gigs
men lie instructed the sailor to lash the cop
Der castings Of the code carefully together and
ave it u possible. This was done. and the
code has been iorwarneu 10 "ashinR.oh'
hchart oil ser"no mus was nsnueu !" Non-
nander heSerman auu he was s'heu no" Ia'
OF koncRdor 'he l"o-ianon curve was Nc
ret tnat II was one-nn,' mus aver pass
Inc this line ne eAn'Aine'. mere was no t,me
to make soundinss Tor the reel Admiral
..,i,sa'
replied:
t,ols in tess than four minutes the shin
-, TIL. ,-.,,,, 90, h.,, -, IL. a.,
sound and reel in with the Thompson ma
chine"
This was all the court ueslred 10 ASK COM
mander Heyerman. and Lieut.. Lyman was
s,lIsa 70 tho witness chair. lie arose quickly
and walked to Admiral Gherardi. who admin
istered the oath. .tfer the formal answers as
TO tue name rank ana Iengtn oil service OF tne
witness, he descr'ben me duties Oh navigator.
Several Looks cont ainipg the entries of the
,bin's naviu,,Inv or,cer were shown 10 him
sn'p ', 80 -
and submitted az evidence lie said that he
had no previous information that any shoals
"ere 'nploper, plo''ou . On 'ne mar
do you now believe 'hat any shoais are In
lido" he answered. "Ihave reason to be-
hsve that koncador heef 10 from three to hve
7 .rrivsd AZ this bsIist tom oh..rxa,;on. ,.s.n
from ,Ss st,r sjrIu. twenty minu,ss bsfors ,s a
Kear,arge grounded. the latitude. think. Ia
correct but the lonpi,ud. I. mot. obssrva-
tons in support OF this belief were taken on
the key. not By myself only. but by entirely
gGisinteTesed persons, VIII also 20, aug tnnt SO
h.an 40 An io LIZ Th y, ,n,S na
tour oh ronomstsrs which mr. 70 The tin'a ~
ths oisastsr were ; aci h s.i;., a.,
LOG 10 sscsrtain the ,pesd Of his shipu BHrinS
sis,s nca Of 1 800 :, iies ths,a xa. Tnrs,ionn
rSs sssisant S Ds per Of tn. Kear.ares
sist.J IN mestinc Tina Nv The hact cbronrm
eter Wills the navigator gave the sights ia de-
teIT,nins IN. snips posin ah %. I,.,..,,
between the POSITIONS by dead recEoninr and
were nor ~ 'he least que 10 mac
rney, 70 1900 go ntnas,io,s ra,.,i,r .. ,..ht
calitirs and the court took recess AT in;Ho
NE9k ~.
When lieut.. Iv%sn resumed IN. u,,r...
chair tho subject nj courses sod spesd 90
taE.n lin Tbs naugstnr SnId h. inTor-maaj
himsait ~. IN tn 81 ,rnn,sr n,,ha ~ 1872 ~
w. Z. :, Sont tn sntar On Ia ~ '' "a'e'' "'
AitsT tnssins. N,yns.a is,.,d ,wo ui,..
away ia continusd W. sh.,.d ON, .ni,.os
iu 20 10 the south ana east 81 n"ncsdnr Usnse
tskius n new dcnarture from The island stii
r,orE tn.Ihs mnrnin" We.xna 20 81 10 a.
sattip1 noTth and We, ~
a hout / Ia l.. tnnts" "' "e'S az ''eeuo'
III. courseof lie Eear.arga oftsr I.avi,s
l.
va, h va" ana,a n,f one-puhr,sr
mnrnInn ns w. vi wh., In'u io:f. on the
v .s"ut Invest thrs.snusr,,,rs vs. ~.
1iandard rontnnsa " ~ '"'
The Judge Ady,cats nstad tho Jiau,a,,,,
how he determined the Iosiiion of ia. shin on |
th.t a. N"' fNs"'ou VI '"e eh'p Oh
"BT an ohseryatIo, NJ tha an, - la ran,I.d |
Tier. wac a good sUn md fir horinon oui
had no cause TO doubt the correctness Of the |
Brtwsen noon on Feb. l and noon nm Feb . |
h was found thnt the shin had heen earriaJ |
,evrnteen mile west and three miles north i'm |
. strong current commander h allay than
lsked: ~
'Nhnt was thu. dIstanca and haariro N, ,h.
dearest danger at noon on Feb. 90 - '"'
"Roncador Bank" was tho answer which
yas fnTty-two or Iorty. three miles away south
vest by west"
a. W