Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-01-03
|pORILR'S u(thSt IAKth)

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. t'y,y,y,yywrpgT
san rahcIaco. Doc %. ~ u doci.
sion handed down yesterday by United
States suucryisinr Inspector Captain
John Birmingham, Captain W =. 8.
Porter was deprived OF his license ~
master and pilot for the period OF six
months from November 10. 1905. ioi
unahllWlnDss In navigating the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company's Mongolia
on September IS. when she stranded on
a coral reel NJ Midway Island The six
months suspension ny United States
Local Inspectors Bollcs and Bulgcr ol
the license pf Andrew Martin. chief
mate. was reversed aud Martins lie
cnsc restored to him
Captain Porter had shunted the
blame for the accident on Martin, al
lcginp that he wag lnskillcd with the
patent sounding machine. Inspector
Bodies had reported IN favor at sus-
pcnding Tor giy months the licenses of
captain Porter and Mate Martin In
spcclor Buyers report cXoncratod Cap
tain Porter. but agreed as to the sus-
pension of Martin.
The following are extracts from Cap
tain Birmingham decision
Martin testified that he advised Cap
tain Porter after the light was sighted
Ia take two and -four point bearings ri
II and hnd out the ships exact distance
therofrom. Captain Porter did not fol-
low the advice: nor did he obtain amy
cross bearings Of the light at all that
night. although he testified that no one
could tell it, distance from the ship 10y
looking AZ H.
A. 9:OG y. NJ the engines were
stopped. Captain Porter unquestion.
ably Intended 10 go no nearer the H..
land that night hut unfortunately los
him he saw flashlights inshorc. which
Indicated that boat was approaching
aud In an ungIardcd moment, at . Il
y. M, he rang half speed ahead Ac'
cording 10 the testimony OF Chief En-
ginccr Chisholm. this meant hfty rev
olutiOns pei minute aud gave the yes.
sci Approximately ten knots per hour
Captain Porter was taking his hug,
ship, worth Sl.50OO0O and drawing
about twenty-six feet of water. nearer
the island In order to relieve the APP
preaching boat of . long pull. He adj
mits that the shin. was Il mile ahead oi
! his reckoninE---a fatal mile.
When he failed 10 receive the expect.
ed sourdingB from Martin he ordered
Second Officer Cahill To get the hant
lead ready, at the same time stating
| that he had no confidence In Martin
Yet he kept the ship going without ord
crinr n cast Of The hand lead. That wal
the time when Captain Porter shoul,
| have stopped and reversed his engines
brought his ship to dead stop and oh
tain definite soundngs.
Charles Anderson, the quartermaster
was In the lead stand awaiting instruc
lions. aud testified that he, OF his owl
| vnlition, obtained seventeen and sever
fathoms, respectively, and called on
the same TO the bridge, where II WA
not heard, according To the tcstimon!
Of the officers thereon.
Captain Porter has hitherto born,
the highest character ms shlpmaster
No shipmastcr sailing ont ol this por
stood higher in his profession. After
careful consideration of all the evl
dencc submitted In the case It Is appar
cnt to me that his navigation OF tn
steamship Mongolia during the night q
september H., 1906, was both ncgligcn
and unskilIful, thereby causing the dis
astcr which befcl that vessel on tina
occasion. At the same time hold tha
his success In floating the Mongoli
entities him to some consideration a
my hands S. +. Call