Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-07-28
CAPTAIN CHANDLER FREE.
Charge of Mansiaughter Dismissed by tn,
Philadeiphia Commissioner.

Charge of Granddaughter Dismissed by the
Philadelphia Commissioner.
Ebe 7. Chandler of frankfort. thia
State, captain OF the BeRgoing tug Sea
King, charged with gross negligence,
and with being responsible for the
deaths OF three men who were drowned
of the Jersey coast Oh April 10Th, when
the barge II. L.. Routh sunk whils in
tow, was given a final hearing before
United State missioner Craig in
Philadelphia Friday and discharged
from custudy.
Arthur f. Brown. sole survivor of the
Routh's crew of four, was the only wit
ness heard Friday. lie ia now in
Battery A, Rhode Island Light Artil-
lery, and appeared in full uniform. He
was engineer on the Routh, aud told
an interesting story OF the accident,
and OF his subsequent rescue by thu
steamer Miaml, after clinging to the
rigging OF the sunken barge for eight
hours.
~ came on deck Mt 12 O'clock" he
said, "just after they had turned back
toward the capes on account of the
storm. Cant. Baker was on watch be-
fore me, and told me to let him know
il anything went wrong. About -. 40,
the sea getting worse, called him on
deck. while | went down to get the
pumps working. There was very little
water in the hold, however. About
8 10 l heard the captain tout the
Routh's whistle several times, and be
said to me that We were sinking. j
didn't see any danger, and told him
30. Then i went down in ths hold
again to the pumps. Suddenly heard
somebody on deck yell. and ran up.
The whole deck was under water, and
l took hold OF rope from the rigging
tn save myself. / saw the captain go
over the starboard side. | don't know
where the other two men were, though
ths cook, Wixon, had got scared and
gone up in the rigging before that.
coming down before the accident |
believe the deck hand was in the
wheelhouse. Then went aloft and
hung there. When first climbed up
l saw three lightH on the tug, her mast
head lights and her green starboard
light. and judged she had heard our
whistle and was turning around; but
they disappeared, and / did not sse, OF
hear anything OF her that night. ]
hallooed once in while, and experte;l
every minute to seq her heare in sight.
81 think the sea stove the Routh'a
stern right in, and the next one SUM,
her, for 1t didn't seem to me that she
WIS overloaded or too deep 10 the
water. From the time / first noticed
she was sinking until she disappeared
under the water not five minutes
passed. We had dpry on board. blu,
it would havs been Impossible to pu,
her out in that sea. just as | climbed
into the rigging heard something
that sounded like scream. but tool
1t tn be the Stetson's whistle. That
was before ! saw the lights. ! did moi
SEQ Capt. Chandler till the rext morn
ing after l was rescued. when I saw
him here in Philadelphia. -
| Commissioner Craig reviewed. th,
testimony presented at the three hear
ings, and said he did not consider
prima facie case had been made on
against the captain for misconduct
negligence and inatiention, or for fail
ing to rescue the men, as the charg,
read, and ne therefore oruered the cas-,
dismissed.