The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-28
Charges Against Them Refuted
BY Shipping Men.
MorlncoMpETeNToa oERELlcT
Proaineaa Merchants Re-Assare the
Public A. 60 safety Of Alaska
steamers Having Seattle A. Home
Pert-Recent Disasters and Acct
Aeats COmmented on and Ex-
platned On Reasonable Grounds.


Seattle. Feb. -, lS9s-
To the Public: The evening daily Of
this city has recently made some very
biftsr attacks upon the United States
inspectors Of steam vessels :or the district
OF Puget Sound. charging these officers
with gross incomDetency and dcFelicuon
Of duty. IL those attacks were confined
70 the personality OF the inspectors and
did not involve the shipping interests Of
the port OF Seattle. no attention would
need be given TO them-f0r our own citi-
cans. considering the source from which
they smanate. would pass them by with
out . second thought
But In the statement that the local in
spsctors are incompetent and crinInally
dsrsiics in the discharge Of the duties OF
thsis Office. the shipping Interests OF the
port Of Seattle are directly and seriously
involved. And when the charge Is made
that the continuance In Office OF these In
speotoes lis endangering the lives and
properly" OF the travelling public. and the
insinuation is made that human life is
about 20 be sacrificed. and many victims
through the downright connivance at
crimtnaity.'' as Il has been charged IN
thar paper. thu mind Of the travelling pub
lie Ia thus sought 10 be prejudiced against
Seattle shipping. ard II is time that those
who have invested large sums OF money
In acquiring transportation facilities for
handling the immense tide OF humanity
that Is seeking the North through our
own port. should speak to re-assuIe the
public as 20 the safety OF the steamers
running to Alaska. having the port Of
Seattle as their home port
Doubtless Capt. Bryant and Mr.. Cherry,
the Inspectors. can take care Of them
selves and will answer ehese vicious at
tacks whenever they feel called upon 40
20 do But the owners. agents and mas
ters or the shipping on Puget Sound aud
more especially of the Seatt,e-Alaska
shipping. who are thus maligned and In
Jured In their business. feel called upon
10 defend their interests against this peri
patetic fknocker and 10 assure the
public that they are as anxious as the
public to have competent and faithful
inspectors Of steam vessels. and II the
present inspectors are competent and
faithful I'm the discharge Of their duties
II - TO the interest of this shipping that
the public. and especially the great horde
OF strangers northward bound. should not
be ms'nformed and thus lead TO false
conclusion that Seattle is not safe port
TO depart from.
The duties OF the inspectors require a
technical knowledge OF high order ard
II would be fair 10 presume that the pres
ent tncumhents were appointed because
or their fitness and ability To DISCHARGE
those duties. Let II be understood that
In Ifas.s Ia
this inspection district is the largest in the
United States. and ranks high Ia the ton
mage or vessels Inspected. Capt BRYANT
who has followed the SEA all his life. has
filed the office OF inspector OF hulls in this
district for the past fifteen years and Mr.
Cherry. who has been mschinist for
twenty-five years has filled the office OF
Inspector OF boilers for the last 1--WE wears
TO the satisfaction If the government at
Washington. What evidence has the
author or these attacks produced which
shoufd outweigh this Endorsement OF these
Gentlsinen "a 70 their fitness and capahil-
ftiesr The charge IL made that these in
spectors are responsible scr the disasters
20 Cd -. ELIZA Anderson: ~ ihe Mexico.
81 the Corona: 90 the Clara Nevada. 81
tho North Pacific: tGl tha. the inspectors
failed TO inspect the -ki when she
came of the dock recently. 80 that shev
are responsible fer the excess list or pas
sensefs carried on the Ai-kt and other
steamers; ard tsp they are made, 70 appear
responsible for the condition Of the Alice
blanchard. recently touching Seattle as
- port Of call.
Gu The Eliza Anderson. when she LEFT
sh.s port last summer had as her master
and chief engineer two % the most conn
pesent officers ~ the coast Cant. Powers
ana Chief Engineer Robert Turner The
vessel. on her voyage. encountered enc
81 tho heaviest Storm. ever experlencea
1n the North Pacific waters. and her SEA
worthiness and TIRE skin ~ her officers
were demonstrated by her weath~rlo-
that severe storm and arriving safe In
port.
~ The loss ~ the Mexico was through
the fault OF the pilot aud tho lack II
proper charts 81 the Alaskan waters
which II is well known the United Sta:e.