Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-26
PRAISE ANp rl,ur TOGETHER.
Keeper of OcraCokc iifc-S"''nG
>tntipn the Recipient.

WASUINGT, X. march 25-Assis;ant-
1t-r,rtsr N,v..mb. az The Lifc-S1vns
Service. has made two reports recently
or charges n,4 AGAINST Keeper Howard.
a. th. ocrl,.k. u.s. CD Life Saving STA
,iou u connection with tho wrecks OF The
Richard = Sp.0lrI and Hester y. s.
ward IN the Spo0orl wreck one life
was lost. boz The Seward wreck none.
TI,.. Investigations resulted ~ two let
tors from Superintendent kimhall 10
k,.p,r Howard the first March 18th,
citing the report OF Inspector NewComh.
commenting keeper Howard for his
prompt action in trying g. save the hV'S
Of the crew of the schooner Hester \.
SnwarI and th" second. dated March lNh'
reyrImaudlue Keeper Howard for not try
ing 10 shoot a line 10 tho schooner
Richard : Spo0ord.
Keeper Howard reported that the nieht
was dark and Doc was unable TO locate
the wreck sufficiently to get the lire 90
IT, bat the superintendent thinks ne
should have made the effort even If he
was certain Of failure.
Following as the l,ttcr from Sup"rin-
tendcnt Kimlall 10 the keeper Of the sta
tiun;
Treasury Department.
"Ofico of the General Superintendent
AZ the Life-Slvius rVice.
Washington H. g.. March -. 1880.
"Nr james vs. Howard. Keeper. Ocra-
coke Life-Saying station, Ocracoke' y.
G.
Slr-f am I'm receipt OF the final report
of the Investigation made by Assistant
INSPECTOR y WCoWb into the Clrcum-
stances 4 the loss Of life 10y the strandng
of the schooner Richard :. Spofford, near
Ocracok,. ON tho 9th Of December. l>ll
"lt seems that the schooner stranded
about - yards from the b dch early in
morning ~ that day; that YOU and Keeper
Terrell. of the Portsmouth station for
which no crew has been eng ged, arrived
opposite the wreck about dark. and that
your crew arrived about /. NJ. CON
silerally exhausted. bringing with them
beach apparatus, that YOU made no attempt
10 rescue the 'mperillcd men on the
schooner until daylight, when You took
If the captain and one seaman. the
steward having died from exhaustion
about ! A. NJ. and the other men. whose
lives were mpcrilled, having with great
effort reached the shore during tn" pre-
Vious day.
"Th- master Of the schooner in his
statement. alleged that good judgment
was not shown by you in neglcctng to
shoot "a line 10 them in the night; that II
one had been promptly shot upon your
arrival. an would have got ashore by md
night. and the life of the steward would
have been saved
IN explanation OF your failure to try
f. shoot a line over the schooner, you say
that the night was 50 dark that no one
could see the line; that You had nowhere
u shoot for. only the space OF about TWO
feet. that YOU were satisfied that if the
sailors came TO look for the line, IN
could not hnl 1t. but would be washed
right over the bow. that they had no
light by which 10 read the tally-hoard.
and no place 10 rig mp the gear; ana that
YOU were satisfied that lives were saved
by your not shooting. With this. Keeper
Terrell. who was with you, seems TO
concur.
while the Assistant Inspector expresses
the opinion that no blame should attach
f. your failur- To take action imIne-
diatelv upon your arrival, and while
am willing to admit that the report and
the evidence indicate that the loss OF the
life of the steward probably could not
have been prevented 10y the adoption OF
any means in your power, ! cannot dFild
the conclusion that YOU should have eu-
doaVoTed TO put lire over the wreck
and thus have exhausted tn last possible
chance Of cnocting "a rescue at that time.
however slight that chance may have
seemed 10 YOU. In this way you would
have avcTted unfdVorabl- criticism ana
placed your own conduct and the credit
OF the service beyond the caYil Of even
those who might be- unfriendly 10 either
Yourself or tn. service. Your excuses
that your firing might have involved dan
gen 20 those on board, that you were
satisfied they could not lind the lines, but
would be- washed overheard In the en-
deavOr, ana that they had no light by
which To read tn tally-board. all seem
T. me To be frivolous and unworthy OF
YOU 1t appears 70 me that you neglected
o. make the effort simply because you
had uo doubt I'm your own mind that II
would result la failure Probably your
Indictment was correct in this regard, but
At does not excuse you for not making
the attempt.
"Iu view. however Of your honorable
and efficient record. made on occasions
Of shipWreck hereto 'ore. | deem ii proper
10 conclude tn natter with the above
aImOniron.
"Respectfully yours
= l. KlMBALL
80 neral Superintendent"