The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-03-20
ONE BLANES THE MONROE
OTHER THE NANTUCKET
Divided Report Returned by Board
Which Has Been Investigating
Disaster OH Virginia Coast.

Philadelphia, March 16,-The two
United States local inspectors Of
steam vessels who investigated the
disaster off the Virginia coast on Jan
uary 80, in which the steamship Nan
tucket rammed the steamer Monroe,
causing the loss Of IL lives, readered
a divided opinion today, one holding
the captain of ne Nantucket guilty
Of negligence and the other charging
the commander Of the Monroe with re-
sponsi5ili.y for the disaster.
The report Of the investigation,
along with lie .wo decisions, was for
warded to Hesry NJ. Seely, supervising
inspector at New York L. is not
known here what tie next step in The
case viii be but it is be,ie ed the su-
reryising inspector will consu}. the
department. OF commerce at Washing
ton before making any further move.
TIE local inspectors VINO inyesi-
gated the collision are Capt. r A.
Sargent. Inspector Of huIls, and D. H.
Howard, inspector OF boilers. The de-
partmen5 cf commerce designa;ed
them to investigate the charges
against Osmyn Berry, captain OF the
Nantucket, brought by the local in
spectors at Norfolk after a prelimi-
nary examination.
Negligence Charged.
The charges against Capt Berry in
cluded negligence in not reducing the
speed of his vessel in a fog, and with
neglecting to ascertain through the
wireless operator the proximity of
other vessels.
No charges were brought against
Capt. Edward E. johnson If the Mon
roe Twelve days were devoted to
hearing witnesses and after counsel
for Capt Berry had argued his case
today, the board rendered its decision.
The opinion filed by Inspector Sar-
gent was voluminous, going into the
construction OF the ships, the collision
and the conduct of the crews after the
impact. Tae report concludes that
Capt Berry and all other licensed Off
GERS Of the Nantucket are exonerated.
Capt Sargent's report then charges
Capt. Johnson with incompetence,
negligence and inattention to duty
He is charged in the report with yio
lation cf the international rules for
preventing collisions in giving a
wrong whistle sig2al in the fog; with
negligence and inat,ention to duty be-
cause he took no acion to prevent the
collision or to lessen its force when
the vessels came in sight OF each 9th
Ell, and with incompetency and un-
slillsulness because proper discipline
rcr organization was not maintained
among G1e crew in an effoyt to pro-
tect lives of all persons on board and
because no proper effort promptly was
made to obtai4 assistance from the
Nantucket
On the last specification Capt. sar-
gent said:
While We believe that Capt. john
son as an individual did everything
that was humanity possible TO save the
lives of al, it is to be regretted that
he did not delegate certain duties
which he attended to himself to some
Of the other members of his crew
and thus give himself more time to
devote to matters Of greater impor-
tance,'
Inspector Howard refused to sign
this report aAd rendered one of his
own in which ne found Capt. Berry
guilty of failing to reduce speed in a
fog as charged, but not guilty of al
legged failure 10 use the wireless ap-
paratus, and recommended that his
masters license be revoked.
In reading his report Capt Sargent
stated that he had been a licensed mas
ter and was experienced in navigation
and that Inspector Howard was not a
licensed master and had no practical
experience as a navigator.