Evening star., 1897-01-25
A TRAGEDY OF THE ENGINE ROOM.
How the Chief Engineer of the Com
mOdOre Met His Fate.

mOhOre Met His Fate.
An exceedingly interesting story is told
by delegate from New York city to the
national marine engineers convention. now
in session in this city. The chief engineer
of the ill-fated Commodore, which was
wrecked off the coast Of Florida several
weeks ago, was an active member of the
New York city LEGAL organization. He was
young man of good character and ability.
and his love of adventure induced him to
offer his services to the Cuban junta. His
services were accepted. and he was ordered
as a chief engineer of the Commodore.
Against his protest an assistant was as
signed him whom he knew nothing about.
and who had not belonged to any local
marine engineers associa ton. Upon the
pretext of being i'll. the assistant engineer
of the Commodore shirked work for several
days before the ship went to sea, so that
when the vessel took her departure the
chief engineer was practically exhausted,
there being only two mates and two
gineers in the list of officers.
After the Commodore left harbor," says
the narrator, 'the assistant engineer, upon
the plea of continued illness, kept the chief
on watch for the greater part of the day.
At midnight, after leaving port, the assist
ant volunteered for duty, and when things
were turned over to him everything about
the machinery was working well. The
chief engineer had thoroughly tested all
the pumping appliances before leaving har
Dor, and they were found to work excel
lent1y. Particular attention had been given
to the adjustment of the inspirators for
clearing the bilges of water.
within two hours from the time the
chief engineer had been relieved he was
awakened by one of the fircmen, who told
him that the ship was sinking, and that
practically everything in the engine room
had become disabled. The chief immedi-
ately went to his station, and found that
the assistant engineer, who had been a
beach-comber and an ex-convict. and
whose services had been secured because
they could be obtained cheaply. had prac-
tically wrecked the machinery.
After a vain attempt to put things to
rights the vessel was abandoned, the deck
officers taking to the boats, and the en-
gineer force being left to find safety on
raft. The captain of the Commodore gal
lantly stood by the raft, and after battling
with the storm for thirty hours reached
one of the Florida keys. but in the at
tempt to effect landing from the raft all
of the engineers force were lost.
while the raft was being towed, the
men from the captains boat carefully kept
watch over it, and a short time after the
crew left the vessel scuffie took place on
the raft, which resulted in the chief en-
gineer and one of the firemen throwing the
traitor into the ocean.
TT is unnecessary to state that the lead
ers of the Cuban junta have now learned at
a great cost that not only ability but in
tegrity and character are required even in
the engine rooms of flibustering steamers.
Weakened by continuous work and ex-
hausted by his duties In charge of the raft
the chief engineer OIL the Commodore lost
his life in the surf in attempting to make a
landing. His comrades in the New York
association of marine engineers in con-
nection with friends of the Cuban cause,
propose to make some substantial recogni-
ton of his excellent services in fitting out
the Commodore, and his pluck in sealing
the doom of the traitor who had betrayed
| his ship.
The belief has too long prevailed that
| the mate in charge of the deck can UNDER
take to supervise the work of the engineer
officer below. The unfortunate fate of the
Commodore will probably be practical OBJ
| ject lesson to the naval officials of even
| great ma lions in teaching them that naval
warfare has greatly changed during the
past decade and that the man below as
| well as above the protective deck is an i'm
! portant factor"
| The marine engineer delegates from New
| York city declare that the STORY as told
| above was from the official statement as
] furnished by President Palma of the Cuban
| junta in New York city. The committee
| of New York marine engineers distinctly
| told him that the organization would boy
| colt every filibustering steamers starting
! from the coast unless the exact facts In
| regard to the death Of Chief Engineer Har-
| tigan were furnished them.
The story has never been in print, and
| from the earnestness and sincerity OF the
| Cuban leaders the New York engineers are
! convinced that the tale is a true one.