The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-02-08
SIGNALS
IGNORED BY CRAFT
IS MATE'SICHARGE
Officer Of Disabled Bark Says
Local Steamers Passed By
Without Giving Assistance
GRAVE ACCUSATION *.
BEING INVESTIGATED
Flares Burned BY Vessel That
Was Taking Water and in Dan
ger Of Sinking, Says Officer

Signals Of distress sent up through
the night Monday night by the bark
Retriever were ignored, and vessels
which entered port early yesterday
morning refused to give aid to the dis
abled Retriever when the bark stood
in imminent danger Of being wrecked
n" the OPhu reefs, according TO a
charge made to the federal authorities
here by the mate of the Retriever
who came ashore in a small boat yes
tprdny afternoon The Retriever il
still of port, having been unable
'Nr"u'rh tho dav Yesterday to enter the
harbor. Federal officials are investi-
eating
The flares calling for aid were sent
up by the Retriever when it was found
that she had sprung leak and was TAX
ing water rapidly with the pumps out
of commission. According to the state
mcnt of the mate, not only were the
flares visible for distance Of ten
miles. entirely ignored, but in the early
morning hours no less than three steam
ers passed near the disabled craft and
went on without offering in any way
to give assistance.
Asks Inquiry
In presenting the complaint the mate
asked that an investigation be started.
Through the night, the ships officer
asserted, the flares had been burned
at frequent intervals on the deck of the
bark and he contends that as they r'-
main lighted for five minutes and havs
surh wide range of visibility there
can be no doubt that they were seen
on shore. Even though the flares BY
some extraordinary chance had not
been noticed on shore the mate pointed
out that it was not possible for the
three vessels that entered the harbor
in the early hours of the day to have
failed to notice the disabled craft. He
said that not only did these vessels neg
lect to extend assistance, but appar-
entity no word of the plight Of the Re
trievrr was brought ashore by any Of
the three when they arrived.
In Course Of Vessels .&s
The Retriever was to the wept of Ho-
nolulu and on the course which would
nave been followed by ships coming in
from Kauai. II il presumed that the
vessels seen by the Retriever officer
were vessels engaged in the ipter-Island
trade, us there were no transpacific
steamers arriving in port yesterday
from that direction. although I. the
Shasta came in from the south late yes
n ~'"W -~~-P'nU ...t..., tNl.
The Retriever was of port Monday
afternoon, but unable to make the har-
Dor before dark. During the night she
drifted in the direction of Kauai, apd
when it was disc overed the pumps were
no longer working the signals for help
were burned at regular intervals until
daylight The vessel il still of port
and hap not yet come inside. The com
plaint to the federal authorities was
pade by the mate of the Retriever,
vhr come ashore yesterday. 49,
William Mckay, superintendent OF
he Inter Island Navigation Company,
admitted Inst night that he had been
vkod To investigate tho complaint that
the distress signals had been ignored.
While he said he had had no oppOrtun-
ity 10 question any Of the company 5
captains arriving in port yesterday
'"rnin". he expressed confidence that
the signals were not seen by the Inter
uIanu navIgators.
"Of course they were not seen. If
they had been, our ships would have
zone to the aid of the vessel he says.
He was unable to give the names Of
the vessels arriving from Kauai we ter
day, as he had no official records at his
home.