The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-28
PONCES DANGEROUS REEF
A MENACE TO SHIPS THAT MEYER
WAS A WORRY TO SPAIN.


PoNcE, Aug. 15.-The collier Saturn wa
towed of the reef near Cardoncs Island. on the
entrance to this port, yesterday morning, hRv'
ing been hard and fast aground since Aug. IL
Attic time OF grounding the Saturn was on.
gagged In an effort to tow of the army trans
port Manitoba, which had como to grief on the
same reef a few Days earlier. A naval board Of
investigation has been ordered by Capt. Fred
Rodgers, the senior officer present in Ponce.
for the purpose Of inquiring into the circum-
stances attending this grounding, as well as Ia
determine the extent of the injury suffered By
the Saturn. The board will meet on the
Prairie at 10 tomorrow morning. and will
be composed of Commander Train and
Lieutenant-Commanders Colby and Self.
ridge as members, with Lieut.. Edward
+. QualtrouRh as recorder. Capt. RodR-
ers has directed tho board to submit
an exhaustive report in writing. setting forth
all It's proceedings. tho facts deemed to have
been established. and a recommendation as to
what further proceedings. II any, shall be had.
Those instructions do not differ materially
from the orders to a court Of inquiry. There
is. however. one essential difference between
such a board and n court Of inquiry, and that 10
that the board Is without power to administer
oaths to witnesses, whereas the court OF in-
Qulry examines witnesses under oath and pun
ishes contempts in the same manner as q court
martial. 1t will thus be seen that the scope Of
a board Of investigation is very much limited.
1t Is the practice In the naval service. when
ever vessels Of the navy are stranded. to con-
vene courts Of inquiry to determine whether or
not q c"ourt-martial Is advisable. and IL 30. to
recommend the charges upon which the person
or persons at fault is to be brought to trial.
The power to convene courts Of inquiry is by
law vested only in the President, the Secre-
tary Of the Navy. or the commander Of a feet or
squadron" In the present instance. too much
delay would necessarily ensue il the matter
should first be submitted to the President. the
Secretary or the Admiral. Communication be-
tween Ponce and the rest Of the world is
none of the best. and II might readily
happen that before the order appoint.
ing the court could arrive from any OF
these authorities the exiGcncies Of the service
might result in the members Of the court being
widely separated. Hence It was that CAPT.
Rodgers determined to subm 1t the matter to a
board without delay rather than wait until q
court OF inquiry could properly be organized.
As a matter of fact. when the report Of the
board, with the action Of Capt. Rodgers Endorsed
upon it, is submitted to Admiral Sampson. that
officer can still convene a court Of inquiry IL he
desires further information upon the subject.
Tho person upon whom blame most FREE
quently rests as a result Of such investiga.
tions is naturally the Captain. Responsibility
also attaches to the navigator. as the adviser Of
the Captain, and to the officer OF the deck. as
being the person charged by law. under the
with tho safety OF the vessel. The
Captain Of the Saturn ia Commander Bicknell,
United States Navy. 1t will be remembered
this officer also had mman of the
U s. s. Galena some years ago. when that ves-
sci was lost upon the shoals near Gay Head.
In the present case, however, 1t is thought that
the board. as well as the reviewing authorities,
utter lack of trustworthiness OF spanish charts
and OF the dangerous work that Commander
orders from. Capt. Rodgers. at the time OF
rounding IN attempting to toy the army
I Ibe f Z V vasse| to r ON me nno re th;s s Inc iS "a tthj Is
little more than ten days. The U. s. s. Columbia
on July 81. but succeeded in getting
The army transport, Massachusetts was tho
second victim. the transport Manitoba tho
inaIly toEed OF by the Saturn. nndtr Com.
liter the PTairie and several otheEf Vessels sass sf had
allied, the Saturn rendered excellent service,
When the board comes to discuss t6e e " d%ine
n the case of the stranding OF the last-named
'essel. Having been so successful in cQnnec-
Ion with the massachusetts, 1t was only nat
iral that Capt. Rodgers should have detailed
he Saturn to attempt the rescue OF tho Mani
The Saturn had been towing for several days
lpon the. Manitoba. without material success
lpon tho Keel OF that transport, when COM
nander Bicknell suddenly observed his vessel
o 6e aeTlns S snr1aSt snS PIE f@ > h is1 G rotten into3
wMept upon a detached portion OF the same, reef.
The most deteEmined efforts were made to
anne time a vessel Of the army and one OF the
ayy were aground within a short distance OF
Orces Of the army and navy were united. and
that could tow was brought to bear
ig was carried on night and day. precautions
einG taken to prevent the vessels from drag
s5Gcs t9rth TFs ashore sl@U as their SaTgGss 6sGa%c
. 3. s. Prairie carried away many stout wire
nd manila hawsers. borrowed from the other
~ the. Manitoba into DEEPER water and
Dating her. The nature OF, the cargo OF the
hip. She was. of course. laden with coal It
rst an attempt was made to discharge this
OF the men-of-war. but too much de-
" was oSccasi9ned by the necessity for wait.
tther than risk the ship to further delay,
tier that the work progressed rapidly. and
in a considerably damaged condition.
a hurrlcape had happened along two or three
9TH have. been smashed to pieces on the reef.
The fact that such a menace to navigation
,HnG e eSrsf ! IHF s nqHgredds b Si gears snd without hE
ted upon the charts would be considered q
Proach TO any other nation than Spain. AZ
not likely. however. that many further caOeS
grounding upon this. reef will occur, as .
survey has been made In obedi-
&c to Cart; Rodgers orders. and 2 buoy has
Is, bound in, or out. This survey was con.
lcted by Lie4ts. QualtrouRh OF the Terror aud
hight OF the Puritan. In the absence OF the
lolites and, other accurate instruments It was
practicable to make an extended survey ofths
Irbor. but enough has been determined to
event the LIKELIHOOD Of further groqndingS
findings to be obtained at the various marta
TIE channel leading into the harDor Lieut..
ard, He will be able to advise the members
TO- the points In which the chart Ia, In error.
Qualtrough was also the recorder of tho
ard which Investigated the grounding Of the
luInbia on, July 30. At that time Capt. Sands
rs on the sick list and Lieut.. Moon, the eX.
utlye officer. WAS temporarily 10 command 81
e Columbia. The Bindings OF the board haNs
t as yet been divulged, but il is an open SCI
that no blame was attached to any OF the
lcers or crew.
N interesting anecdote Is told in connection
u the first command given by Lieut.. Stoney.
llted states Navy. upon assuming charge ni
9 transport, Massachusetts In order 10 at