The San Francisco call., 1896-04-17
Second Mate Mcdonald Contra
diets Captain Caw's Tes-
timony.
SHE WAS A TENDER" VESSEL.
A Sea Voysge With 100 Tons OF
BallaSt-Fears of the Officers
and Crew.

tains Edmund England and F. w. Harvey.
Captain Cav, the first, witness, told of his
abiding faith in the stiff qualities of his
ship and his disregard of the putting gale
that blew her over. His reason for the
disaster was that the vessel surged ahead
over her anchor and tripped on the forty
five fathoms of chain that was out. The
wind and tide throwing her against this
chain that half encircled her rolled her
over.
All of the other witnesses, except Second
Mate Mcdonald, gave testimony tending
to show that they did not consider the
vessel in any serious danger. Nc
Dona.d was one of the escapes from the
lower hold of the Blairmore on the morn
ing of the fatal April 8, and he is still on a
crutch with a wounded foot from the
catastrophe. He was strong in his opinion
that the ship was cranky and unsafe from
her empty condition and that almost all
the crew had discussed her tender" ac-
tions in the gale and were afraid. He had
discussed the vessel with his brother offic-
ers-Third Officer Melville, who esca ped
with him from the sinking hull, and First
Mate Ludgate, whose body is entombed in
the lost vessel. Captain Cav testified that
but Mcdonald insisted that there sould
not have been more than Is tons
Altogether this officer was bad witness
for the skipper fighting hard for his GER
titicate.
Captain Caw upon being sworn stated
that the vessel was built at Mcmillan
yard, Dunn barton, with steel hull, masts
and yards, and full rigged with stump top
gallant masts. He had been in command
of her ever since her launching, two and
half years ago. She had come to this port
from Newcastle, Australia. with 1882 ions
OF coal. Her register was 1867 tons.
After discharging the cargo here" said
rock and dirt ballast. By the draught of
the ship | knew we had considerable in
excess OF that. 1t was slowed in the after
part of the main hatch and could not shift.
L had also forty tons of coal in the fore
peak. All the water-tanks were full, max
ing an added weight of about twenty tons.
When we left the wharf she drew about
eleven feet SIX inches forward and about
eight feet four inches aft. She always be-
haved at sea as she behaved in ballast and
1t took very little power to careen her UP
to a limit. After that she would go no
further unless under great pressure.
Il never used extra precautions and
never had more than 200 tons of ballast in
her at one time in port [ never con-
sdered her tender, but as stiff as any
vessel of her build. In the gale of the
morning of April g. when across the wind
and tide, she lay over only ten degrees.
Nobody warned me or notified me that
they thought the ship unsafe. l was
aboard all that night and did not consider
that there was danger. There was one
anchor down with torty-tive fothoms of
chain. The ship had no list and there
was no trimming of ballast l am not
aware that any of the men came on deck
frightened"
In answer to a question as to why the
men were put to work with the vessel ca
reening under the force of the brisk
Southwestern he answered that he did not
apprehend any danger, and the mate took
them down into the hold after breakfast,
as was usual.
"The ship went over at 6:45,' continued
Captain Cav, while she was heading
west-nor west. The tide was one-hour
food, running three or four knots. There
were heavy showers of rain and strong
| southwest squalls The only opinion |
| can give of the disaster is that the chain
| got under her bottom and it tripped her.
| Two of the men that were lost were on
| deck. My certificate of competency went
down in the ship. No tugboat offered its
services to me on the morning of April 9,
and there was no effort made by any one
to rescure the men imprisoned in the hull
| except the efforts of some Union Iron
Works people who cut hole in the hull
L never took any extra precautions with
| the Blairmore, and always considered her
safe, stiff ship"
Third Officer Melville's testimony dis
closed nothing new except that he dis
agreed with his captain and thought the
| snip was little cranky.
Second Officer Mcdonald, whose testi-
mony will go farther in wrecking the skip
| per's marine standing, hobbled into the
room and was sworn.
81 have been nine years at sea-" said he.
'and mate for thirty-three months. The
| Blalrmore was cranky at sea, and we had
! TO De careful In carrying sail in sQuaIiy
weather. On the passage from Rio to
| Newcastle we carried 100 tons of ballast"
This statement is remarka BILE, consider
| ing that Captain Cav testified that he
never felt the 200 or 800 tons was too little
to hold the vessel on an even keel.
"The ship was cranky always," con-
tinued the witness, when the wind was
unsteady. think $50 or 300 tons of bal
| last was in her when she went over, also
| nearly twenty tons of coal. The ship was
very heavily spared, and during the gale
of April she heeled over considerably.
The wind was off shore, but she could ride
head on to it on account of the tide
Il was alarmed all the time for her
safety, but did not speak to the captain
about it. I spoke to the mate, however,
and he was as frightened as l was. We
joked about it."
When asked why he joked about so seri-
Gus matter, witness answered that he did
regard it as a serious matter but there was
no use to talk 10 Captain Cav about it
as he would not put in any more ballast to
quiet anybody's fears. He probably joked
to keep his courage up.
'She heeled over good bit at o. clock,''
said Mcdonald, land we were awakened
by the rolling. We turned out alarmed,
| ~ Il -