The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-28
LIBELS FOR SALVAGE.
Miowera and MineOla Both
Claim From StrathneviS.
SMALL FEAR FOR THE FORMER.
Her Owners Confident She Has Gone
on to Honolulu, After standing
by the Distressed ship.

Steamships Miowera and Mineola both
formally ubeled the Strathneyis yesterday
Tor salvage. each in the sum OF $1,000,
the latter with setting our OF the cir
cumstances upon which the claim Is based,
the former with the privilege OF giving
Dill Of particulars when the Miowera re-
turns TO her port.
As 10 the safety of the M.owera. the Of
ficials OF the Canadian Pacific * Australian
Steamship Company have no misgivinss
whatever. Capt. A. r. Pillsbury, master
OF the Miueola. who came 10 this city tor
the purpose of fling the libel with United
States Judge Hanford, said he had no
doubt but that the Miowera had proceeded
OF her course, and William Brown, OF
Vancouver, general manager OF the cana
dian Pacific a Australian Steamship Com
pany. who was here for a similar purpose,
expressed exactly the same opinion. The
latter put his conjectures in this way:
Il have no doubt whatever that the
Mlowefa is safe, and the company has no
mlsgivings on the matter. ] stopped at
Port Townsend last night, and had inter-
views with several Of the officers of the
Strathnevis. l did not see her captain,
1ut | met the British vice consul, Mr.. OS-
car Kloecker, and ne informed me, from
a talk that he has had with the captain Of
the StTathneVis, that he was strongly OF
opinion that the NioweTa was all right
From whas / gathered in Port Townsend
from the officers and crew of the Strath-
nevis / came to the same conclusion.
The Probable solution.
KNOWING as / do the seaworth.ness of
the Miowera. my solution of the problem
is this: That when Capt. Scott assured
the captain of the Strathneyis that If the
haWsers again parted he would stand by,
and II the Strathnevis stranded, would
save the passengers and crew, he intended
20 keep MS word, and did keep II. When
the fearful squall struck him, and cor
tinued four or five hours after his hAwsers
parted. he id stand by through that ter
r.fo hurricane trying 10 keep his word.
But il came TO point where II was MS
own ship and passengers and valuable
cargo that might be lost as well as the
Strathnevis.
You must remember that the AIiowera
had about POO souls aboard, so after
the heroic efforts he had put forth to save
the Strathnevis he had TO think of them.
At this point he got his boat in as favor
able position as he could to prevent her
being wrecked, and he probably had the
second intention of again seeking the
Strathnevis when the sea moderated. But
the sea remained so high that ii was i'm
possible for him TO turn his ship without
further endangering her, for you cannot
turn one of these large vessels as you can
road wagon-so he proceeded on his way
to Honolulu.
Inc -hiOwGfa'S Z citl >upilN.
In regard to the Mlowera's supply of
coal, YOU were yesterday slightly misin-
formed. The vessel left Vancouver with
1850 tons of coal on board. which was be-
tween 800 and 400 tons more than actually
required to steam her to Sydney under
ordinary circumstances. So that any coal
that she would require 10 take would SIM
ply be the quantity she used while towing
the StrathneVis from the point where she
picked her mn where she parted from
her. and in steaming back the distance
that she had 10 retrace.
The circumstances in connection with
her disappearance are certainly mystify-
ing but in the fearful storm that was
blowing and the tremendous seas that
were rolling it would take but very
short time for the Niowera. running from
eight 10 ten knots an hour. TO disappear
from view. ! have every reason to hope
il seems to me. that on the return Of the
1 WaTTimo To Vancouver on January 9 we
shall have tldings of the Miowera and an
explanation Of her sudden disappearance
I'm regard 20 the statement of the cap
tain OF the Stra thnevls about the MioWera
returning to Victoria for coal, he had the
! idea that she would tow the StrathueVis
10 Esquimalt. which is only about three or
four hours from Comox. where the cap
| tain would take his supply Of coal. and
| while the matter of few hours further
! delay in doing so would not materially af-
| feet his arrival at Sydney. 10 coal a Co
| mox instead of Honolulu would he a saw
! ing of $ a ton. Why the Miowera eidn't
/ come hack 10 Comox Is another of the
! mysteries 10 be explained"
TibcIS ON the Strathnevis
| Tho libel of the san Francisco Improve
! ment Company owner Of the steamship
NineOa was filed with Judge Harford Of
/ the United States district court yesterday
| The document alleges that the Mineola
! let Tacoma on December % bound for San
! Fra ncisco with 3. +nt tons Of coal on the
! next day about noon. during heavy seas
/ with fresh southwest winds. she sighted
! the StrathGevis. bearing east by south
I about eight miles i'm shore near DeStruc-
! zion island, flying signals Of distress. and
( NJ anchor. with ensign upside down and
! International signal flag y g flying in
! dicarug necessity Of immediate assistance
| The Miro IN sailed close i'm and stopped
[ under her stern. and an the request Of the
/ master ma other officers Of the Strathnevis
/ took her ia tow. Al this time the Strath-
/ nevis was about seven miles of peStruc-
/ tian island. with only ono anchor the other
/ having been lost. her propeller SHIFT broken
/ ana propeller lost. and tho havser and
/ some - The boats lost. and the vessel in
/ darEor Of going ashore and becoming a
I total wreck
( The document then r,sites the story II
! t7c towing AMI lts difficulties and after
! th7t scts forth. That TIRE value Of TIE
! NineolA Is about S2io0to % hcr cargo $40
/ @a. ma her freight Stnoo. that her ex-
/ r"oSa acc31nt f-r tho time she So 3sviated
/ from boz irter led voyage was about s. 5n
/ and injury and loss % her hawser about
/ 81" thar 'he value If tat Str3thuevls was
/ about so" hn her cargo 500 80 and the
/ amount 90 her freight about 81 eo.th3t The
/ Naeia0ts are entitled 90 a reasonable share
+ - the ship freight ana cargo for salvage.
! ana therefore claim $3.50 no
?