The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-04-19
A PLOT TO SINK.
BARKENTINE BY.
AN AUGER HOLE.
Capt. Mcleod of Pensacola
Makes Sensational
Discovery.
ATTEMPT MADE TO
SEND VESSEL DOWN
Cargo Shifted TO Find the
Leak in the Ethel
Clarke at Pensacola.

Investigating the cause ~ : had
leak In the bottom n the barkentlne
Ethel Clarke, the discovery was made
Saturday al Mobile that 4 blg auger
hole had been bored from the outside
Of the vessel under the overhanRins
stern, and Ii was believed that some
disEruntled sailor was responsible for
the dastardly trick n he il found
and convicted. ~ r. asserted a long
term In the federal penitentiary awaits
him
The Ethel Clarke started loading al
Pensacola. and when the deckload was
being pat on. the vessel. moored az
the east side Of Tarrag0na wharf
started 60 leak badly. The water aoNed
- freely into ne hon of the vessel
that q was decided % try and md
the leak without resort'ng 20 an ex-
peaisnt Of putting the vessel IN dry
dock some Of the cargo was removed
50 that the vessel would so over about
thirty degrees The leak was not
found. and the cargo was then shifted
60 the other side and the Clarke tilted
the opposite direction. This move
again failed 70 fnd the leak. II was
then decided 20 have the vessel placed
IN drydock and she was towed 10 Mo-
bile. once going into the Ollinger s.
Bruce arydocks thure. the Rreat angnr
hole was discovered. and Il was then
announced that an attempt had been
made 10 sink the vessel
The discovery was male by Captain
A. IL Mcleod, Of Pensacola who. In
lerested In the Ethel Clarke. went e.
Mobile % personally ses what the
trouble was The leak was ali the more
surprising when Il was remembered
that the vessel had recently been
thoroughly oveFhauFed
Speaking of the trouble. the Mobile
Register Of sunday said
SEE PLOT TO SINK SHIP
BOUND FOR ITALIAN PORT
a plot 20 sink the American harken-
tire Ethel Clarke. formerly British.
when she put out 20 sea for Genoa,
Italy. was Matched several weeks aao
while the vessel was az Pensacola.
Fla according to Captain A. N. Nc.
Leod, the managing owner.
when the Ethel Clarke was hauled
out on the OIlinKer a Bruce Dry
Docks, a bis aaEer hole was discov-
cred near the sterh The hole was
made By an extra large auger. and
Captain Mcleod believes that ID was
made BY one or more dlaeruntled sea :
men, formerly employed on the bark
entine.
lie has communicated with govern
ment authorities and an Investigation
Is now being made. should Il De
| proved who bored the hol. n the Fthsi
| Clarke, that person is liable 20 severe
/ punishment. Instances are known
\ where sailors have received twenty
i ave years Imprisonment for similar
I onfenses
ovsrhauled n March.
The Ethel CLARKE was thoroughly
\ overhauled Ia Mobile early in March.
and when released from the big docks
/ was pronounced ~ for 3 passage
across the Atlantic te Italy with sawn
v iumoer she was taken q Pensacola
and proceeded loading. The deck load
I was being placed when the pump reg
lister showed that the vessel waa leak
lnE. The pumps were put 20 work.
but the leak continued.
The cargo was then shifted per
hitting the harkentine 70 nst about
50 degrees 20 enc side. and tks side
was inspected ard reealkea A. the
leak continued. tire beat vas then listed
% the other side ard the came work
performed. When the water stiil
poured into ire bar-sentine. Captain
Mcleod thought that perhaps a small
hole was missed when she was over
hauled here The aarkentine was re-
turned a. Mobile. and half ~ her cargo
removed and the vessel raised - ths
[ docks
-sars Water oargiina.
A negro stevedare working in ths
n NmasW N.MvaN assm#mw sasAWmH8waw 8sa 49,