The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-09
FROM WATER FRONT
STEAMBOATS, FIND BUSINESS
RATHER QUIET AT PRESENT.
NAVAL STATIoa FREIGHT OFF.
CAROLINA BOATS THEREFORE,
LOSE BIG GOVERNMENT HAULING.
circumstances Not So Good for the
Boats This Year as Last-NavaI
Court to Try Il Captain Mt Phila-
deIphia-NIatters for Seamen.

circumstances Not so GOOD Tor the
Boats This Year as Last-NavaI
Court to Try IA Captain Mt PhiIa-
deIphia-Matters for Seamen.
While there is no loud complaint.
business by the steamboat lines is not
now what it was at this time last year.
according to the reports from leading
steamboat men Circumstances have
contributed to lessen the movement,
and the effect has told on the earnings
of the different boats.
The steamboat business between Sa-
vannah and Carolina points is by no
means what it was this time last year.
The cause of this is this withdrawal of
a number of government vessels from
Port Royal Two training ships were
there this time last year, with several
hundred men aboard each. There was
q consequent big demand for supplies.
practically all of which We're hauled
over by the steamboats,. Then, too, the
torpedo fleet was at the naval station
for some time, and this, too. called for
large supplies. The absence Of these
government vessels practically elimi-
mates the naval station so far as its
freight business to the steamers is con-
cerneG.
A naval court was convened at the
British Consulate to-day to investigate
serious charges of neglect of duty
against Capt. J. Moar. master of the
British steamship Strathmore, which
has arrived at Philadelphia Monday
from Java, laden with sugar.
Upon the ships arrival at Malta the
British consul was appealed to by the
crew, who claimed that it would be
dangerous for them to proceed further
in the vessel under Capt Moar's COM
mand. The consul after an investiga-
ton relieved Capt. Moar Of his COM
mand and placed Chief officer Dunbar
in charge of the vessel.
The British steamship Firth of Forth,
bound from Mobile for London, with a
cargo of lumber, ran ashore on the
coral reefs off the coast of Florida on
Monday night and remains fast She
struck on Mullet Key, about twelve
miles from Key West Her cargo of
lumber has been jettisoned to save. her.
but she did not float The wreckers
have hope of floating her and are at
work with tugs and lighters.
Among the passengers who arrived
at New York on the steamship Gren-
ada, from Trinidad and Grenada, were
Capt Kay and Mrs. Kay, and nine
shipwrecked seamen, the crew of the
British bark Florence B. Edgett, which
was abandoned in midocean on Oct. IS.
after being dismasted and waterlogged.
Capt Kay, when seen at quarantine on
board the Grenada, said: 1--WE sailed
from Bear River. N s., on Aug 10, for
Buenos Ayres with a. cargo of lumber.
All went well until Sept. IS, latitude IA.
longitude SS, when the vessel ran into
hurricane from southeast with a ire
mendous sea, in which the ship was
dismasted and waterlogged. Every eff
Tort was made to keep the vessel afloat
but without success. The crew worked
night and day until Oct. Is, when the
NesseIs decks were almost level with
the water. On that date all hands
abandoned the vessel in the ships long
boat, which was provisioned but with
out nautical instruments. The boat
steered to the southwest and finally
succeeded in reaching Grenada on Oct.
25, having covered a distance of 1450
miles.
The Florence B. Edgett was built al
Dig0y, N. s., in $780, and registered 491
iona