The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 28, 1901, Page 2

e THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1901. PILOT AND CAPTAIN OF THE RIO DE JANEIRO ‘ ARE CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL NEGLECT BY A JURY Verdict in Coroner’s Court Censures the Pacific Mail Steamship Company'for Employing Chinese CrewE and' Commends Graham Coghlan for Heroism. CORONER'S JURY CHARGES CAPTAIN AND PILOT OF RIO DE JANEIRO WITH CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE AND CENSURES THE PACIFIC MAIL - " WWE. the jury, find that Sarah W. Wakefield came to hsr death in th> Pacific Ocean on the twenty-second day of February, 1901, through asphyxiation from submersion caused by the criminal negligence on the part of both Captain Ward and Pilot Jordan, and we most strenuously censure the Pacific Mail Steamship Company for employing incompetent Chinese crews for saving human lives. ¢ Signed: LEQ GILBERT, GEORGE W. WISE, E. C. TICKNGR, JULHUS SONNENBERG, S. C. JAEGER, W. H. DOUGLAS JR., W. W. COULTER, S. H. COLLINS (Foreman). - b ~gq. bee ce 1559. I was in the mavy |helped to get a mumber of passengers into nry's T e e ranant marine. 1 have been | boat. On' the last trip I made back ¢ Sith the Pacific Mail Company for four years. | ship I had to elfmb up a rope. I was on watch below when the pilot boarded us last, Thursday evening. On Friday 1 came | b Gr RS T toraleve Thid Offcer | STATEMENTS CONFLICT 5 nea G ard a Jordan. The captain came on the bridge 10 6N IMPORTANT MATTER minutes later. He Imvkrg Arnur;;ll nr;g &n‘;fi;fi:: | it was clear. We could see the Cli | e Clear. et Josian had lett word to pe | Officer Holland Says Ship Went called it tne weather cleared fl:(:"{'v'ho? Down in Five Minutes After de = s before the captain. en Jortan Teame on “the. bridge he ordered the Striking— Herlihy Says anchor to be heaved. He gave the order to the Twenty Minutes, first officer, who was forward. A few minutes : 5 late- Jordan ordered them. to stop heaving the | Third Officer T. J. Holland gave similar ancnor and he went bfllnwr;( l"prvsu‘lil: !'e"v;;r‘\: testimony te the previous witness. FHe t y ’ this time 1 5 hondk:e:hl:\ r:fifii‘".n?r{ The pllot came back | testified that the Chinese crew obey T in a few minutes alone. }ders when the danger s Q—What took place then? The witness told how i and remained in it until A.—The pilot gave the order to the | 87 Temalinze in T & first officer to take the anchor UP. |he did not try to go back t The captain had not reappeared. Cap- ‘ {fi’eu?w:n‘::mpau ngers. H tain Ward came on the bridge after. ihe ship at fi the anchor was up and the "5"“‘%rf\"f,f‘i“‘; Meiggs 'n'gn at a had started. The captain took nolfhe ik WIS W part in issuing orders. The pilot \h;l Rio Q;II\W@ :ha went de ong Ming, boatswain of seemed to be in command. called, and with difficulty | Q.—Did the captain- interfere with the pilot? | secured testimony from him. 7T | F 7 Gould see mo interference with the |cailor sasd that all his men w | pilot By the captatm. The pilot gave the orders | SRIOF S0 SRt SV RIS 1 that | that morning. In my experience the pllot al- | 4, "sp "0 okee " He told | ways issues the orders. | satlors were “no flald,” The witness then stated that he was | samee fixee boats.” Hong Min {pr'-h how he had remained of the Rio and went down w also testified to the long whistl not nervous on account of the ship com- ing into port in a fog, because he felt he was under experienced men. He stated nal to the engine room from the bridge and told how he had been in charge of the instrument on Friday morning last. Con- { tinuing, Coghlan said: i 3 the Rio de:d that he had never entered the bay under | poeoro the ves = e 3 . dlst timilat circumstances. The witness ex- | *fore fic, Fopoel Mok, @ ook of » y plained the working of the telegraph SI8- | wan the neki witness bat e o € n the subject of the wree . H. Long, one of the Rio’s passen testifiea_that he was on deck wh ship o o0 g We came in ot balf speed. The fog lifted | Dathra the camrats had old b that once and then came down On us|wal agalnst the arders of the compan to come into port in a fog and that the F | ship” Would femain - outside an | | When the ship struck the rocks, th ness said he