The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1906-11-05

and Bulger struggled with the conflict
ing evidence in the matter of the in
vestigation into the stranding of the
Midway Island on September IS The
only conclusion apparent was that ii
the course as given by Captain w. P. S
Porter was correct, the sou1lings made
by First Mate A. Martin were wrong
The fact that the logbook had been
tampered with by the erasure of fig
ures denoting the time of night and
that the substitutions We're against the
captain was conceded. Captain Porter
repeated that when he thought he
was coming to a place where sound
ings could be got he slowed down the
engines and went ahead at a rate Of
about three miles an hour intending
when he reached a forty-fathom
sounding to lay up the ship for the
night and attempt to make the landing
by daylight.
General Manager r. P. Schwerin. of
&the Pacific Mail Steamship Company,
said that it was difficult to approach
9 the island in the daytime, much less at
= night.
Il have been thirty-seven years go
ing to sea- said Captain Porter, "and
this is my first accident except being
crushed in the ice in the Arctic, and
that might happen to any man. Yet
Mr.. Schwerin says I'm a poor navi-
gator. I acknowledge that the sh p
may have been a mile ahead of its
course. No man can tell within a mile
or two of his exact position. I ac-
knowledge breaking your orders, Mr..
SchWerin."
At another stage of the proceedings
Captain Porter said: II tell you it
hurt me when that ship touched. The
ship is to me a part and parcel of my
life and I thanked even the Cinnamon
and the boys for getting her off
again"
Local Inspector John K. Bulger
turned to First Mate Martin and said:
There has been a good deal of talk
about doing Captain Porter up, and
don't propose that he or any other man
shall be done up through me- L am
neither for nor against him and l will
show no partiality. All l want is fair
play and a square deal, and every man
that comes before me is going to get
that. Now. did You say that he was
going to be done up?
Did you say that you were trying
to do him up?" asked Mr.. Schwerin. OF
Martin.
mo, sir responded Martin. Il said
that everything [ put in I'd swear to
i, and that when Captain Porter tried to
twist everything around he was only
twisting himself up. 1 said that to
several people,
Anything say in this or any other
place I am ready to back up. and no
man can question my honesty" said
Mr.. BuIger II have been told of
good deal of talk that has been going
on in relation to this case"
Then Manager Schwerin took the
floor and said: Il discussed this ques-
ton with three naval officers in my
house the other night and I said: L
can not understand how Captain Porter
went in there under this system of nav
igation. Captain Porter pledged me his
word of honor that he would obey an
my orders and take no chances with
that Ship So far as this other matter
is concerned. 1 want to say that don't
want any officers to grow up in the
Pacific Mail service to do up their su-
perior officers. What the mate said
might be simply his opinion as to the
result of this examination.
Captain Porter remarked that he be-
lieved that the first. second and third
mates would try to do him up He
had heard enough to convince him OF
that.
Martin proceeded to relate that
after the stranding and just before the
ship reached Honolulu Captain Porter
accused him of having made wrong
soundings and of having tried to lie
out of it. It developed also that Mar
tin had refused to comply with an
order given by Captain Porter to sho"
a japanese doctor through the ship on
leaving Yokohama.
1t appeared also that Captain Kilt
gard. who was a passenger, was en-
ployed by Captain Porter to assist in
getting the Mongolia off the reef. his
compensation to be fixed later by Man.
ager Schwerin
Letters were read from Rear Ad-
miraIs Melville Miller and H. W. Lyon
and others complimenting Captain Por-
ter on his excellent seamanship and
courtesy to his passengers-CaH, Oc-
tober 80
ARMY TUG SLOCUM HERE.
After a quick trip of less than eight
days, the United States army tug Slo-
cum arrived here yesterday from San
Francisco. The Slocum was despatch
ed by the army authorities to Homo
lulu to assist in towing the crippled
transport Sheridan TO San Francisco.
where she is to be drydocked. The
Sheridan is to be towed tandem fash
ion by the Slocum and the transport
Buford. the tug in the van. Communf-
cation may be maintained between all
three vessels by a system Of telephones
: as well as the wigwag system.
The SIocum is a familiar sight in San
Francisco bay where she is used by
the army as transport tender. water,
carrier etc. The vessel carries a crew
OF twenty-four men and is commanded
NbV CaDtai1 Smith. She steamed mere