Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-05
HOW THE HAvEnH1LL WAS LOST.
Capt. WatrOus Took Her to Key West
I'm Spite of Warnings.

In Spite OF Warnings.
AS particulars accumulate blame fails
upon the New York port authorities and
the owners of the ste1 mer City of Haver-
hill. which is supposed to have sunk while
trying to sail from New York to Key
West, carrying down Capt. Warren P.
Watrous of this city and ten sailors. The
New York Herald says it was thoroughly
well understood by the custom house and
steamboat inspection officials that Capt.
Watrous intended to take the vessel to
Key West. At the custom house the GER
tificate of inspection was issued to him
and also a masters license permitting him
to use the vessel in the coasting trade.
Notwithstanding the fact that the YES
sci had no certificate to navigate other
waters than the harbor of New York. and
although it was thoroughly known that
she intended going to Key West, although
not seaworthy. no effort was made by the
government authorities to prevent her
leaving.
at Newburyport, Mass, was 151 feet in
length, "a feet beam and drew three feet of
water. Her tonnage originally was ia, but
alterations made at Brooklyn last month
increased the tonnage to PA. The altera-
tons consisted chiefly of building an upper
deck house, which could be used for state
rooms for passengers. This made her top
heavy. March she was inspected and a
certificate granted to navigate the harbor
OF New York, the steamboat officials refus-
ing to give her certificate allowing her to
make the voyage to Key West. The GER
tificate shows that she was owned by the
Merrimac Valley Steamboat Company and
that she carried only one boat. At the time
OF the inspection no oars or lifelines were
on board She was provided with sixteen
staterooms. containing thirty berths.
Local Inspector of HullS Fairchild says
the inspection of the City of Haverhill was
made under his direction. He told Capt.
Watrous that he did not think the City of
Haverhill seaworthy when told that it was
Key West by the outside passage. He adj
viSed Watrous to take the inside passage,
by way of Charleston, New Brunswick,
Ga, and thence to Key West.
When asked how it was that the vessel
had gone to sea, although only given per-
mission to navigate the harbor of New
York, Mr.. Fairchild said he did not know
just how that had been made possible, but
supposed that she had cleared through the
custom house in the usual way. At the
custom house. however, it is stated no
clearance papers had been issued, but that
it was understood that Local Inspector
Fairchild had given Capt. Watrous verbal
permission to leave the harbor of New
York with his vessel. Capt. Watrous made
that statement to them, they said.
Capt. Willin of the tug Luckenbach,
which had the City of Haverhill in tow. re-
ported yesterday to Mr. Luckenbach that
the steamer let go her hawser about II
O'Clock Wednesday night and made for
Barnegat inlet. Capt. Willin said that he
could plainly see the steamer going toward
the beach The wind was light and from
the southwest. If the City of Haverhill
did not reach Barnegat the captain believes
that she must have gone in collision with
some other vessel.
Capt. Willin added that the storm did
not begin until I:30 o'clock the following
morning. which would have given the
steamer ample time to reach Barnegat
inlet.