The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-05
harrington NOT BLAMED.
CHARGES IN REGARD To WRECK
OF FLORENCE 3. DISMISSED.
steamer Not Racing With the bailey
wreck Due to Mfshandiing, hut
Capt. Darlington Not Mt wheel

Yorke A. harrington, OF this city, has
received clipping from Dawson paper
which contains an account OF the exam
nation of his brother. Capt. Gid Bar
rington. owner and pilot OF the Florence
s.. who was charged with share OF the
responsibility for the wreck OF that
steamer In Thirty-Mile river. July %. IL
resulted In a complete exoneration Of
Capt. harrington from all blame in the
matter and a dismissal OF the charges
against him.
81 have all along known said Mr..
harrington, last evening, that Sid could
not have been TO blame In the matter.
He IL much too careful man for that.
As It rsrns out. he was not at the wheel
at all when the accident occurred. The
law compels all steamers TO carry
Canadian captain In British territory.
Ny brother, who was owner and pilot OF
the steamer, had been continuously on
duty for twcnty-four hours, and had
turned the wheel over 10 the captain Just
before the steamer capsfzed. IL any one
can be directly charged with the blame
II certainly Is not Sid.
IAN Interview was published In this
city not long ago with one r. J. Burde.
who claimed TO have been q passenger on
tho Florence s., In which he stated that
she was racing with the Bailey through
the narrow canyon I knew that Capt.
SID would never be guilty OF such
thing, and my opinion is now supported
by the fact that nothing Of the kind was
bsourht out Mt the trial. Furthermore,
I have learned that this man Burde was
never on the boat AZ ALL"
It has been stated that the steamer at
the time OF the wreck WAS overloaded.
This. according 10 the Dawson paper, was
not borne out at the examination. TWO
or three OF tho. passengers were OF the
tt,o nah ho f.ou IA
testimony was based on nothing more def-
mite than gucsswork On the contrary.
experienced steamboat men are of the
limit. and II any reason could be assigned
for the accident II was due to the cur.
rent Of the river and the sharp turn
made ut full speed Purser Maltby testi-
but twenty-five tons OF freight. while
her registered carrying capacity was nifty
tons.
aiso taken BY other Officers and men
connected with the steamer.
=. r. Burma. the mate, thought the ac-
ci4ont was due TO the turn the steamer
soneihi hing TO DO To- with Il Darlington had
told him ut the time the steamer had list
% Just previous 10 capstaing, to have the
freight on the hurricane deck thrown over.
This freight. according to some OF tho pas
ssnwsrs. when the steamer listed. just be-
fore the accident. shifted, thus causing
her TO turn completely over. This opinion
n not shared by the boats oficers, as II
was not unusual 10 carry much larger
quantities OF freight on tho hurricane
Il. Il. Blake, a mechanic and engineer.
who was employed on the boat at the
time. testified strongly In Capt Barring
tons favor. He was quito sure the boat
had not been overloaded. and felt salts /.
iied that the sharp turn made at full speed
WAS tina chief cause OF the accident. In
Aa ri Rf n hu hqa al Ia
wheel In the rrst place the Florence g.
would have landed her cargo and passen-
wcrs safely In Dawson.
All the expert testimony was In Capt
Harrington's favor and the charges
brought against him were therefore dis
missed. Inspector 6tarnes. who had
charge OF the investigation. stated that
show careiessness and neglect OF duty on
the part OF someone. he could find nothing
to sustain the charges against harrington.
Capt Darlington r. very well known in
this city and his friends express pleasure
over the dismissal OF tho charges against
him While not at the wheel AT the time
Of tho wreck ne reached II before the
steamer went down and gave the signals
20 shut on and reverse TO the engineer.
The spot where the wreck occurred Is
about seventeen miles below Lower Lee
barge and about thirteen above Hoota-
linqua. The river here makes sharp
bend. which makes navigation somewhat
dangerous. Small steamers usually take
the curve ct full speed, but large ones find
II necessary to slow up. The Florence 8.
apparently did not slow NJ. but az Capt.
HARRINGTON was not steering Mt the time,
no blame can be attached to him.
When the wreck occurred there were
about thirty passengers on board, two OF
whom, Mrs. and Miss Stewart. OF Victoria,
were drowned, brsidea the steward OF the
boat Walter Monaster. OF skagway A
Mr.. Rsdpath, anothec passenger, WIN
made heroic EFFORTS TO save Mrs Stewart.
was one OF the important witnesses at the
Harrington investigation,