The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-03-10
HA! HA! SAYS THE NEWS
AND THEN PROCEEDS TO TALK
DEEP SEA WISDOM.
Declares Astorian Story a Sea
lawyers Tale but Proof
Is Lacking.

Doubtless actuated by d desire to
defend an erring fellow -cOuntryman.
the editor Of The Daily News takes II
upon himself 10 abuse the AstQrian for
publishing the statement made by John
| Klebe, one Of the men Of the British
snip County of LinlithgOw. The News
sccks To rldIcule the statement Of
klebe. at the same time roasting tifa
Ast0uan reporter for being taken In
The Astorian has no apology t0 make
- the Daily News or It's able marine
.ditJI for the publication Of kebe's
statement. Whether or not the story
was true. the fact remains that Cap
tain StDark has made no attempt 10
deny II. and az the News editor evil
dently 1id not see ;he skipper. at least
GUts not quote MIN, he certainly must
have been actuated by some unfath-
OmAblr motive in thus rushing 10 the
defense Of a man who made no effort
whatever 70 protect himself.
According 10 the News. scantlIng in
stead Of boards is used 10 store oil
carg0es. Here Is a display of igDOr-
ance that Is surprising, coming from
one who prOffers unlimited advice
Scantling Is not used to store oil, but
flF-Afg HAlAA AAlh BpdA u arc fAbIfAbNFu lDl
that purpose However that may have
been. the fact remains that the ship
vas not properly provided with shift
ing boards, and the men were cOmpell-
ID 10 use the tween deck matches in
stead These hatches. according tc
Klebe's statement, were about ~ feel
In length and ~ feet wide. They just
reached the stanchiOns and the men
- O.. 70 a
vantage. The Astorian laid stress on
th- point in Klebe's statement that the
ballast was not properly placed aboard
aud when the News undertakes TO deny
the statement that the sand was in three
heaps It does not present any counter
statements regarding the matter. As
tDrians are pretty well acquainted al
this time With the peril OF seafaring
men who sail under incompetent ol
careless captains, and the loss OF severa
fine vessels on account Of the shifting
u th-ir ballast has brought home L
| them tn- truth OF the Oft-repeated state
nent that many sailors lives are al
, ways in danger from this cause. II tbs
Linlthg0w was rr.."onnerly ballasted
why didn't the News get a statethen
from CaptaIn Stoark 10 that effect?
The AstJrian reporter who wrote tn,
stcry is not deep sea sailor, nor has
he had the experience on big vessel:
that has evidently been the good for.
tune Of the gentleman who chortles
with glee over a misapplication OF a
technical nautical term. The AstOriar
reporters occasional trips to Portland
have been made by train. Otherwise ht
might have been better posted.
The As;orian confssses that its re-
porter's use OF technical terms may have
been erroneous In one or two instan-
ceS. For instance. the reference to the
vessels experience before she went onto
hr beam ends was hardly as accurate
as klAba related IT, Klebe told the re.
porter that. after the main lower top
sail was carried away--a circumstance
by the way. which was due to the fail
ure Of Captain Stoark to use proper
ropes in making fast his canvass-tht
captain became ratified" and exciteily
gave orders to cut loose the fore lowell
torsail and miZZen lower topsail He
likewise. according to Klebe. gave the
orders 10 hove the vessel to. but the
loss II his topsails made this impossible
as canvass is required to bring a vessel
W to the wind. Instead of bringing
her head on. Stoark succeeded in put
ting the ship in the trough of the sea
herr she floundered helplessly, her bal
'ast shifting and her lee scuppers being
submerged. Any man with a knOwl-
edge u maritime matters would know
that the vessel could not have bien on
her beam ends and hove to at the same
time, and the editor of the News pla-
Ies himself in a ridiculous light in seek
ing to puncture Klebe's story on the
.Astorians technical error in the use OF
the nautical expression.
The News tries to create the belief
that the weather was very severe when
the first sail was carried away. AS a
matter of fact. the weather was hard
iy stormy. though the velocity Of tht
wind was great enough to snap tht
ropes sent up by the captain from tn,
storerocm. The Astorian did not say
that all the lee-yar1s were in the water
but, quite to the contrary, stat
ed that the vessels yards were in tht
sea. The inference was plain that tht
main yard was referred to.
II is announced by the prophet of tht
evening sheet that the seamen coulC
not work in the vessels hold for al
hour. much less for seventy-two, bu
there Is no denying the fact that tn,
vessel was on her beam ends and tha
the ballast was eventually. after NOR,
than p hours work. righted and tn,
ship placed on an even keel,
The Astorian made no charges agains
Captain Stoark. 1t gave the statement
of Klebe as to why he and his com.
panions deserted the shin, II CAPTAIN