Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-03
NANTUCKET CAPTAIN
MUST STAND TRIAL
Charged With Neglect, Which
Resulted in Sinking of
the Monroe.
U. S. is HIS ACCUSER.
AFTER AN INVESTIGATION
Federal Steamboat Inspection Board
at Philadelphia to Hear
the Evidence.

Charges OF negligence are TO be PEE
ferred against Capt. Osman Berry OF the
Merchants and Miners steamship Nan
tucket. which collided with and sank
the Old Dominion liner Monroe, with a
loss OF forty-one lives. off the Virginia
coast last Friday. Secretary Redtield OF
the Department of Commerce yesterday
afternoon directed Robert Tapey. in
spector of hulls at Norfolk. to take this
step. Tho action was ordered after an
all-day session of the committee, com
posed OF Secretary Redaeid. Assistant
Secretary Sweet, a. L. Thurman, solicitor
OF the Department of Commerce; Z. T.
Chamberlain. commissioner of naviga-
ton. and George Chler, supervising in
spector general OF the steamboat inspec-
ton service, which had been considering
testimony and documents bearing on the
accident
The board of inspectors at Philadel-
phia will conduct the inquiry, and at the
same time special committee, appointed
last night. composed OF Inspector Cen
eral Chler and Commissioner Chamber
lain, will undertake a special inquiry
into the facts and conditions surrounding
the collision. with the view to suggesting
the lessons taught by the disaster.
Tends to Show Negligence.
Secretary Redfield. in statement is
sued following adjournment OF the COM
nittee yesterday. announced that evil
dence brought out By the inspectors pre-
liminary inquiry. held on board the Nan
tucket while that vessel was making her
t,,<A
vivors aboard. tends to show that there
was negligence on the part of Capt Ber-
ry." He added, however, that it would
be quite improper to pass upon that
question at this time, further than to de-
eide that there is sufficient evidence to re-
auire that charges be preferred against
Capt. Berry and that the question of his
innocence or guilt be made the subject
of further investigation"
No intimatton was given to the Spe-
cfflc nature of the negligence to be
charged against the Nantucket's captain.
The two vessels met in a dense fog early
Friday morning, the Monroe bound up
the coast from Norfolk TO New York.
and the Nantucket steaming southwark
from Boston for Norfolk. The Nantucket
drove her bow into the starboard side Of
the Monroe, causing her to sink within a
few minutes.
Ordered to Prefer Charges.
a statement from the department an
nouncing the result of the conference
yesterday said:
THE department has given instruc-
tons to Inspector Tapley to prefer
charges against Capt Berry. This will
be done without delay. and the board Of
local inspectors at Philadelphia will hear
all the testimny which may be produc-
ed on both sides, and render its decision
An appeal may be taken from the deci-
sion Of this board to the supervising in
spector of the Philadelphia district, and
a further appeal may be taken to the
supervising inspector general. The local
board of inspectors at Philadelphia has
been asked to conduct this investigation
because neither vessel sails from that
port, and because the local board at
Norfolk will appear as bringing the
charges through the testimony taken by
it as above described.
Delay in Starting Trial.
1t was declared at the Department of
Commerce today that it probably will
be two weeks before the federal steam
boat inspection board at Philadelphia can
begin its inquiry into the collision. That
| time will be required. it is declared. TO
prepare charges and file them, and then
from various places along the Atlantic
seaboard.
Although no one at the department
could state today whether it was certain
that any officials would go from here to
attend the inquiry, it was declared to
be probable that Supervising Inspector
General Uhler and Commissioner Cham
berlain of the bureau of navigation might
attend. 1t was pointed out that it might
be improper for any of the department
officials to take part in the investigation
at Philadelphia for the reason that the
case might come to the department here
on appeal.
Robert Tapley, inspector of hulls at
Norfolk. who conducted the preliminary
hearing aboard the Nantucket, was being
instructed today in the way the charges
should be prepared and filed.
To Hold Special Inquiry.
The special committee, composed of
Supervising Inspector Uhier and Commits
sioner Chamberlain. which is to conduct
an investigation separate and distinct
from the Philadelphia inquiry, in order
to determine whether any changes in
either the navigation laws OF regulations
are needed probably viii begin its con-
ferences late this afternoon.
Commissioner Chamberlain has only re-
Gently returned from London, where he
participated in the International con