Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-12-31
COURT PROBES WRECK
Continued from PAM u

port anchor was In readiness TO be
thrown overheard. A cast of the
lead was made and showed that the
ship was in ten fathoms of water.
This was Just. before the pilot came
aboard An Admiralty chart No.
1873 of Honolulu harbor. corrected
up TO July of this year. was then ex-
amined and showed that there were
twcnty-one fathoms.
Boarded by Pilot.
The pilot boarded the ship about
q quarter of a mile outside the bell
buoy. The ship was then going
! about six knots an hour. When the
pilot came on board he gave instruc-
tions TO put the helm hard up. This
was about $50 o'clock in the eve
ming OF Dec. 3. 1909. The pilot then
standing on the main deck while the
captain was on the poop. The
helm was put down and the port
anchor let down, some As fathoms
OF cable being paid out in so doing.
At O'Clock that same night the
Celtic Chief swung round when the
wind dropped. There was then only
four fathOms of water under her
keel. while the vessel was drawing
Fl feet. At 2:30 a. M. Sunday the
vessel tailed on the reef. During
the middle watch the wind veered to
the n. w. Sail was set all aback
but only little sternway was made.
Just as the vessel began to get
niue ieeway the wind dropped en-
iirely, thus causing the vessel TO be
III most dangerous position.
Anchor bearings were not noted
down at the time the ship came TO
anchor, which, in the opinion of the
court, was. to say the least, very re-
miss. When the Celtic Chief struck,
captain Henry tried to back from
the reef. The anchors were cut.
Lut owing TO the heavy wind having
dropped at this critical time, she be-
/ came hard and fast on the reef. IL
was half ebb at the time.
In answer to the question as to
whose was the suggestion Of getting
the anchors up or cut after the shin
FIRST struck the reef. Captain Henry
said that it was the pilots. He him
self was asleep at the time and was
not on deck. Captain Henry has
been nine years In command of YES
sells
1t was originally intended to an
chor on the eastern side of the en-
trance, but things got mixed up aft
/ er the pilot came on board. so said
captain Henry. The ships log was
written shortly after the Celtic
chief went on the reef. There are
no entries in the log of bearings
that would yield assistance to any
court OF inquiry. The captain did
LOT seem to know anything of his
hearings before arriving off Diamond
Head, which, necessitated his having
to leave the bridge TO consult his
charts.
McCaulsy's Version.
John X. McCaulay stated that he
went out to the Celtic Chief on the
afternoon OF Sunday. Dec. 8, at SOS
y. m. and boarded that vessel at
$3.50 p. m. The weather was fair
ana the wind n. f.. II was an ordi-
nary breeze. When he went on
board the Celtic Chief was then half
! a mile to the south of the bell buoy.
Having hailed the ship from the
pilot boat, McCaulay shobted tbot
she ship must be kept off. He could
near no reply from the vessel. Once
On board he went at once to the can
laih ana told him to keep her off.
me helm was put up and she paid
on not less than four points to the
S. w.
Inc captain was advised to wear
snip but the pilots suggestions were
not considered necessary, as Il was
thought that by taking in all sail
the ship could be brought to very
quickly, When the ship was got
up INTO the wind, the pilot was
standing on the poop. Orders were
at once given by McCaulay to let go
me starboard anchor. There, was
no reply. A second time this same
order was given. but still no reply.
seven times, at intervals of less than
minute, this order was repeated,
but without any reply. Finally the
chief officer showed that the star
board anchor was jammed. The
port anchor, being clear, was at
once let go and NJ fathoms of cable
paid out, The second officer at the
time was handling the iead line.
II Is the opinion OF pilot McCau-
lay that had the starboard anchor
been let go Immediately he gave his
orders for so doing, the Celtic Chief
would have been safe. The ship's
head was n. by ". and was an
chored In four fathoms of water
McCaulay has been n pilot on this
c0jst for the past seventeen years. In
his opinion the Celtic Chief was cam y.
ing Tar too much sail AT the time she