The San Francisco call., 1904-06-17
.LOCKETT LOSES
MASTER LICENSE
Court of Inquiry Decides He
Is to Blame for Disaster
to Pacific Mail Freighter
ECONOMY COMES HIGH
Desire to Save Pilot Fees
Alleged to Be Cause of
Algoa's Going on the Rocks

Albert Lockett, once master of the
Pacific Mail Company's freighter AL
goa, was deprived of his license yes
terday by a court of inquiry, the sus-
pension to last three months. The AL
goa went on the rocks in Point Bonita
channel last Tuesday week and dam
age TO her hull and cargo was inflicted
TO the extent of more than $5O,00O. Sub
sequently she was floated and brought
into port without further loss of prop
erty and with no loss of life.
The Algoa being under the British
flag. a British court of inquiry heard
the testimony and rendered the YER
dict. The court was composed of
Courtenay w. Bennett. c. l. E., the
British Consul at this port Captain
Wood Of the British ship Iquique and
Captain Armstrong of the Coptic, be-
longing to the White Star line.
LOckett was called again to the wit
ness stand yesterday and reiterated his
statements of the day before regard
ing the occurrences leading up to the
AlgOas going on the rocks The near
ing was in open session and at the
beginning Consul Bennett told Lockett
that it was the unanimous opinion OF
the court that he was responsible for
the disaster In his testimony Lockett
tried to throw the blame for the dam
age to his vessel upon his first mate,
Henry Nelson, who let go the port
anchor after the starboard anchor had
been carried away. Nelson was re-
called and explained satisfactorily his
action without orders from the cap
tain. The verdict fully vindicated him
and all the crew.
VERDICT Is INDORSED.
Among shipping men the verdict of
the court of inquiry was fully indorsed-
1t was freely stated that Lockett took
an unreasonable risk for the purpose of
avoiding pilot fees. His mistake will
probably prove fatal to his future as
pirations. as the Algoa belongs to the
Pacific Mail line, company which
never fOrgets or fOrgiyes a mistake
upon the part of its executive Off
GERS.
Lockett was much perturbed by the
verdict Of the court. He shook hands
glumly with Consul Bennett, remark
ing that if the facts had been devel-
Oped he would still retain his license
as master. The suspended license was
issued by the Minister of Marine and
Fisheries of Canada and has been in
effect since 1894. The findings of the
court in full were as follows:
II appears from the evidence given before
this court that she sailed from Yokohama on
or about May 20. 1904. bound for san Fran
cisco with general cargo and crew Of sixty
six hands. all told
That ali went well on the voyage up to the
7th inst, when she entered Bonita Channel.
and that her course up to then had been well
and truly laid.
That during the forenoon watch she was off
the san Francisco heads and entered the Bonita
Channel without a pilot but signals up for
one That there was nothing in the sailing
directions OF the local plotage directions in
regard 10 strong and variable currents prevail
ing in the Bonita Channel and that In at
tempting to starbOard the Algoa seized by
a strong current which tended to drive her
the lana. In spite OF the starboard anchor.
which had been let 20 to cant her head out
and that the chief mate, seeing that the star
board anchor had been carried away and that
her position desperate. let go port anchor
without instructions. and serious damage was
done both to ship and cargo.
That proper measures were taken to float the
vessel and she was subsequently, brought safely
into port