The San Francisco call., 1910-03-08
NAVY ENGINEER
EXONERAT[D BY
COURT MARTIAL
Private Advices From Washing
ton State That Lieutenant
Mcintyre Is Cleared
Lack of Skilled Labor at Bre-
merton Is Blamed for the
Colorado Explosion

According 10 private advices received
here yesterday the charges upon which
Lieutenant Commander Edward ". Nc
Intyre, former chief engineer of the
cruiser Colorado was recently tried.
were not sustained. The evidence of
the prosecution is said to have so
thoroughly exonerated the officer of
responsibility for the boiler explosion
IN which two enlisted men lost their
lives that the court did not consider it
necessary 10 call any Of the witnesses
for the defense. Unfortunately for Nc
Iptyre. q naval court martial must hand
cut even certificate Of innocence by
way Of Washington. and as this is the
season of foods, snowsldeS, washouts
and delayed mails. the Lieutenant has
not vet received his official clearance.
BREMERTON BLAMED
The court martial is said to have de-
yeIoped the fact that the Bremerton
navy yards is too remote from big
labor market for efficiency. It was this
fact, and not any oversight, careless
ness or ineficiency on the part OF Lieu
tenant Mcintyre that is said TO have
been responsible for the Colorados be
ing sent TO sea with many important
and badly needed repairs left undone.
when the Colorado went to Bremen
ton the cruiser was in need OF fairly
extensive overhauling. As II was
big lob and time was short the work
was divided up between the crew Oh
the ship and the yard force. The ship
crew dnished their share, but, owing
10 the inability to get mechanics IN
sufficient numbers and at short notice,
4heasailing date arrived with the re-
7,airs that had been left to the yard
force not half completed AS II was
considered necessary for the Colorauo
10 participate in the cruise 10 the lar
east. the warship left the Puget sound
ward on schedule time, but in no con
dition TO 90 to sea. 1t was supposed
or hoped. that the ships crew Woulo De
able 10 hold things together until
better oDDortunity offered for the kind
of overhauling the ship needed
GREEN FIRERO0M CREW
The Colorado put TO sea with green
nreroom crew. but no serious trouble
was experienced until the two boiler
1l.bes blew out on the run between this
port and Honolulu.
The investigation that followed is
said TO have been hurried one 1t was
feared that the explosion might have
,lfsorga nizfng effect upon the enlisted
men. particularly il the crew believed
that The fault lay with the type OF
boiler To disabuse their minds OF TINS
idea il was considered necessary TO
rrare the accident TO some human agent,
and when from a cursory inspection II
appeared that Lieutenant Mcintyre, the
former chief engineer, had not kept ms
engine room log according to regula-
tfons Mcintyre was selected as the vic
tim.
FIRST BOARD ERRED
An examination OF the log is said TO
have satisfied the court martial that the
1il-st board erred in its criticism of Nc
Intvre-s book keeping.
According TO advices from Washing
ton there VIII be no further investiga
zion. bur greater care will be taken in
7be future to keep the demand for
skilled labor at the Bremerton navy
yard within the limits of the northern