The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-06
CAPT. CARRIERS RESIGNATION.
WHY HE ASKED To BE RELIEVED
FROM THE COMMISSION.

tention to the Nicaragua Canal
Commission WOrk-Secretary of
state Refused to Make Public
His Lctter-The Charges Cover
Much Detail and Time Is Required
to Prepare an Answer-A Belief
That He Was Forced TO Resign.
His Probable Successor.
The resignation of Capt. o. N. Carer
asa member of the Nicaragua canal COM
mission. mentioned ia yesterdays dis
patches to the Morning News, was some
what Of a surprise to Capt. Carriers
friends in the city, and naturally there
was some inquiry about it.
II is understood that Capt. Carter has
not himself been notified that his resigna-
ton has been accepted, though it was
rendered 10y him in letter TO the Presi-
dent. through the state department III
which he voluntarily asked 10 be relieved
from duty for certain reasons given, The
first intmauon he had that his request
had been acted on and his resignation
accepted was through the dispatch pub,
lished yesterday.
1t appears that owing to Capt. Carriers
having to employ his time in preparing
an answer to all the charges made against
him in connection with the river and
harbor work here, the work Of the Mica
ragua canal commission was somewhat
delayed. and as it did not appear that
the board of inquiry would make an i'm
mediate report upon the matters under
investigation, something seemed necessary
TO be done in order that the work OF the
commission could so on.
It seems that the charges in many re,
spects go into Capt Carriers whole life
here. including many things, which, it is
said, he had forgotten. It. therefore, re-
uuired much time for him to get up the
necessary evidence with regard to them,
and this work he is still engaged upon
here in Savannah. with his attorneys,
AIessrs. Charlton, M2Ckall & Anderson. II
was on this account that Capt. Carrier
wrote to the President, through the Sec
rotary of State, giving his reasons and
asking to be relieved from further duty
on the commission. This letter was sent
to the department before Capt. Garter
came to Savannah. some time last week.
and it seems it was several days before
it was acted upon. Capt. Carter, of
course, could not go of to Nicaragua
while these charges were pending, his
first thought being to clear them up. AS
the work of the commission was press
ing it was considered, no doubt, that his
request should be granted, and he was
accordingly relieved from duty on that
board.
An effort has been made in Washington
to secure the correspondence relating to
the matter. but a telegram was received
from the Morning News correspondent
there stating that the Secretary of State
had declined TO give out Capt Carriers
letter for publication.
Capt Carriers friends read with pleas
ure the statement from Secretary Alger
of the war department that in his belief
the pending investigation Will result in
that officers complete Vindication. SINH
lar statements were reported in the dis
patches as coming from army officers
Capt Carriers friends believe that he has
been forced into reslgning from the com
mission. since il has become known, as
was stated in the Morning News some
days ago, that Capt. Carter was not al
together acceptable to the Nicaragua Ca
nal Company, which wanted an engineer
Of whose favorable report upon the pro-
sect there could be little doubt. As an
independent engineer il is said Capt.
Garter declined to make any promises
Whatever, ana 1t was on this account that
the company, of which Warner Miller is
al the head, opposed him. What there is
back of the matter is still yelled in some
mystery, though it may at some time be
made public.
Maj. Charles F. Powell Of the engineer
corps, stationed at Pitsburg, in charge of
the river and harbor works in Ohio, Penn
sylvania and West Virginia, has been
summoned to Washington" says the
Washington Star. He will be requested
TO assume the place held by Capt. O. N
Carter on the Nicaragua canal commits
sion, who voluntarily asked to be re-
lieved of duty on the commission ia or
der that he might give his attention to
his own affairs The Office of commits
eioner is a presidential one, and Capt
Carter with the other two members Of
the commission, was nominated to the
Senate and confirmed under the author
ity conferred by act of congress. Maj
Powell has a high reputation as a prac-
gress through his service in Washington
as engineer commissioner of the District
of Columbia.
Commander b. +. Tilley, now on duty
al the naval war college, Newport, has
been ordered to take command of the
gunboat Newport, now being fitted out al
Boston for service under the Nicaragua
canal commission. It is expected that she
will sail from Boston with the commis-
sioners on board about the end of the
month for Greytown, and that she viii
remain in Isthmian waters about three
months"
DEATH OF RICHARD RHYMES