The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-05
WATERFRONT News.

ly. After the vessel gets under way
tired with his long days work, he
washes himself, has his supper and
goes-where? To his room 10 have the
rest and sleep he has so richly earn
ed? Hardly. To the bridge to stand
watch, which varies from three and a
half to four hours, over the lives OF
probably 125 or $50 people, and vessel
worth $4,000 to her owners, and a
cargo worth, likely, as much more.
then he is relieved by his brother
officer and gees down to sleep, to be
aroused three or four hours later by
! the arrival of the ship at Lahaina.
Here he has two or three hours of the
hardest and fastest kind of work, dis
charging freight. Then off for Kahu-
lui. and it is again his turn on the
bridge, which watch he keeps until the
arrival of the steamer d; Kahului, at
about a. m
Then, just for a change, he works
re.ght all day until 5:35 or 8, wen
the vessel leaves for kaenae, a two
hours run, and thence around to Ma
hiku and Hama, all within few hours
of each other; then few more ports,
and the same program over again on
the return trip, each officer catching
a few hours sleep as best he can, and
his chances are few.
Now, the steamship companies re-
quire this man to stand his watch on
done, at times when 1t is almost a
physical impossibility for him 10 keep
awake, to say nothing of his keeping a
lookout, or to give proper attention to
his duties. This run (of the Claudine)
is merely an example of many others.
or even harder ones, in both compa-
MES.
In fact, it is widely known that the
officers of the kinau are never suppos-
ed to sleep. Now, this condition of
affairs, viz, that OF placing over-taxed
men on watch, has brought about
many accidents at sea. for which rea-
son the navigation laws of some coun-
tries, Great Britain and Germany, for
instance, demand that three regular
watches be kept. Under the old con-
ditiOn of affairs in these Islands off,
GERS had much more sleep, as 1t was
the custom to leave the bridge IN
charge of a kanaka boat-steerer. The
United States laws will not, OF course,
permit this, and the officers suffer ac-
cordingly. Also, in case of accident,
caused by man asleep, or negligent
at his post, on him falls the blame,
not on the company, and ne not only
loses his license and his means of live
lihood, but Is also liable to stand trial
on charge of manslaughter In case
anyone should be killed in said acct
dent.
Such are few of the causes which
have led to the present disagreement
between the mates and their employ
ers, and / think that q little careful
thought will convince an unprecedented
observer that the mates contention
that a man who has passed an exam
ination and who is held responsible in
the proper discharge of his duty by the
United States government, is entitled
to a little more pay, and is more fit
person to watch over the thousands
and thousands of dollars annually
shipped in the Island vessels, to say
nothing of the still more precious lives,
than a kanaka boat-steerer.
Merry Writes From Guam.
Arthur L. Merry, commandants
clerk at the Naval Station, Hawaii,
has received a letter from his uncle in
Guam, Commander J. F. Merry, in
which he tells of quite heavy shock
of earthquake occurring on the even
ing of February 18th. No damage was
done, however
Commander Merrys letter WIS dated
the 21st of February. He said that
he expected the transport Warren at
any time after that date. He was Of
leave the island In March, but that he
get away at the time expected He
expected the Rosecrans back there.
and thought that he would be ready to
leave the island on her -ft ~ ~
Commander Merry supposed that the
Rosecrans would take more prisoners
to Guam. He expected to go to San
Francisco before coming to Honolulu.
and asked that all mail for him be
kept here after March I.