The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-15
NOT MORSE'S FAULT
WHAT MAJOR SKINNER SAYS
ABOUT THE HORNET
He Exhonerates Captain Morse OF
the Delay I'm Arriving mt Charles
ton-It Was Unwise to Try to Cross
the Bar at Night and Especially in
the Face of q Storm-To Make the
Honet a Training Ship-Suggestion
From n ~SeafarinE Man.
The Charleston News and Courier of
yesterday says:

The Charleston News and Courier of
yesterday says:
"In yesterdays issue of The News
and Courier the delay in the arrival OF
the Hornet, carrying the North Caro-
lima Naval Reserves. was attributed to
the inefficiency of the pilot, Mr..
Thomas Morse. Since that time the
information a been received through
Major Skinner, of the Naval Reserves
of North Carolina, hat the delay was
not due to incompetency on the
part Of Mr.. Morse. Major Skinner
said: Mr.. Morse is a thoroughly COM
petent coast pilot and it was no fault
of his that the Hornet did not arrive
in the harbor on schedule time. When
the Charleston light ship was reached
Mr.. Morse wisely called a consultation
of the officers and told them that the
responsibility Of plotting the Hornet
into Charleston harbor at night, when
he could not keep steerageway, was
too great and asked them what to do.
After deliberating the officers decided
to anchor outside the bar and wait for
daylight. and hence the delay atten-
dant upon the Hornets arrival The
fiues and the syphon and pumps were
all out of order, and men were kept
bailing water from the hold in buckets
for five hours previous to the Hornets
arrival in the harbor."
One of the most experienced ship
captains and we'll known seafaring
men in Wilmington said yesterday
that Captain Morse was right in not
attempting to go over the Charleston
bar at night. and especially that it
would have meant sure destruction If
he had attempted to do so in a storm.
Several pilots said the same thing yes
terday.
Captains F. B. Rice and J. T. Borden,
government inspectors Of hulls and
boilers, left hece yesterday for Char
lesion, and we understand that they
will inspect the Hornet. If she does
not stand a satisfactory inspection she
her W steam.
A we'll known ~seafaring man aid
yesterday that the Hornet should be
thoroughly overhauled and not only
$1,000 but more should be spent on her
if necessary. He suggests that it would
be a good idea to max a training ship
out Of her. Instead of lying up idle,
resulting in injury 20 her machinery.
she should be run occasionally and
used to instruct young men who want
paying positions. He said an appro-
priation might be made by the state
or government for this purpose and
that young men who want to learn a
trade could pay a small amount and
get valuable training at the hands OF
practical seamen or retired captains.
In this way practical captains, mates,
engineers, realen, oilers and cooks
could be turned out, and thus many a
young man might be saved from a life
Of vagrancy. We understand that at
Charleston and at several ports in the
north there are such training ships.
We might mention an object lesson
right here in Wilmington. The tugs
Nyce. Marie and Marion under Captain
Edgar D. Williams from time to time
trained a numbe of young men and
out of the lot there are now six cap
tains and thirteen engineers holding
pnO6 nncifionS