New-York tribune., 1922-07-25
Shipping Board
Ready to Settle
Downey Claims
Public Hearing TO Start
Thursday at Washington
on S6,250,000 Bill OF
Staten Island Concern
Liner Pocahontas Sold
Laskcr Disposes of ''Trouble
Vessel" to Duff, Agent
of Operators Association

y,s-, 7ge Tribare's Woshirgfon Bareda
WASHINGTON. July 2i.-The long
outstanding claims Of the Downey
shipbuilding Corporation. Of Staten
Island. on war contracts will be the
subject Of public hearings to begin in
the Shipping Board Offices Thursday
morning. The corporation seeks TO re-
cover SG.250.OOO on thirty-two claims
fled with the government. More than
1000 pages Of typewritten testimony
extending over a period OF nine months,
was taken before Claims Commits
sioner +. W. Wood in New York, and
the commission hopes TO dispose Of the
controversy at the hearings this week.
The principal items in dispute be-
tween the government and the ship
builders concern the tonnage Of the
ten steel vessels built by the firm,
which seeks recovery in various
amounts for changes in original design
and extras. as well as excess wages
paid in pursuance Of the Macy wage
awards, the alleged delay caused by
the Fleet Corporation in supplying ma
terial and the loss Of the plant due to
delays I'm construction.
The claimant will be represented by
Cadwalader. Wickcrsham & Taft, while
the Fleet Corporations case will be
presented By Sullivan g. Cromwell,
both legal firms Of New York City.
Board Sells Pocahontas
Sale Of the steamship Pocahontas,
now at Gibraltar. 20 Edwin II. Duff,
Washington representative Of the
American Steamship Owners Associa-
ton, for a sum not disclosed, was an
nounced to-day by the Shipping Board.
The Pocahontas, which was formerly
the German steamship Princess Irene,
was seized by the government
April 6. 1917, and operated by the army
ns a transport until December %, 1920.
She was chartered % the United States
Mail Steamship Company in February,
1921, and was operated on Mediter-
rancan berth. On a voyage which
started May %. 1871, the Pocahontas
had a cries Of mishaps, largely engine
and boiler trouble. but finally reached
Naples on July 8. 1921. While at that
port the mail company encountered f.
nancial difficulties and the vessel was
libclcd by the Lloyd Sebaudo Company
and other Italian commercial organiza-
tions.
Revorting 20 the control Of the Ship
ping Board. an attempt was made 70 re-
turn the vessel 20 American waters. but
NJ Gibraltar boiler and engine trouble
caused the government 70 tie up the
vessel.
Sabotage Confirmed
Investigation Of her outbound voyage
in May. 1921, by r. II. Rossbottom. gen
eral manager Of the United States
Lines, now operating the ships seized
from the defunct Mail Company, re-
vcalod the fact that il should never
have left port because OF its physical
condition. the Shipping Board an
nourced to-day.
1T is an undisputed fact that many
members Of the crew were instrumental
in causing boiler and engine trouble on
the vessel" the boards statement ad-
ded "NO authentic report has been re-
ceivod by the Shipping Board regarding
the death Of James Daniel Prendergast
an assistant engineer on the POcahon-
tas. who was supposed 20 have jumped
or been thrown overheard from the YES
sci. His death, however, has been
verified.
"All this time this ship was being
operated by the United States Mail
Steamship Company end all these difi.
culties occurred while the ship was
under rs supervision. the Shipping
Board having no control over the crew
or operation. There we're two bunker
fires on the vessel while she was lying