kept away from t S0 as not to hamper the work of gh He sald: I did pot think little Hght P. w much danger and went below to pack my I got on deck put a life beit on am the ship sank. The witness said he heard the first CHIEY ENGINEE PATRICK HENRS léll'x-?l.l}iflEY TELLS OF ARR.O W ESCAPE ting a boat out, a ¥ridey. m p < 7 ter claimed his Ch : g 4 him. Chief Engineer P. H. Herlihy was t examined. He stated that was In his | | berth when the engines started. He went d that the quartermas- ese crew had deserted misleading. It cannot be heard ut any | |on deck and saw a hes fog. The wit- nce i % ness was in his room when the strucic i 8 SurchWers ‘yolr whisties 'y ing the. rocks. In answer to q ms, be | satd: half-minute. | r experience as a | : I felt 1t was dangerous to go ahead in served in this harb ln% and thought we needed a lot of caution. When she struck 1 rushed from my room the engine-room and atopped the machin } | 1 gave orders to start the pumps. Th four feet of water then under the pla wkistles were blowing In long blasts. I sent | two years | | I always brought | | 1 passed the pi safe to come into g? Do pilots think it safe to do | guided by the whistles? Do you think 7 men up from below. ned, 3o as to prevent caping steam made a | deck when the ship sank The witness then told how he came to rface, caught hold of a raft and Yes, 1 think so. | ship was Q. “Do you think so absolutely? | 4 ) J S - inutes. I A _Well, not. altogether safe. | 3 77 1 Ews en by the donkey emgine om Q.—If you think it is not altogether \JOF\JLD safe to bring a vessel into port in a t the he cases of ten i vas saved. y Gies foegn The witek. | f98 why 8i& you Jeapacdiss the Hyes Dr. AL A, O'Nelll testified that he was plelsiy dedvwss, and property of the Riof surgeon on the Rio, and that he was in PILOT JORDAN TELLS A.—Well, the captain was anxious | his room when the ship struck. The wit pess explained how he had lowered his boat and owing to a Chinese sal i ting go one of the ropes the boat ! filled with water. He was balling the water out of his boat with a bucket at the time the pliot was trying to get Mrs. Wildman and her child down to the doc- | tor’s boat. At that moment the Rio went down. | Willlam Brander, a passenger, and Steerage Steward H. Donahue also gave testimony similar to that of the previou | witnesses. HIS STORY TO CORONER | to come in. Q.—Why was the captain anxious? A.—Because he was late. Declares Captain Ward's Eagerness to Make Port Caused Him to Q.—What argument did he use to force you Teke Rio In. | to come in against your better judgment? Pilot Frederick Jordan was the first wii- | A.—He did not use any arguments. I saw e e a5 Salond x _ | he was anxious to get in Pilot Jordan then explained that ship- | owners pay the pilot for services rendered, and that a pilot was not pald extra to bring a #hip into port quickly. He said that there was no reason for a pilot to proceed against bis better judgment ex- 3 : - 5 e Gery | cept an anxiety to please his employers. | 108K we de Y 1o sty there all night, | Pllot Jordan clung to his testimony that | 1 » r all he desired to do in bringing a vessel in quickly was to please the owners of the ship. Q.—Did the captain order you to come in? A Fes, e aid. Q.—What did he say? A.—He sald, ‘‘Let her go ahead.” He or- | dered the anchor up the second time. He seid, ‘It will clear up soon.’” PiLOT F JorRpan Lo¢ATES PoslT OF WRECK, top LIFE-SAVER SAYS HE HEARD NO SIGNALS Evidence Shows Apparent Neglect of | Duty on Part of Lookout | Ellingson at Fort Point ! Station. Captain J. Hodgson of the Fort Point Iife-saving station testified that his sta- | tlon was about a mile from where the Rio struck. He was in bed at the time, | =8 were the men in the station. The look- out at Fort Point, Mark Ellingson, had sent in no signal at the time of the strik ing of the ship. Referring to the lookout, | | he saa: { Ellingson has told me that he heard noth- ing out of the ordinary that morning and 4 not know of the wreck until a boatload of people came ashore. If we had received the alarm we would have been to the wreck In & | few minutes. We heard no whistles down a: | our station. | Autopsy Surgeon Bacigalup! testified | that the bodies of the persons recovered from the disaster had been examined by bR R e e e e JURY PRAISES COGHLAN FOR HIS BRAVERY uid be up in half an es he returned and said | ers to heave the an- | being taken in us compietely ~aving the an- me on the bridge at current. at time. 1 told him what I had dons. | “@—Do you consider yourself fesponsible for — he 138 of the ship? Coroner Leland—What did you say | " % °f &° Jt®"; aia then what 1 have tc the captainPf | dcne” a hundred times before outside of the A.