The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-11
CAPTAIN WATKINS TO BLAME
WRECK OF THE PARIS DUE no HIS
MISC4LCUL1TION.

Acknowledges His Error and Assumes
Sole ResponsibiIity-Vess Eighteen
Miles Ahead OPPOSITION He Was Actin 9
UpOn--Report Considered Very Meagre
Captains License Suspended for Two
Years.
New York, July 10.-The report of
Captain Watkins of the stranding of the
American line steamship Paris was
made public to-day by the local board
of steamboat inspectors. Captain Wat
kins makes no attempt to evade re-
sponsibility for the accident but says
frankly that the stranding of the ship
was the result of an unaccountable er-
ror on his part. The accident, he says,
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 Captain Wat
kins Is still in charge Of the Paris, and
is acting in the interests of the under
writers to whom the ship was turned
over by the American line officials
Captain Watkins has had a long and
honorable career on the sea- He enter
ed the service of the Inman line in 1863
and since 1876 has been continually in
charge of vessels of the International
Navigation company He has made
nearly 500 voyages across the Atlantic.
In filing the report with Supervising In
spector Starbuck, the local inspectors
submit special report relative to Cap
tain Watkins statement in which they
state that hey suspend his license as
master of ocean steamers for New York
The report of Captain Watkins is as
follows:
Captain Watkins Report.
Il, Frederick Watkins, master of the
American line steamship Paris, of 1869
tons register, make oath and say as fol-
lows:
Il was master of the steamship Paris
when she left Southampton at noon on
the Goth of May last with passengers,
mails and general cargo, bound for New
York via Cherbourg, and at 5:21 o'clock
p. m. of the same day she arrived at
Cherbourg. Having taken on board
forty-five more passengers and their
baggage we sailed for New York at
5:52 p. m.
''At 6:3S p. m. Captain La Hogue was
abeam and at 1886 p. M the Casquets
lighthouse was abeam. At 1:19 a. M of
the 21st of May land was suddenly seen
ahead and reported. The helm was i'm
mediately put hard to starboard and
the port engine was put full speed
astern, but directly afterwards the YES
sci struck on the rocks, which proved
to be about a cables length from the
beach.
Weather Conditions.
SIT 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 about fifteen minutes
after the vessel struck. We reversed
the engine full speed, but the vessel re-
mained fast and we then fired distress
signals and swung out the boats. AS
sistance arrived and shortly after day
fight the passengers, mails and bag
gage were sent ashore to Falmouth At |
daylight we ascertained the ships po-
Eition by cross bearings, st. Anthony's |
light bearing northeast by north and a |
buoy off the Manacles rock east by u |
north During the day the vessel be-
gan to make water in various COM
partments and such water has ncreas-
ed until 1t is in every compartment.
Practically the whole of the cargo was
discharged, a large portion undamaged |
and efforts by the underwriters and
others and owners have been made at
great expense to get the vessel off, but
she is still on the rocks and is full of
water for and aft. No lives were lost
or any personal injury caused by the
accident.
Captains UnnccountabIe Error.
II regret to say that the casualty was
owing to an unaccountable error on my
part 1t is about 131 miles from Cape
La Hogue to the Lizard and the run be-
tween these points would, l calculated,
occupy six hours and fiftyfour minutes.
I reckoned the time on
this basis for coming up with the Lizard
from 7:35 p. m. when abeam of the Cas-
uuets instead of 6:3s p m. when abeam
of Cape La Hogue, and the vessel was
thus really eighteen miles ahead of the
position was acting upon. In addition
the thick weather over the land had OBJ
scured the Lizard lights.
Assumes Full Responsibility.
~ attribute the stranding to the above
cause and take upon myself full respon-
sibility for it. | have followed the sea
rs my profession since the year 1851 and
have held a British masters certificate
since the year 1866 and an American
masters certificate since the year 1893,
in which year 1 became an American ,
citizen. ,
Fine Career. !
'I entered the service Of the 1n:nan /
Steamship company in the year 1853 and ]
after serving as officer in various grades I
was promoted to be master in 1857 and
have since 1876 been continuously master
In command in the Inman, International
and American line passenger and mail
steamships and have in that capacity
crossed the Atlantic nearly 500 times. l
was during the war between the United
States and Spain the navigating officer :
If the United States cruiser Yale, hold !
ng a commission as commander in the I
United States navy and on the termina- {
ion of the war 1 received honorable dis =
,barge, with the thanks of the govern
rent 7 have thought It right to place