The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-18
.BLAMt FOR THE R|ONRECK
WAS SHE MAKING THE SPEED
PILOT SUPPOSED?
Claimed Vessel Had Steam Up to
Make Only Four Knots Instead Seven
or Nine.

Advices from San Francisco by the
last mail appear to eXonorate Pilot
Jordan from responsibility for the loss
of the Rio and seem to shift the blame
upon the shoulders of the engineering
department of the lost vessel.
From his testimony and the general
circumstances surrounding the affair,
Jordan evidently believed that he was
taking the vessel into the harbor at
half speed. 1t would appear however
that the pilot was considerably off in
his reckoning for instead of going at
about to 8 knots an hour he was
making about 4 or 5. With a tide set
ting toward shore at the rate of 6
miles an hour it is easy to see that the
ship was being taken south toward the
rocks as fast as and possibly faster
than she was going ahead into the wide
eXpanse of the bay. Had the vessel
been going ahead at the speed which
Jordan supposed and must have cal
culated upon she would have cleared
Mile Rock and the reef by Fort Point
safely. To the fact that there was a
material discrepancy in her speed how
ever is assigned by many the cause Of
her being swept onto to her doom.
Why the vessel was not making the
speed which the pilot thought she was
and must have signalled for, is a mat
ter which will have to be explained by
When the vessels enter the Golden Gate
just before they reach Mile Rock they
encounter the strong current from Rae
coon straits. This current strikes the
vessel broadsides on and as it runs at
the rapid rate of 6 knots an hour it is
very apparent that a vessel has to ira
vel equally as fast in going through the
narrow passage if it hopes to offset the
strength of this current and go ahead.
of bar 10 fra
wells forward only as fast as it is being
swept toward the shore it would be an
even break that it would be piled on
the rocks.
According to the admission of the
chief engineer the steam could not have
been up on the Rio when she started in
side. In fact he was in his bunk at
the time. Had the steam been up to
its proper point when Jordan signalled
for the Rio to go ahead at half speed
which is about Knots the vessel could
have offset the counter current of 6
knots which was sweeping 1t ashore
from the port side. 1t is now said that
the steam was not up, with the result
that when Jordan thought he was going
knots he was making about or 5.
That he was travelling at this slow
rate is indicated from the length of
time that was occupied in m ~ ~ the
few miles from where he started in
to where the Rio went on the rocks.
Nine knots an hour would have carried
the vessel past the danger, it is claim
ed.
This question of the speed at which
vessels should enter the Golden Gate
is a matter of dispute among ship own
ers and pilots. 1t is claimed by some
very experienced pilots that the vessels
should not slow down but should forge
ahead very little if any diminution of
speed. 1t is claimed that the reason
for this is the danger of fighting
against the current from Raccoon
straits, as the forward speed of the
vessel must be greater than that of the
current which catches the vessel broad
sides on. The Pacific Mail Company
insists however upon their vessels
Stacking speed