The San Francisco call., 1906-11-09
CAPTAIN ASSUMES
ALL THE BLAME.
Manchuria's Master Tells
United States Inspectors
How Vessel Went Ashore
MISTAKE IN COURSE

Captain ]. W. Saunders of the Pa
cific Mail steamship Manchuria, which
went aground on Rabbit Island, off
Mokopuu Point. island of Oahu, Ha-
waiian group, on the morning of Au-
gust 20, assumed all responsibility for
the disaster at the Investigation yes
terday morning before the Unit ed
states Inspectors of Hulls and Boilers,
Bolles and Bulger The inspectors ex-
amined but two witnesses, the captain
and Second officer William Hill, who
was on the bridge at the time of the
grounding. Their statements agreed
The reports of the other officers, sub
mitted in writing, conformed to the
statements of Captain Saunders and
Second officer Hill.
1t was shown that the ship was
fourteen knots off its course having
been carried by a northwesterly set
that distance. When the ship struck
Captain Saunders thought it was off
Makopuu Point, which lay in the
course toward Diamond Head. It ap-
pears that the typographical resemb-
lance between Makopuu Point and
Mol0opuu Point is as great as the
orthographical and the contour of the
landshead aroused no suspicion in the
minds of the officers of the vessel that
they were not on the charted course
The fundamental difference between
the points is that they are ten miles
apart.
FULL SPEED IN MIST.
Captain Saunders admitted that the
BOAT was going at full speed at the
time the proximity to land was noted
by the men en- the bridge. and also tes-
titled that wind squalls were passing
and that the air was misty. There
was swell in the sea- but no heavy
surf on the beach when the passengers
were landed. That part of it was
picnic for the passengers" said Cap
tain Saunders.
There was a difference between the
hearing yesterday and the investiga-
tion of the grounding of the Mongolia
al Midway on September 16. At the
latter examination there were sharp
verbal passages between General Man
ager Schwerin of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company and Captain w p
much acrimony between the captain
and the other officers. Schwerin was
not present at yesterdays hearing and
there were no squalls. The barometer
of the Manchuria people stood high
Under questionings by the inspec-
tors Captain Saunders said that at
noon on August 19 he took observa-
lions ana set MS course TO pass Mako
puu Point by three miles to starboard,
at which place he would take up the
beam of the Diamond Head light. He
said that he had never been nearer
than sixteen miles to Mokopuu Point
(the place spelled with an o.. Mako
puu with an al was not considered
dangerous, but Captain Saunders said
he had always been cautious of
Mololkai
NO PANIC OF PASSENGERS.
The captain was on the bridge when
the accident occurred. He said that
the weather was not thick enough to
ohstruct what he considered a fairly
good view. The vessel grounded an
eighth of a mile from the shore and
500 feet from the barrier reef. There
was a choppy sea on. Nine anchors
were dropped by the vessel. In answer
TO a question by Inspector Bolies, Cap
tain Saunders replied that the new
form of anchor proved better than the
old type There was ne panic among
the passeng gers at any time due, large
", Inspector Bulger suggested, to the
fact that all the electric lights burned
during the time the ship was in
danger.
L assume all responsibility for the
accident" said the captain in conclud-
ing his testimony. The current caused
me to be set to one side and 1 made
an error in judgment on the land.
Every man of the crew acted splen-