The San Francisco call., 1905-06-09
No Splash Is Heard
BY Watch During
Qulet Nigh.
MAKES EARLY
ENTRY IN LOG
Completes the Ships
Record Before
Departure.

A series OF peculiar circumstances at
tend the supposed drowning Of Lieuten-
ant William G. Blasdel navigating officer
or the United States revenue cutter
Rush. Almost Immediately upon receipt
OF news of the occurrence the Navy De-
partment directed an inquiry and a board
was appointed. which held a preliminary
examination yesterday. This morning az
9 o'clock the board will again convene
on the Rush and the fact that 1t finds Il
necessary TO hold second sitting on
case of presumable accidental death is one
OF the peculiar circumstances
While BIasdePs brother officers OF the
wardroons are unanimous in the opinion
that the lieutenant came to his death
accidentally, there are many In the crew
who. while reticenf, stoutiy maintain
that the circumstances surrounding the
officers death arc mystffying. Whether
BlasdeI had been struck ON the head by
an enemy and lowered overheard, or
whether he decided to leave the service
and SWAN ashore, or whether he fell
overheard, inquiry must determine
According to the statements OF some
Biasdel. while popular among his fellow
officers was unpopular with the men he
had the reputation of being a stern dis
ciplinarian and as such incurred the III
will of members OF the crew.
While not willing 10 say that Lieu
tenant Blasdel was knocked overheard,
the other officers cannot account for the
fnct that his plunge from the ships
side should be unnoticed by the men on
watch.
WAS EXCELLENT SWIMMER
The first the watch was aware Of any
thing wrong was when other officers
called Lieutenant Blasdel- They would
have heard and noticed any splash caused
by a falling body. The lieutenant might
have lowered himself into the bay. This
he could not have done unnoticed BY the
watch, except from the stern. abaft the
wardroom- Lieutenant Blasdel was an
excellent swimmer and with the aid OF a
belt could have reached the land
Blasdel. with a brother officer. sat up
into the early hours OF Tuesday morning.
preparing certain ships reports The ne
sibisity of the officers being intoxicated
In fact his shipmates say that he was but
a moderate drinker. At the conclusion
of the work he said that he was going on
deck before turning in. The time was !
o'clock in the mofning.
The night was clear and the surface OF
Sausalito Bay lay like OIL On the hur-
ricane deck over the engine-room two sea
men were on watch and IN the quiet Of
at the PROV was the only sound heard
The watch 90 deck saw Lieutenant Bias
del, in his shirtsleeves. pass from a com
partment on the starboard side aft, to the
after port gangway. As the man on the
port side made the turn he caught a last
glimpse OF the officer.
Lieutenant Blasdel --ad little TO do with
the ships money and no financial short
age can account for the disappearance
One thing, however, that causes sus-
picion is the fact that the lieutenant COM
pleted the record OF the log up TO the
time OF his disappearance This work he
usually did every Saturday night. writ
ing up the log for the week. Contrary 10
his usual custom, he completed It just
before he disappeared
WIFE ON WAY HERE.
Blasdeps brother officers, who were
awaiting him below. remarked his ao-
sence- A hasty search was made, his
name was called frequently and then all
hands were piped on deck and the boats
lowered Two powerful searchlights on
the Rush were operated. willie officers
and men In the boats patrolled the water
about the ship. The white flashes OF the
boats calling the missing officers name IN
the hope that they might guide him 20
the boats. aroused many dwellers IN Sau-
saiito. The searchlights swept the bay
and the streets and residences OF the
town.
In vain the boats patrolled and finally
at o'clock were ordered in During the
morning the men were set TO work ar
ranging large troll with hooks and line
to drag for the body Of the Lieutenant
No reason can be assigned for the Of
fcer's wishing TO desert He appeared in
the best spirits and spoke Of obtaining
leave to see his wife and little girl. His
wife is on her way here from New Or
leans