The Republican journal., 1899-04-27
The Steamer Portland Disaster.
The Preservers and Life Rats OF the
Steamer. The Weather report Received
Before Sailing

Steamer. The Weather Report Received
Before Sailing.
April 18th the Portland Steamship Com
pany filed answers to the heterogeneous
of Attys. S, Henry Hooper and Albert S.
Flint of Boston. proctors for Ludger j.
Renouf of Biddeford, one OF the inter-
venors in the suits.
A statement is made in regard to the
communication that passed between the
company officials and Capt. Blanchard
of the steamer Portland regarding the
weather probabilities on the evening of
Nov. 26. In answer to one lnterrogatory,
bearing on this matter, the company says:
''It is not fact according to the in
formation on belief of the libellant, that
Agent Williams on the afternoon or even
ing of Nov. 26, made any commnnica-
ton to Capt. Blanchard to use his own
Judgment about starting the steamer Port
land at the usual hour. MT. Williams, as
the local agent of the company in Boston,
had no authority whatever over the
masters in command of the company's
steamers. 1t is not in Mr.. Williams dis
cretion to determine in regard to the de-
parture of the steamers or to control the
action of the captains in that regard.
That matter is left entirely to the discre-
ton of the captains, who are licensed
officers and seamen of large experience,
and especially qualified to pass upon such
questions. ~
To the interrogatory concerning the
companys plea that the Portland may
have gone down as a result of a collision,
the answer is:
'The basis for said allegation is the
fact that the steamer was reported to have
been seen under way on Sunday morning,
Nov. 27, off Cape Ann, having weathered
the gale up to that time Later on the
same day, wreckage from both the four
masted schooner King Philip and from
the steamer Portland is reported to have
come ashore on Cape Cod, at substantial
ly the same place and time. These, with
| other facts, point to some sudden disaster
to the steamer, and suggest a possible
| collision between the two vessels in the
! thick and heavy weather then prevailing
The steamer Pentagoet, which was also
in that vicinity that night, and which was
also lost, must have been going over some
what the same course as the Portland, and
it is possible that they may have come in
collision. This view as to collision is
entertained by many experienced mariners
who are acquainted with the facts attend
ing the loss of said steamer Portland"
The nteIrogatory in regard to the kind
pI NE pItSeINtIS III use Oh llle O.lldUu
is answered as follows:
The steamer had at the time of her
loss, 75S life preservers distributed
throughout the vessel, as required by the
law. In her original outfit, furnished in
1890 by the builders of the steamer under
their contract, We're 660 kahuweilcr i'm
proved colk jacket life preservers, and 1l5
| tule Jacket life pTeserverS of the same
pattern. On June 3, 1875, "A new tule
jackets We're put on board said vessel in
place of the same number of Jackets that
were withdrawn from use. On June 3,
1896, 81 more new tule Jackets were put
on board said vessel by the direction of
the local inspectors, to take the place Of
an equal number withdrawn from use,
and at the same date four new metallic
life RATS of the Raymond make, largest
size, Ii IL feet long and y inch cylinders,
were added to the equipment Of said yes
sell All these life preservers had been in
spected, stamped and approved by the
| United States inspectors"
The company's answer to the interrog-
atories propounded by Gen. G. 2. Mat
tocks of Portland council in several suits
relating to the loss of the steamer Port
land, was also filed April 18th. Some
of the answers are identical with those in
reply to the heterogeneous tiled by Hoop
Ell u Flint OF Boston. In answer to a
question as to whether the weather bu-
reau reports had, prior to the sailing of
the Portland, been considered reliable, the
company says:
''GeneralIy speaking, the weather bu-
reau reports have proved valuable but in
many instances where storms have been
predicted for the New England coast they
have been diverted oceanward or disap-
peared before reaching this coast. The ac-
curacy OF the local predictions for this
coast by the weather bureau has been
questioned by many experienced ship
masters.''
The company includes in its answers
copies of weather bureau forecasts issued
Nov. 26. The morning bulletin was
"Storm; northeast signals east to north
east gales, with heavy snow. tonight
Wind will Shift to west and northwest,
with much colder Sunday The after
noon forecast, issued from the Boston
! weather bureau, was ''Snow to night and
Sunday morning, followed by clearing and
much colder weather. Winds becoming
easterly, increasing in force and shifting to
northwest
In reply to the inquiry as to the au-
thority of the companys agents in regard
to the sailing of steamers, the company S
attorneys make answer
''The lib liant did not have at the time
of the loss of steamer Portland any manag-
| ing agent in Boston. Its local agent in
Boston had no authority over the masters
OF its steamers, to change or dictate the
time of sailing. John F. Lscomb was the
managing agent of the company i'll Port
land at the time of the loss of the steamer
Portland. There was no rule of the libel
liant company fixing his authority as to
the time of the sailing of its steamers, nor
did he dictate the same, but was accustom-
ed to advise with the masters of its
st amers in case of stormy or doubtful
weather.
''It had been the custom of the com
pany to employ experienced and trust
worthy masters and pilots on its steamers,
and to furnish them with all the informa-
ton in its possession respecting the
weather, and to leave to their judgment
the question when it was wise or prudent
to sail. The company further AYERS that
the Portland S steering gear was in good
condition, and had been overhauled daily
and inspected annually"
The chief point of the whole document.
which has not before been made public,
t,.,,