—T told him that we would not | “""""J““;”“"m L o s i o & .| Pllot Jordan then explained that there go in. I said I would wait till day | was “no “law forbidding.a ship. being sight. brought into »?rjz An a K'ox, and that it s was a matter of judgment. Q.—What reply did Captain “Ward | W35 3,500 % Juror questioned the wit- make to you then? ness as to who gave the various orders for A.—He said that it always cleared | the anchor to be Hoisted, and Coroner Le- s . |land said: at daylight and that we should go in. | _1t seems there was a conflict' of authority. Q.—Who wes in absolute command | "r';-'“ say you first nnse;vd mel cbain hauled in. i ven you say you ordered It stopped. Th cf the ship at that time? | Fou"telt “us the captain ordered the anchor A.—Ceptain Ward was in absolute | hoisted. Pilot Jordén—The captain ordered the anchor Q.—Did you advise him as to the danger? A.—He could see for himself how thick it wee. All 1 could do wag to act as adviser. I tcld him it was not satd. I could not go con- trary to Ms orders. I méver saw such a heavy P N AR R SRR I To the Press: We, the jury, extend our heartiest good will to Graham Coghlan, second of- ficer of the wrecked Ric de Janiero, for his hereic actions and conduct during the terri- ble disaster, LEO GILBERT, GEORGE W. WISE, E. C. TICKNOR, JULIUS SONNENBERG, S. C. JAEGER, him and that death haf been caused by | asphyxiation from submersion. | e jury then retired to consider its | verdict, and after being out for over an hour returned a verdict as follows: | We. the jury. find that Sarah W. Wakeflelc F44 4444444 444244444444 4440 W. H. DOUGLAS JR. | to her death in the Pacific Ocean on. ¢ command. up and the ship o €0 ahead when the fof s d BTy of Febraary, 10, (Hrough Asphysin, Q—Tell ue what bagpened then, | cime Sown: W. W. COULTER, [ B day ot Fbeusey, NI SNNE Sewu o e e and had Lime Point straignt | The witness then explained the manner S.H. COLLINS (foreman). | Degitgance ‘on the part of both Captain Ward Shead and was running by ihe whistle on a | Of paying a pilot and told how all the northeast b 2NS OFELCER and Pilot - Jordan, and we most strenuousi s carnings of the pilots went into one fund B+++44444444444 444540 ' Eity take your bearings by the | and was divided. A ship like the Rio paid P MODESTL v e | 2 ‘s danger. Ori the contrary, as soon as we struck A Y RECOUNIS | saving human lives. g wglk%.l. | A similar verdict was returned in the on. | Regarding the Chinese crews of the Man uUxX cases of Edward Barwick, Angelo Gt new 1 was past Mile Rock by the range | 1f we :Il:ihebele’%elnl%'!r:-l‘e: we would rI-Av- Company’s ships, Pilot Jordan averred sino, Julla. Dorman, J. Adachi, Charles X ¥ Y el e e AN Sohe Lrom | Cmatthe o current when you annat s G |that he never met a man of the crews s |Dowdall, Mrs. Alfred Hart, Sing Lung “ . R who did not understand English. Ng, Chan Jun, Jeong On, Jow Dc fhen headed N N E. for Lime Poini i | Liruck: Information s only Eiven 0. bllots S PRINCIPAL WITNESSES WHO TESTIFIED YESTERDAY IN THE INVESTIGATION WHICH WAS HELD BY COR- | | mf"",,’,“,‘;" R ptettay Becoe: i concluded that we were golng o L e lter he ship | SOHWERIN 'DISBELIEVES ONER LELAND TO PLACE THE BLAME FOR THE DEATHS OF THE MANY PERSONS DROWNED BY THE G. Coghlan for his heroism in helpir it Mo wary L. o erift off the rocks. 1 told him to blow the JORDAN'S STATEMENTS SINKING OF THE RIO DE JANEIRO. ; | save life. ring K .. e R danger elgnal. He blew a long, long blast. A few minutes after the jury had ren- B . atot whistle istmetly. - Part | Q@—Would that long, lorig blast be regognised censure the Pacific Mail Steamship Com; i SRAHAM COGHLAN | for employing incompetent Chinese crews g e : dered its verdict Major Blakeney, Supefin- of the crew wae on deck. Some of the men | O, the; coast as a daneer signal? Does Not Think a Captain of His i e ——% | tendent of the TC‘""[h ."