The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-04-26
MONGOLIA WAS
BADLY HANDLED
Captain MetCalf Says Her
Stranding Was the Fault
of Her Captain.

The surprising thing TO me was tc
see an Irishman at the head of q
Dutch firm
This portion of an answer by Cap
tain MetcaIf on the witness stand in
L. S. Judge Dole's court yesterday
caused an outburst of laughter. II
appears that when the veteran Lloyd's
wrecker went to H. Hackfeld & Co.'S
office to consult with the firm about
arrangements for pulling the Man
churia off the reef he found Mr.. Nc
C~lanahan, the firms attorney, in the
presidents office and mistook him for
the president of the corporation.
Captain Metcalf, who is a genial soul,
frequently made smiles tighten the
proceedings by his flashes of humor.
Once he made a remark indicating
scepticism of what he read in the news,
ripple of mirth that followed every,
body else glancing at an Advertiser
reporter seated near him, looked over
his shoulder in the same direction and
remarked comically, 81 see I've put my
foot in it again"
Mr.. Ball0u crOss-examined Captain
MetcaIf at length yesterday afternoon,
not having concluded at 4 o'clock adj
journment, in the effort to Obtain adj
missions that the Pacific Mail people
held the cableship Restorer's presence
and standing by the stranded steam
ship M~anchuria, at the Waimanalo
reef, as of supreme Importance.
Captain Metcalf understood the Re.
storer to be at his service under per
diem pay. If he had been asked to
let her go to the stranded transport
Sheridan on the other side of the island
recollect having been so asked.
incidentally he was questioned about
the P. NJ. S. S. Mongolia's ~stranding at
Midway, his wrecking gear having
betn placed on board the RestOrer,
after the Manchuria had been lowed
port, to go to the relief Of tho
other liner.
AS a navigator he knew about MiG
way and would always give it a vide
berth. 1t was a danger to passing
vessels as were all the low-iyIng reel
stands from Honolulu to Ocean Island.
Yet there was no great risk involved
in the MOngolia's going 10 Midway
slam to and Vice President Ward OF
Pacific Commercial Gable Co. If
he captain of the Mongolia had used
the cOmmonest discretion" he would
lot have let the steamship go ashore,
There was good anchorage on the west
;ide of the island where the RestOrer
asst anchor when she went to assist the I
Mongolia. She shifted to a location
n the south when the wind began to I
,low strongly from the west. AS a I
'OssibIe explanation of the original
for the Restorer to meet the Mon
ola at sea and take Mr.. Ward off and
and him at Midway, Captain Metcalf
it might have been owing to OBJ
actions of the underwriters against a =
of the Mongolia from the
ocular course.
Their was a distinction drawn by
he witness between the danger to YES
els passing of which he had testi-
and any risk to vessels going Of
ct purpose to Midway. For another
ming. besides anchorage there was a
ght on Midway visible II Or IA miles
t sea. and whenever the captain of
he Mongolia saw the light he should
stopped the ship.
All of this cross-examination was to
lake it appear that the attendance of
he RestOrer on the stranded Manchu-
a was considered of mOmentous i'm
)rtance by the Pacific Mail people, as
herwise they would not have allowed
lie Mongolia to go out of her course
land Mr.. Ward on Midway with it's
arils.
Ballau e Marx represent the Pacific
commercial Gable Co, libelant, and
inney, McClanahan & Derby the Pa -
Mail Steamship Co, claimant.