Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-04-22
DEAD PILOT RESPONSIBLE Steamboat Inspectors Return Their Finding In Larchmont
 Disaster Ca5e.
.M'VAY IS EXONERATED
The Larchmont On the Night of the Disaster Was in Sole Charge of John |. AnSOn, Pilot. Who Was
 Considered Trustworthy.

New London, April 22.-Local United States Steamboat Inspectors INV. E. Withey and John Steward to- day made public their finding in the steamer Larchmont marine disaster on the night of February II, when upwards of 100 lives were lost in the sinking of the steamer after col lision with the schooner Harry Knowlton in Block Island sound. The responsibility for the collision is laid upon Pilot John l.. Anson, of the Larchmont, who was drowned, and Captain George w. McVey is prac- tically exonerated, though not com mended for his efforts to save lives. The schooner is declared to have been sailed in full compliance with the navigation rules.
 After reciting the testimony of witnesses and recounting the condi- tions on the night of the disaster, the report says:
 "The details of the navigation of the Larchmont from the time she passed Sabine Point until rammed by the knowlton were in sole charge of John l.. Anson, now dead, regu- larly licensed officer of steam vessels who was considered by Captain Me- Vey to be entirely capable and abso- lutely trustworthy. With the tenn perature at or below zero, the wind from the northwest. blowing at an es- timated rate of 30 to 40 miles an hour, the steamer enveloped in es- caping steam from dislodged steam pipes or damaged boilers and the electric lights out shortly after the collision took place, direful conse- quences followed when orders given by the master to his heterogeneous and demoralized crew were incom- lpletely carried out.
 Notwithstanding the fact that boat drills were held regularly each week under the supervision of the master, the net results in the efforts made in handling lifboats and life rafts were far from satisfactory, a result charge able, we believe, to system which prevails and is allowed of employing men wholly incompetent in an emergency of this or any similar kind to man, lower and manage life sav- ing appliances required to be carried on sound steamers
 While 1t is true that the Larch-. mon was equipped with boats and rafts in excess of lawful require ments only a sufficient proportion of her boats to cover the boatage pre- scribed for passenger steamers of her tonnage was efficiently davited. It was therefore necessary that the sur plus boats be handled by davits pro- vided to raise. swing out and lower her prescribed complement of life boats, and this in our opinion &C., counts for the fact that only five of the Larchmont's eight boats reached Block Island.
 Misfortune. the worst we hone that may befall him. came to George w. McVey. master of steamer Larch- mont, in large measure. While we cannot commend or mention with ap- probation the judgment displayed by hhhh thot AS lO save tHt llNtS or his passengers and crew, evidence is wanting so far as to warrant our charging him with incompetency or misconduct.
 We find that from the time the schooner Harry Knowlton and steam Ter Larchmont approached each other in such a way as to involve risk of collision that schooner Harry Knowl- ton was navigated in full compliance with the provisions of article 2I. steering and sailing rules for Atlan- tic and Pacific coast inland waters: that the movements of steamer Larch- mont were in direct violation of ar- ticles 20 and 22 of said sailing and steering rules. and we therefore at- tribute the loss of steamer Larch- mont and schooner Harry KnowIton to careless and unskiIlful navigation on the part of the first pilot of the Larchmont. John l.. Anson."