The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-10-10
ECLIPSE'S
LONG BOAT
Continued from Page One.)

Continued from Page One.)
went to the inspectors of hulls and
boilers for investigation and report.
Commissioner Amy a short time since
was surprised to receive a letter from
Washington, enclosing copy Of re-
port on the Eclipse case from San Fran
cisco, in which it was stated that after
due investigation into the matter the
conclusion reached was that the boats
in question were seaworthy.
Deputy Collector of Customs Aiken,
in writing Of the boat at Hama states
that canvas was stretched around the
boat outside the ribs and then ropes
were dashed around outside of that.
There was very little oakum in any
of the crevices of the boat when it ar
rived at Hama. Those that saw the
boat state that she was many years old
and very unseaworthy. When the can
vas and ropes were removed the boat
fell to pieces. The boat has never
been of any use since though much
labor and expense was put on 1t IN re-
pairs. The ribs of the boat were so
old that they would not hold nails. New
ribs had 70 be put in her, but without
making her of much use.
The affidavit of Charles Scott, one OF
the crew, was made in Honolulu on
February %, 1908 He states that he
shipped on the ship Eclipse on October
Is, 1907. at Newcastle, Australia, and
the vessel was lost at sea, on January
Il. 1908. about $50 miles north of the
Hawaiian Islands. Upon manning the
boats. the Iifeboat slung on top of the
l, - har Mo
started from the stem in such man.
ner that the boat was utterly unsea-
worthy and could not be placed in the
water.
Scott goes on to say that the crew
put to sea in two boats-the long boat
and the captain s gig. He states that
about a month previous to the abandon
ment of the Eclipse he heard Albert
Hanson and others call the mate S at
tention to the condition of the long
boat and ask to have her repaired
and made seaworthy. The mates re-
ply was: "There would be plenty of
time to fix the boat when she was
needed -
The master and eight men took to
the long boat. and the mate, carpenter
and five went in the gig. portion
of the provisions, all of which had been
placed in the long beat, were trans
ferred to the gig. He states that the
long boat leaked so badly that it took
two men s time bailing continuously to
keep her ahoat. The second night af-
ter leaving the ship, the gig capsized.
The gigs crew were then transferred
to the long boat which then held six
teen men. Two days afterward it be-
came evident that the planking of the
long boat which was fastened to the
ribs by iron rivets, was spreading from
the frame of the boat. 1t was neces-
sary to put lashings at the third and
fourth thwarts of the boat entirely
around the outside of the planking and
dashed inside the boat to the center of
the thwarts, thus preventing the long
boat from falling apart from the weight
of the crew and the stores.
On both sides of the boat the rivets
being drawn, holes were bored below
the gunwale on each side of the knees
and the planking drawn to the knees
and dashed with spUnyarn. When the
boat reached the shore at Hama, says
Scott, the boat practically fell apart.
On the evidence thus produced by
Commissioner Amy and his request to
the authorities at Washington that the
ease be investigated along these lines,
there may result some question as to
who o Kd the seaworthiness of the
Eclipse s boats at her last inspection,
and just how he or they arrived at that
conclusion. That the lives of sixteen
men were menaeed by apparent neglect
in examining the boats is apparent, es-
pecially in view of Mr. Aiken s report
on the now famous long boat