The San Francisco call., 1896-04-19
CAV WAS EXONERATED.
The Blairmore Court of Inquiry
Concluded Its Work
Yesterday.
Tripping on Her Own Chain Dur.
ing Heavy Gale Was the
Cause of the Accident

The Blairmore. inquiry before Vice.
Consul Moore was concluded yesterday.
w. b. Goodrum, superintendent of the
refinery dock, testified that he put $50 tons
OF ballast into the ship. He was positive
that fully this weight of rock and dirt was
used.
Captain Langford of the British ship
1nveresk stated that his ship was about
500 yards from the Blairmore when the
accident occurred. He had noticed that
ship the Sunday previous, April 9, and
saw that she remained upright when head
on TO the wind, but when athwart the tide
~ bad falrish amount of heel.
The Blairmore didn't appear to lack
stability" said the witness. "If nv ship
had acted as that vessel did / would not
have felt satisfied, because the Inveresk is
very stiff ship. was in the Ascalon, a
composite ship, which was very cranky.
She used to lay over quite as much when
she was heavily laden as when she was
loaded with light cargoes. l consider in
such a gale as we had April 8 that if a ship
was athwart the tide she would be in dam
ger. i intended to get my ship away from
the wharf that morning, and the tug
was alongside, but seeing how it blew
made all fast again.
aster was her running ahead of the chain,
tripping on it athwart the tide. Law near
the Blairmore in the harbor of Newcastle
when we had several strong gales. She
was in about the same condition as
could see, and she behaved very we'll"
The court then went into a considera-
tion of the testimony. Summing up the
sworn statements of the witnesses. it was
seen that with the exception of Second
Mate Mcdonald of the unfortunate ves-
sci and Henry Matson of the ship yere-
jean all had testified to the exoneration of
Captain Cav.
Ali OF the masters OF different vessels
who had been eye-witnesses of the
catastrophe had sworn that there was no
ground upon which to censnre the master
of the luckless Blairmore. While some OF
her crew had spoken among themselves of
her action in the strong winds that blew
over Mission Bay, they did not consider
that there was any real danger, and
neither they nor any ybody had spoken to
Captain Cav. Mcdonald testified that he
had had trouble with his commander.
The following is the verdict of the court
OF inquiry:
Finding and order OF q naval court held at
the British Consulate-General at San Fran
cisco on the 10th, 18th and 18th days of April,
1896, TO investigate the circumstances attend
nhg the capsizing and sinking OF the British
snip Bialrtnore of Glasgow, official mum Der
1o2o29, when anchored in the bay OF San
Francisco. on the 9th of April, 1896, whereby
loss oil life ensued, and to investigate the cause
OF sueh capsizing and sinking and to inquire
into the conduct OF the master ano crew.
Inc Bialrmore was steel vessel, ship rigged,
OF 1867 tons burden registered tonnage, official
number lo2629, built in 1898 and belonging
TO the port of Glasgow.
IL appears from the evidence given before
this court that she arrived safely with cargo
of coal. which she discharged at this Dort.
that she took on board $50 long tons OF ballast,
consisting OF earth aud stones, and had on
board In addition 10 that about forty tons of
coal and about nineteen tons of water; that
the ballast was placed in the lower hold at
each side OF the tanks and mainmast and
leyeled down TO the satisfaction OF the master:
that the coal was in the lower iorepeak, and
that the water-tanks were situated in the lower
hold abaft the mainmnst; that the
vessel proceeded TO Mission Bay, in
the harbor of San Francisco and
anchored there on the 9Th OF March.
1896; that while lying there she experienced
more or less bad weather at various times, and