The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-02-06
CLALLAM INQUIRY
Is CONCLUDED
REPORT LIKELY TO BE FAvORABLE
TO CAPTAIN AND COMPANY
Witnesses Not Pressed for Damaging
Testimony-Opi opinion of Prominent Law
Firm to Company's Liability for
Damages for Loss of Life.

Johnny Sweeney returned Monday
from Seattle, where he testified III
the Clallam inquiry before the U. s.
marine inspectors. He says that 1t
is the general opinion among the
survivors of the disaster, as well as
of people who have followed closely
the testimony presented at the In
quiry, that the inspectors are so
strongly preiudiced in favor Of Capt.
Roberts and the owners of the vessel
that there IS no probability that the
result of the hearing will be in any
way detrimental to their interests.
He verifies the statements which
have been freely made by the Seattle
Star that testimony calculated to re-
fleet upon Capt. Roberts or the
steamboat company was not wanted
by the inspectors and that witnesses
were not questioned in manner cal
culated to bring out facts unfavor-
able to either. If such is the case,
and it must be admitted that the
published reports, even in the papers
which seem to be desirous of avoid
ing giving serious offense to the
steamboat company, seem to support
this view, the inspectors are placed
in very bad light-much the same
sort of light, casting the same kind
of shadows, that their predecessors
stood in for many years.
No one can reasonably blame Capt.
Roberts for doing his utmost TO es-
cape being held personally respon-
sible for the terrible disaster, nor the
company for seeking to evade the
great financial liability to which it
would be subject if the fact should be
officially established that the vessel
was in an mseaworthy condition
when it left port. But there can be
no justification for the least conni-
vance on the part of the government
inspectors at any suppression of
facts bearing upon the question of
responsibility for the wreck. 1t is
their duty to get at the truth and
the whole truth, if possible.
Concerning the question of the COM
pany's liability for damages for loss
of life the editor of the ISLANDER is
privately advised by one of the lead
ing law firms of the state that it de-
pends upon the facts established rel
ative to the condition of the vessel
on leaving port. We quote from. the
attorneys letter:
Congress many years ago passed
an act called the Limited Liability
Act in regard to steamship com
panies. This act provided that the
owner of a steamboat shall not be
liable for loss of property or life on
the high seas when the boat was in a
seaworthy condition on leaving port.
The owners of the steamship have
the right to file petition in the fed
eral court and have their liability
limited, under this act, to the freight
money and passenger money realized
from the voyage on which the acci-
dent occurred. We have no doubt
that the Puget Sound Navigation
Company will attempt to avail itself
of this act of congress. Should, how
ever, it develop that the boat was.
not in a seaworthy condition at the
time of her departure from the port
of Seattle, the owners cannot avail
themselves of the benefit of the Linn.
tied Liability Act"