“j,““‘ ns Dis were Chinese and some were white. Captain .—Certainly it would. " 2 3 trict, entered the Coroner’s office and with- Tira Wal o v ridse with me and the oret | Q-—Wes it Qifferent from the othefs? Company Would, Against Pilot’s | ¢ coplan 1t Hie ol 1o e Tiore manes | Ward would have acted contrary. to (again. I saw no lights until we struck We | out announcing himself asked the depities and recond officers were also there. 1 asked I A SX€® ;38 RAl Ogen PIOWAE ordimary o Advice, Bring a Ship little difference to us. No captain is ever | the advice of the pilot? ok, heard the (o oS i eat in i Where “his man Hodgson™ was. When First Officer Johnson to listen on the star- | GV, o even. AIL hands Went o fhelr Into Port. . blamed for being overdue. = A,—T don’t think one of our cap- | saw The white Hght on Fort Point about two | told that Captain Hodgson had been ex- B o e T e ation ot the tme’™l, | stations when the danger signal blew. It Q—Why do you employ Chinese? £8P~ | Cnutes hwicie we struck. When we struck amined as a witness at the inquest and L“: e Jone titne. We mtarceh 1o tens tnt| R. P. Bchwerin, vice president and gen- | A-—Because without them we would have to tains would do any such thing. If a | the cartain guve two long blasts on the whis- had departed the major dramatically de- o 3.t VMSES W the St ts. Eversthing was orderly, Every man | eral manager of the Pacific Mail Steam- AR .3&"‘;.;%'.‘?8:“‘-5‘...‘“‘!% pilot advised a captain not to go in | U2 10 «bandcn ship. This signal calied svery | clared that subpena or no subpens “his ohnson every few minutes to ask : ~ went, to his station. the passenger. 3 s | man to his post. They all responded . | man” had violated orders in leavisg the : o h‘;;dnlh:'b';:'n;‘ he foid me | and told them to hurry up. 1 went around ihe | hip Company, was then called to the wit- Sompete with these companies Ve pay v | the captain would not do so. 1 went to the life rafts to -nu.\.EMrgt Station without first receiving the permis. v e ot because 1 b 78 the belj | deck while the whistle was blowing, 1 helped | ness stand. In reply to Coroner Leland | JUoR (IS0 ot 3 g Boo el ®| Miss Gabrielle Leneroux testified that B T el o e Iavbantl atde dotes | O 36 Ry SUpion, (NG sonjer. Adwr - 3.9 11 to 3 % q -~ then and saw the lght [P I - iitie il & the witness said: 4 : 'Q.—Have ‘you ever taken into account the | she was & passenger on the Rio and that | lomere O side beink | plaining to the deputles the impertance a1 Q o boat got . i ed. The Boats (orward douid met | of pi ition the major bade th 331 rom dase 3t B | away With Chinese ami no women r Childrdns | OUF rules do not show who fe to take charge | mater of the care of passensers’ lives when | she was asleep in her berth when the ship of Bin pouiien ihe ade them good wa ~ o be lowered. The bows of the shi Wi down A—The ship went down as we were trying | Of & #hip when a pilot goes on board. The [ You employ Chinese crews Struck., Bhe described how she Fusned On | In the water and o man coald Aot reath the.| Jay. but continued for balf an leur to e ; 2 tements have been made as to the | ¢ "ol them in. captain hever losos the command of his ship, | A:—I have had mo reatdn to do so. Many | Go0k and was placed in & boat. She could | boats. Feur minutes after stiiking the ship | criticise the testimony of those who had 1 piace where the ship Did The captain is governed by the revised captains prefer the Chinese crews. The Chi- . 3 . | sald that they heard the Rio " fate Jost Priday that Sou had struck | The witness then described how he was | ¢t the United tates and the Dot by the | nese have regular boat and fire.drills. W' do | B T e n D R | o e 1. belped to get two 8 4 blow her ot B | danger whistle” and every other witne: on Miie Rock? trying to get the wife of Consul Wildman | State laws. A pi nly an advi rot tonsider the 1t ¢ passengéry . bel hinese crew was pamnic stricken. Miss bonl"_fvfl They were lowe: in_g order, | 3 g Bk e titng I kpew exsiotly where | and Ber lctie boy Snt & Dokt Whaa Son | casiain T4 ifioe oty hhe Fetporsibiiey th 1% | ondanmercd ofl Besount of bAving Chiniss seil: | Leueroux gave lor évidence through a. o ol By e oo i W L b g g‘;,‘,‘.