Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-11
MADE A BAD MIS- TAKE
Captain Watkins Admits Responsibility for
the Accident to the Paris.
Made an Unaccountable Error In Cal.
culating His Distance, Which Led
to the Ships Stranding.

The report of Captain Watkins of the
stranding of the American line steamship
Paris was made public yesterday by the
New York board OF steamboat inspectors.
Captain Watkins made no attempt to evade
responsibility for the accident but on the
contrary, stated frankly that the stranding
of the ship was the result of an unaccount-
able error on his part. The accident, he
said. was not due to any want of thought
or anxiety about his vessel, but resulted
from a mistake he made in calculating the
position of the ship. The local inspectors
of steam vessels have suspended Captain
Watkins license as master of ocean steam
ers for two years.
Captain Watkins Is still in charge of the
Paris. and is acting in the interests of the
underwriters, to whom the ship was turned
over by the American Line officials.
The report of Captain Watkins, made
under oath, was in part as follows:
II was master of the steamship Paris
when she left Southampton at noon on the
20th of May last with passengers. mails
and general cargo, bound for New York via
CherbOurg, and at 5:21 o'clock pm. of the
same cay she arrived at Cherbourg. Hav-
ing taken en- board 40 more passengers
and their baggage, We sailed for New York
at 5:52 pm. At 6:3S pm. Cape La Hogue
was abeam, and at 7:35 pm. the Casquets
lighthouse was abeam. At 10 am of the
21st of May land was suddenly seen ahead
and reported The helm was Immediately
put hard to starboard and the port engine
was put full speed astern, but directly af-
terward the vessel struck on the rocks
which proved to be about cables length
from the beach.
An UnaccOuntable Error.
Il regret to say that the casualty was
owing to unaccountable error on my
part. 1t is about 131 miles from Cape La
Hogue to the Lizard. and the run between
these points would. 1 calculated. occupy six
hours and tiftyfour minutes. Unfortunate
ly, l reckoned the time on this basis for
coming up with the Lizard from ! ::}5 pm.
when abeam of the Casquets, instead Of
from 6:3S pm, when abeam of Cape La
Hogue, and the vessel was thus really eigh-
teen miles ahead of the position l was act
ing upon. In addition, the thick weather
over the land had obscured the Lizard
lights.
Il attribute the stranding to the above
cause. and take upon myself full RESPONSE
hility for it. I have followed the sea as my
profession since the year 1851, and have
held a British masters certificate since the
year 1866 and an American masters GER
tificate since the year 1893. in which year
l became an American citizen.
Il entered the service of the Inman
Steamship Company in the year 1863. and
after serving as officer in various grades
| was promoted to be master in 1867, and
have since 1875 been continuously promoted
in command in the Inman, Interna tional
and American Line passenger and mail
steamships, and have in that capacity
crossed the Atlantic nearly 800 times l
was during the war between the United
States and Spain the navigating officer of
the United States cruiser Yale, holding a
commission commander in the United
States navy, and on the termination of the
war L received honorable discharge with
the thanks of the government. | have
thought it right to place these particulars
before you, in the hope that you will take
into consideration a long and responsible
seafaring career. during which l believe l
have throughout held the perfect confidence
of my employers. The accident was not
due to any want of thought or anxiety
about my vessel or her safety. but arose
purely from the mistake / made in making
my calculations above described I should
add that / can only speak in terms of the
highest praise of the discipline, which. I'M
der trying circumstances was admirably
sustained by my officers and crew.