The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-04-03
WARD AND JORDAN ARE BLAMED
INVESTIGATION OF JORDAN WILL
BE TAKEN UP BY THE PILOT
COMMISSIONERS.
Heriihy Was lnstteniiye and Grossly
Neslisent-Eie Is To Blame For
The Loss Of The Engine Crew
no embarrassing To Be Done.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 20.-Ai
last the responsibility for the loss OF
the steamship City Of Rio de Janeirc
and the Ia human lives that were
swallowed up in she sea on the morn
ing OF February I'D has been officially
fixed. Although three officers are cen
sured as being the direct cause of the
accident, the connection OF Two has
been passed over lightly by United
States Inspectors OF Steam Vessels
Bodies and Bulser in their findings.
Ward. the illfated master, is blamed
Tor allowing the steamship TO leave
her anchorage that morning, but be-
yond that nothing more is said OF the
part he bore. OF the pilot the officials
say: After leaving her anchorage
the vessel Was in charge of r. w. Jor-
dan. State pilot, who was much TO
blame for attempting to bring the
steamship City OF Rio de Janeiro from
safe anchorage into the harbor OF
San Francisco in a dense fog at night
with strong ebb tide running, the
current being made stronger and
more uncertain by the freshets in the
rivers" This throws the weight of
the disaster on Jordan. as the survivor
OF the two responsible navigating Off
GERS: but he is outside the Jurisdiction
OF Federal authority, and the punish
ment, IL any, in his particular case
must be melted out by the State Board
OF Pilot Commissioners. whose deci-
sion has not yet been reached.
p. II. Herlihy. the chief engineer,
however. is made to feel the displeas-
ure Of the inspectors, and in reading
between the lines OF their summing
up of his testimony IL is plain to see
that they do not consider the authority
Of an officer rests in his uniform coat
and goldlaced cap. An unqualified
revocation of his license as chief Ell
gineer of ocean steamers Is the result
of their official deliberations, while
the names struck OF as dead from the
muster roll of his engine-room are
commented on as his personal respon-
sibility in the list OF victims.
The findings review the testimony
OF the many witnesses as bearing on
the wreck, the condition of the vessel
at her last inspection on April IS.
1900. the lives lost and saved, set her
value at 100000 and of her cargo
$500 600. The inspectors then go over
Herlihy's testimony and call attention
to the various instances in which he
disobeyed the orders of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company and the un.
written law of the engineroom. He
was unable 10 state from his own
knowledge the condition OF things in
the engine-room on that morning; on
lx. nh 10 mr. in
how much steam was carried. and gen
orally in the opinion of the inspectors
showed deplorable ignorance or lack |
OF interest in things he was paid to
superintend.
The statement made by him that |
Captain Ward on the previous night
said: Mr. Herlihy. | will give my in
struCtions TO the engine-room without |
calling you" is brushed aside by the
officials as something utterly incom-
patible with the discipline OF steam
ship where the captain has nothing |
TO do with affairs of the engine-room.
Though in his room he testified that he
could distinguish the Lime Point from
the North Head whistle. both blow
ing as the vessel entered port, he
should have then gotten up and attend
ed 10 his duties" saws the inspectors.
When the ship struck he ran down IN
TO the engine-room. and finding the wa
ter coming in had the injectors closed.
the bilge pumps put on the bilges and
then gave orders TO the men on watch
to leave the engine-room. He said be
received no orders for his men 10
stand by the boats, and instead of or
dering them 10 do so himself. left
all his men at the donkey boiler on the
main deck TO await orders while he
went to his room TO dress, notwith-
standing that the lights had all gone
out and four minutes after he entered
his room the vessel sank. He admit
ted that il was the custom to order the
men OF his department to stand by
The boats when nothing more could be
done ar the pumps. that the chief en-
gineer was supposed TO be at his post
and see his men at their stations when
leaving or entering port. but on this
occasion. the men were not called. At
.ention Is called 20 his testimony that
be was the only offender. that he did
not get any orders to man the boats,
and that accounted for the reason that
so many OF those men went down
His conduct Is summed M In these
words: Had Mr.. Herlihy been al his
post and fully dressed. as he should
have been on this occasion. 1t is rea- :
sonRhle 10 suppose that he would have
heard the signal which was given from
he bridge to man the boats He could
hen have called the officers and the /,
balance OF the crew in his department
o the upper deck TO their boat sta :
Ions, which action. we believe. would
rave resulted in saving more lives"
rhe conclusion reached Is that he
vas inattentive 20 the duties OF his
,osition on the morning OF Febrearr
ed last. and for such neglect OF duty
n his part we have this date. under Z
ecfion 1850 Of the United States Re I
Used Statutes. revoked his license as
hief engineer OF ocean steamers"