The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-07
LONG FIGHT ENDED
LITIGATION OVER LOST WILLIAM
CARSON.
How The Barkentine Was Sunk on Her
Maiden Voyage and Expensive Eff
forts Made To Save Her.

The judgment in the case Of George
L. Hind ct al against the Wilder
Steamship Company was satisfied yes
terday by the payment of $62 1859. 30 to
the plaintiffs, beino damages of $5i $780,
10, with interest for two years, fOr the
sinking of the baIkentine William Car
son by the Wilder steamship Claudine
in March 1900. The case has been
fought in every court in which the de-
PENDANTS could get a hearing. II has
been before the Circuit and Supreme
Courts of Hawaii, the United States
Court here, the Ninth Circuit Court OF
Appeals ana the Supreme Court of the
United States, and all decisions have
followed the first one, in favor of the
owners of the lost barkentine.
The William Carson was sunk on her
first trip, She was a newly built vessel
and had been to Newcastle from the
Sound and was completing the GUS
tomary round by a call here with coal,
to get sugar for the coast As she came
up to Diamond Head, the Claudine, in
command of Captain Weisbarth, was
leaving for Maui ports. In the dark
ness the steamer ran into the sailing
vessel, making a big hole in her bow.
She was filled with coal, and went
down in a few moments. The lives OF
Captain and Mrs. Piltz and the crew
work on the Clsudine and the sailing
vessel, and all lost their clothes.
The Carson disappeared, and search
was made for her the day after the
accident by the lroquois, Eleu and ISL
and steamers She was found by the
Eleu, brought up to the Waikiki shore,
but that was all that could be dones AS
she was liable to sink at any time, per-
mission TO enter the harbor was re-
fused her. For several days the Lehua
and other steamers held her against
cff-shOre currents, though they could
not beach her as they wanted to. She
was finally moOred, and the next effort
to do something with her was to float
| her with barrels and salve the coal.
| Some coal was secured, but the work
was too difficult and expensive. Then
! the Carson disappeared altogether.
| For a time she was thought to he
dangerous derelict, bul she was locat-
! cd. breaking up, and some valuable
parts of her were recovered. A large
| section however, probably fioated
| away. The vessel was worse than
total loss. for money would have been
! saved if she had gone straight 10 the
| bottom and remained there after the
| Claudire struck her. instead of floating
Just beneath the surface 10 encourage
steamer captains to Aspend coal and
| time in trying to save her.
Suit was begun against the Wilder
Steamship Company at once after the
| accident. 1t was shown at the trial
| that just previous to the accident there
was no one on the bridge of the Clau-
dine, the man on watch having gone
| below to look for the captain The sail
| ing vessel men all testified to having
had the proper lights burning, and
| their stories of the courses of the YES
sells before the collision convinced the
| courts that the steamer was to blame.
incidentally the case served to estab-
! lish the rule as to appeals from the Su-
| preme Court of Hawaii. BY efforts to
! take an appeal the defendants secured
from the Supreme Court of the United
| States a decision to the effect that there
| is no appeal from the Supreme Court
oc Hawaii, the court having the rank
of a state Supreme Court, from which
| the only recourse is by writ of error.