Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-02-03
Will SEEK END
OF SEA TRAGEDY
Monroe Nantucket Disaster
Will Cause Some Drastic
Legislation.
NO SPEED IN FOGS.
Sh1powners Who Risk Lives for
Schedules Will Have to Change
or Get Out Of Business.

Washington, Feb. 2.-The Depart
ment of Commerce after receiving the
first report from Norfolk of the trag-
edy that cost forty lives aboard the
Old Dominion steamship Monroe, to-
day decided upon this program:
First-A supplementary investiga-
ton by Inspector General George
Uhler and Commissioner of Naviga-
ton Eugene Eyler.
second-Recommen to Con-
gress, urging that the speed of YES
sells, regardless of their schedule time.
be decreased in time Of fog with a
heavy penalty attached for violation
of the federal provision.
Third-That the Department Of
Commerce or Congress, or both, de-
termine the extent to which steamboat
owners are responsible for the risk
which masters run.
These recommendations were decid-
ed upon following a conference be-
tween Commerce Secretary Redfield
and Assistant Secretary Sweet.
The officials have evidence which
convinced them that the Nantucket
was entirely responsible for the sink
ing of the Monroe. 1t has been stat
ed in the secret proceedings, that the
Nantucket, when she rammd the Mon
roe. was running at speed OF be-
tween twelve and thirteen knots an
hour, an excessive speed in view OF
the heavy fog which obscured botI
vessels at the time. 1t is believed
that the schedule required by shiI
owners was responsible for this
speed.
The fact that the Nantucket was te
blame, was stated exclusively by the
|. N. S. prior to the issuance of this
preliminary report.
Although the case of the Nantuck-
cts captain is to be tried in Phila-
delphia following the custom OF the
steamboat inspection service which
theoretically has only the right to de-
termine whether the ship officers
we're efficient, the real result OF the
disaster will be far reaching. Secre-
tary of Commerce Redfield said today:
II propose that the investigation
by Supervising Inspector Genera
Uhler and Commissioner of Navigation
Tyler shall go beyond this one trag'
edy. There is another question in
volved. That question is whether
passengers on lines of this kind are
to be safeguarded by the government
"The department of Commerce or
dered this supplementary investiga
ton by these two officials in the full
hope that they would be able to sug
gest to Congress some remedial legls
lation by which similar accidents IL
the future would be prevented"
Assistant Secretary Sweet said:
"The investigation at NorIoli
should only be considered by the pub
lie in the light of grand jury In
vestigation. 1t does not by any mean'
represent the end of the department.
research in this case. Preliminar!
evidence points to the fact that Cap
tain Berry Of the Nantucket wa
running at rate of speed which wa
certainly excessive and dangerous t
the lives of those whom he had OF
board and those who were on an
other ship which crossed his path.
1--WE believe ship owners have with
out saying so, inculcated into Tn
minds of captains of ships the lde'
that a good speed with chances won
hurt their standing.
"This is going to be broken up
Either we are going to safeguard tn
passengers and crews of the ships 0
we are going to put this type OF snil
owners out OF business"