Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-03-27
VENTURA WAS SAVED
By COMPLIANCE WITH
The REQUIREMENTS
Of Marine Insurance MOSCkOs, Ship
Carpenter, Became Angry and
Tried to Set Big
Liner Afre.

San Francisco. March lg.-Strl2t
compliance on the part Of the Oceanic
Steamship Company with the marine
insurance requirements saved the big
mail steamship Ventura Monday night
from serious damage, il not total de.
struction, by fire.
Because he blamed the Ventura s
boatswain for causing his discharge
from the ship. George Mosckos, a ship
carpenter. entered the fOrecastle OF
the Ventura Monday night, smashed
everything berakable In the boat
swain's room, threw all that petty offi.
GERS clothes overheard poured miner
al sperm oil over the woodwork in the
porters store room, and then, after ad.
justinG the vcntllatOrs SO as to insure
draught, applied a match to the
wood
The mineral sperm oil, on account
OF its non-combustible qualities. is the
only kind OF Illuminating oil the insur
ance companies will allow to be usei
on shipboard Had II been kerosene
as Mosckos might have imagined from
the can in which he found it, nothing
could have averted hot fire and ter
rife explosion, as many gallons OF fueI
were stored in the vicinity OF the fire
As II was. however, the flames died oul
after blaCkening the walls and blister
ing the paint. The fact that arson was
attempted was not discovered unit
yesterday morning.
MosCkos was carpenter on the Ven
tura on her last voyage. He was dis
missed for brawling with a sailor while
the vessel was awaiting discharge
from quarantine. He blamed George
Clair, the boatsain, for his dismissal.
Mosckos' clothes are still aboard the
Ventura and about 9:l5 o'clock Mon
day night he went to the forecastle for
the purpose, he told Quartermastef
Randall Rogers, of getting his belong
ings. He stayed in the forecastle but
2 few minutes. As he went ashore he
said he would return later, when the
boatswain was on board.
About midnight he went back. Soon
after he entered the forecastle Roger;
heard a crash of breaking glass. Golul
forward to investigate he met MasckO'
coming up the companion way.
ITS all right" said the carpenter
that door was jammed and | had Il
force II open. Don't report me. II
wait for my clothes until tomorrow
don't want to waken the men"
Rogers escorted Mosckos off III,
ship. As he was saying goodnight two
members of the crew, partly dresse,
rushed on deck, yelling:
Arrest that man. Don't let him go
He's wrecked the forecastle."
Mosckos took this as his cue ant
made a rapid exit. He returned Il
the dock yesterday morning and was
arrested by Police Sergeant Tom Ma
honey. He was locked up on charg;
OF malicious mischief.
Considering the brevity of Mosckos
visits the amount OF damage h,
wrought was marvellous. Furnitur,
was hacked to pieces, crockery smash
ed and everything breakable in tn,
boatswains room was broken. Tn,
boatswains entire wardrobe wa
thrown into the bay and a concertini
belonging to a member OF the crew
was smashed to smithoreens.
Nsosckos refused to discuss the mat
ter yesterday morning. He knew moth
ing about breaking anything, had Hey
err heard of fire and couldn't imagin
how anybody could think he woul
harm the boatswain
Mosckos ia said to be good carpes
ter, but has been in trouble before an
is said to have left the steamship New
port under the cloud Of a similar exh
bition the responsibility for whicl
b5wever, was never quite brougf
home to him. Prior to joining tn
Ventura he worked for the Risdn
Iron Works. He is a Greek, about
years old.