‘;" ,‘}‘.‘.’f ",".,}',’,;‘.‘,,?"'c we struck, ‘wrd when I went out vesterday in | Rio plunged down into the bay. ard_{o hig position and it is in the power of | Ors on our ships. 1 think women and chilaren ( French interpreter. Gown tn ten Tainutes after striking. 1 Had my | has .made arrangements with T. B . the tug I located the wreck in five minutes. the Pilot Commission to punish him for will- | would have as good a chance for their lives B - Mg han @ E L. A4 P - P. H. When Pliot Jordan came ashore lust | o B HOY Jong was it from the time the ship | ful neglect of duty. Jordan is one of the best | With & Chinese crew as they would with & | COGHTLAN SAYS PILOT Sost over Jn less than Hve misuts. Afie| Whitslaw the wrecker. (0 salve every- Friday he stated in positivesterms, while | N pilots on the bay. If a dispute arises between | White crew. 1 would be as willing to trust m ptair Ward gave the danger "l;:' he ll:: :mngv "elble from the Rio de Janeiro 3 . the whistle cord down. 1 tled | y Being Interviewed at the Mail Dock. that | @ —8oud you Hot per the passenyers’in the | e i s sapiicy, ‘Sve clangerons piace | Mife a0d children with a Chiness Crow e wich ALONE GAVE ORDERS |ine omer whistie dows. and Soth kept hlow: | 3o B e e e Tovpen Q | g the ship had struck on Mile Rock. The | boats in that time? Cause the law Tequires us o take il bay it Is imposeible to Keep track of them. 1 2 s undil the steam was exhausted Any one | E°S0® i Do ‘made 4 s00n as peseinn Mail Company or'y | "A.—We could have done so, but 5 g PHbt sgr | ba¥ S 74 » X on shore would know that it was a j by Heds &3 200n as possible. 22l Company or'y Jooted the Whoek 00 | o aia not sesth'ts Jealie Thh Ganew. Thess | N tiis b o s s o, o v Tof i | Roooult fo- the. Wreey o e . | Second Offcer Gives Btralghtforward | Ll 21" i yere ciose in to Fort Point | THTIN Wah il 2w Jov: (e Wahe -of | We take them on our ships. The underwriters | Strong ebb tide running and no allowance be- ) ms kno aer Cabiain Hodeson, 1ocated the wreck | #a% no panic. The Chiness sailors were per- | wlu consider it safer to have & Dilot on boaed: | € made for it I never had sny doubt as to | Account of What Occurred on | and the whisties must have been heard at the L 100 Siats thot 00 NRITR = b aained . | e on Sunday. Continuing, Pilot Joraan sald: | ‘il 1orce done aoy Borter Toam (pe Spirem | He i considered to know the local conditions | ¥here the ship struck. Yorakn” (ol me" on R - - = the Steamship’s Brid came in, Yhough ail the apparat: | ship. Then the cargo will be sal The only way 1 can account for the accident | did. It is not true that T sald on Friday that c.é‘.:’u.'."‘.';a‘p‘i?&'.‘“:m“‘.‘fi.?“'{h'{y‘ :x'::{'n:? 5’“;.’&3‘:‘&1“:‘“&2.2‘%&"" mt‘W‘ Last Friday M 5l the chains. 1 think the ship would have been | lastly everythiig that cam be ?o:':n":; s e swirl of the tide from Lime Point fo | neither the captain nor myselt: realized our | Srker or Jeave port in & Tog. %'__“n g For: ok fakdie 11 farift I ’ y Morning. | delayed by taking soundings. When I got | the hull. e crant o AE malee VT, Q-—Who is responsible for the Rio being | Captain Ward sald to him, “Let us g0 ahead'| Graham Coghlan, second officer of the | MY boat lowered I brought her round to the —_— \ ine, the current on the water. I To Cure a Cold in One Day.- brousht in on Friday in e tok? the fog will clear.” Do you think Ward Rio a6 Jameiro, was the first witness |S°"8¥ay and climbed back on the enip.. I King Edward Visits Con A —Entirely, g | Teke Laxative Bromo Quinine Tablets. Al | the captain's permiesion. 1 domt belleve the | A-—It is hard for me to say. called at the afternoon session. He testi- CRONBERG, Feb. 27.—King Edw: Do vou blame anything elze? ing | QUgE!Sts refund the money If it fails to cure, | captain would have done o if the pliot had » fled in part as follows: The Grip Cure That Does Cure 'e sanital . - ‘es, the imperfect whistle at Fort Point | E. W. Grove's sigoature is on each box, %ic. # | ccvised against it. There is mo penaity for| @—=Do you think that Captain day visited the sanitarfum for consump 1 was second officer of the ship and have | Laxative Bromo-Quinine removes the cause, * l tives and talked with the patients