The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-11
MISTAKE IN HIS Time
Capt. Watkins Accepts Blame
for Paris Disaster.
HE WAS EIGHTEEN MILES WRONG
A Frank Avowai of Responsibility by One
OF the Oldest Transatlantic Captains
He Made an UnaecountabIe Error in His
Time Reckoning, and In the Fog Strand.
ed the Vessel-He Is Suspended for Two
Years for Want of Necessary Care.

New York, July 10-The report OF Capt
Watkins Of the stranding of the American
Line steamship Paris was made public
to-day by the local board of steamboat
inspectors. Capt. Watkins makes no at.
tempt 10 evade responsibility Cor the ac-
cident, but, on the contrary, says frank
~ that the stranding of the ship was
the result OF an unaccOuntab!e error or
his part. The accident, he says, was not
due to any want Of thought or anxienty
about his vessel, but resulted from a mis-.
take he made in calculating the position
of the ship. The local inspector of steam
vessels has suspended Capt. Watkins
license as master OF ocean steamers for
two years
Capt. Watkins is still in charge of the
Paris, and Is acting in the interests OF
the underwriters, to whom the ship was
n. ID over by the American Line off,
- report of Capt Watkins, made un-
CT oath, is as follows
- was master Of the steamship Paris
when she left Southampton at noon on
the 10Th OF May last with passengers,
mails, and general cargo, bound for New
York via Cherbourg, and at 5:2l O'clock D.
m OF the same day she arrived at Cher.
bourg.
The Accident Happens.
Having taken on board forJy-five more
passengers and their baggage, We sailed
for New York at 5:52 p. m. At G:3s p. m
Cape La Hogue was abeam, and at ?.3j
p m the Casquets lighthouse was abeam
At l:l9 a. m. Of the 2lst of May land was
helm was Immediately put hard to star
board and the port engine was put fuI
speed astern. but directly afterward the
vessel struck on the rocks, which proved
TO be about a cables length from the
beach. 1t was then discovered to be
thick over the land. although there WAS
no fog at sea. ST. AnthOny's light, which
had not previously been seen. appeared
bright and clear abcT- fifteen minutes af-
ter the vessel strrC
w { reversed t Igine full speed.
but the vessel remained last and We then
fired distress signals ard swung out the
boats. Assistance arrived. and shortly
after daylight the passengers, mails, and
baggage were sent ashore to Falmouth.
AT daylight We ascerJained the ships
position by cross bearings. st. Anthony's
light bearing northeast by north, a buoy
of the Manacles Rock passed by north IA
north. During the day the vessel began
10 make water in various compartments.
and such water had increased until it
was in every compartment. Practically
the whole OF the cargo was discharged, Il
large portion undamaged, and efforts by
the underwriters and owners have been
made at great expense to get the vessel
or, tut she Is still on the rocks and is full
or water fore and aft. No lives were LOST
or any personal injury caused by the ac-
cident.
Accepts the Responsibility.
i regret to say that the casualty was
owing 20 an unaccountable error on nv
rart. 1t is about l3i miles from Cape Id
HCgue 10 the Lizard, and the run be-
tween these points would, / calculated
occupy six hours and ffty-fcur minutes
Unfortunately. | reckoned the time on
this basis for coming up with the Lizard
fIom 7:S5 p, m, when abeam of the Cas-
qUets, instead Of from 6:3S D. m. when
abeam of Cape La Hogue, ard the vessel
was thus really eighteen miles ahead of
the position was acting upon. In addi-
tion, the thick weather over the land had
ohscured the Lizard lights.
Il attribute the stranding to the above
cause. and take upon myself full respon-
s:tility for it. / have followed the sea
as my profession since the year 1851, and
have held British masters certificate
since the year 1866, and an American mas
ter's certificate since the year 1899, in
which year i became an American citi-
zen.
Il entered the service Of the Inman
Steamship Company in the year 1865, and
after serving as officer in various grades
| was promoted TO be master in 1861 and
have since 1876. been continuously master
i'm command in the Inman, international.
and American line passenger and mail
steamships, and have, in that capacity,
crossed the Atlantic nearly 800 times,
Long AVID Faithful Service.
"I was, during the war between the
United States and Spain, the navigating
officer of the United States cruiser Yale,
holding commission as commander in
the United States Navy, and on the ter
of the war / received honorable
discharge, with the thanks of the gov
ernment. ] have thought it right to place
these particulars before you in the hope
that you will take into consideration q
long and responsible sea-faring career,
during which / believe / have through
out held the perfect confidence of my
employers. The accident was not due 10
any want of thought or anxiety about
my vessel or her safety. but arose purely
from the mistake / made in making my
above described. I should
add that / can only speak in terms of
the highest praise of the discipline which.
under the trying circumstances. was ad-
mirably sustained by my officers and
crew"
Suspended TIVE Years.
The report of the United States local
inspectors of steam vessels TO George
II. Starbuck. supervising inspector OF the
second district OF New York, is as fol-
lows:
We have the honor to report that we
have carefully read over the report made
by Capt. Watkins, late commander Of the
steamship Paris when she was stranded
on the English coast, between the Lizard
and the Manacles, on May q, 1899. al
about 1:l9 a. m, a copy OF which Is here
with attached, In which Capt. Watkins
lakes the entire responsibility Of the dis
aster upon himself in making q mistake
in the time when he passed the Cas-
quets, and thereby overrunning his dis
tsnce.
We find that the report Is very meager
in details. inasmuch as he merely states
that he made a mistake in taking his de-
parture from Cape La Hogue Al 7:3s. when
he was actually abreast of the Casquets
at that time. d distance of about sixteen
and one-half miles. This, OF course.
would put him about sixteen and one
half miles ahead Of his reckoning, but
would not account for his being set into
the nOTthward OF his course seven miles
allowing his intention 10 pass the Lizard
At 4 distance OF three miles.
Other Mistakes Made
"As Capt Watkins does not make any
mention OF making allowance for tide. We
ar % the opinion that he had not taken
thar matter into consideration. whereas
VIXEN he approached the English coast
he must have encountered the food tide
or his port bow. setting him in toward
the land. In addition 10 this, he makes
no mention OF having used his lead. and
he rulV df-c0NerS IL Was thick over The