National Republican (Washington City

Her Commander Tried, Found Guilty, and Dismissed the Service.

One of Her Engineers to be Suspended and Another to be Reprimanded.

The findings of the naval court appointed to inquire into the loss of the United States steamer Ashuelot have reached the Navy Department. Following is a statement of the facts in the case as developed by the investigation of the court:

The Ashuelot was gotten underway in the harbor of Amoy, China, at about 2 p. m. on the seventeenth of February, 1883, bound to Swatow. Having cleared the harbor, when about four miles off Chapoo Island, target practice was had, after which, at about 6 p. m., the navigator, Lieut. Wyckoff, took departure of Chapoo Island on the starboard beam, and about two miles distant. The course was set at southwest three-eighths south, which was held until 8:15 p. m., when Comdr. Mullan came on deck and at the request of Lieut. Wyckoff allowed the vessel to be slowed to one bell, and hauled off to southwest one-half south, to give the Brothers rock a greater clearance. The commander and the navigator then went into the chart room together, and there the latter plotted on the chart the course and distance already run, and to be run during the night. Lieut. Wyckoff then indicated the position that the ship would be in at 4 a. m. if allowed to run at a uniform speed of five knots per hour until that hour, thus allowing a danger distance of twenty knots from the Lamock rocks. The commander failed to give in his night orders, issued for the guidance of the officers of the deck, any definite instructions as to the speed to be maintained, saying only that the ship would be under one bell, and in a conference with the chief engineer, Mr. Entwistle, agreed that ten revolutions would be a fair one-bell speed. This number of turns would, Mr. Entwistle says, give the ship a speed of from six and a half to seven knots per hour. At about 1 a. m. the course was changed in accordance with the night orders to west southwest, one quarter west, thus heading the ship almost direct for the Lamock rocks. This, in connection with the fact that she was allowed to overrun the speed agreed upon, caused the loss of the vessel. Naval Cadet L. H. Wright was in charge of the deck from 12 to 4 a. m., under the supervision of the executive officer from 12 to 2, and of the commander from 2 to 4, it having been directed by the department that the cadets should be given an opportunity to learn their profession under the supervision of the older officers. Lieutenant Hotchkin took charge of the deck at 4 a. m. and almost immediately afterward she struck.

The night was dark and foggy, and it had been agreed between the commander and the navigator that at 4 a. m., if it still continued thick, the ship should be run off to the westward, but if it had cleared up, they would run her in between the Lamock and Times rocks and hence to Swatow. At 4 a. m. the navigator came on deck, having left orders to be called at that time, and meeting the commander in the chart room, said: "Good morning, sir. It is still foggy, sir, and we must put her off." The commander returned the greeting, and said: "What are you doing up here? I did not intend to call you until 5 o'clock." Just then land was reported on the starboard bow, and the helm was put hard a-starboard and the ship stopped, too late, however, as she struck a rock under the starboard bilge, abreast the fore rigging, afterward ascertained to be one of the Lamocks. All hands were called to save the ship, and efforts were made to that end, but were soon found to be ineffectual and were given up at about 4:30 o'clock, when all hands were called to abandon ship. The boats were lowered, and efforts were made to save all of the crew, but the steam launch, one of the largest boats, was uncontrollable, not being ready for steaming, as is customary at sea, and being rigged with four oars only. Lieut. Iverson, the executive officer, who seems to have been the man of the occasion, took the gig and endeavored to tow the steam launch alongside, but failed on account of the strong current, and had to cut her adrift. He then pulled back in the gig under the stern, and was just in time to save Comdr. Mullan, Cadet Webster, and some of the men who were still on board. At this time the sailing launch and the cutters had their full quota of men and officers, and were laying off awaiting instructions. When the commander left the ship there were still fourteen persons on board, and at a muster held subsequently it was found that eleven enlisted men were missing. Naval Cadet Webster was the last officer to leave the ship, following the commander into the gig, and to him and Assistant Engineer Pickrell, who jumped from the gangway but a moment before, as well as the men of the engineer force who were on watch below, great credit is due for the way in which they stuck at their stations until they received permission to come up from below when the vessel was on the point of going down. Comdr. Mullan was tried upon three charges, "drunkenness on duty," "improperly hazarding the vessel under his command, in consequence of which she was run upon a rock and lost," and "neglect of duty." Under the first charge there were two specifications, the first covering the time from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m. on the seventeenth of February, and the second from 2 p. m. of the seventeenth to 4 a. m. the eighteenth. Both of these were fully substantiated, as although not absolutely under the influence of liquor when the ship struck, it was clearly shown that he was still suffering from the effects of it. The specification of the second charge dealt with the matter of allowing the ship to run on an unsafe course, and this, too, was proved. Under the third charge there were three specifications, the first treating of the failure to limit the speed as agreed upon, the second with the neglect to take soundings as required by paragraph 115, section 4, chapter 5 of the United States naval regulations, or to endeavor to ascertain the currents; and third, with the failure to see the order to abandon the ship properly carried out, and leaving the ship himself without first ascertaining whether all of the crew had gotten off, whereby eleven of these men were lost. The essential part of these three specifications was found proved, except as to that portion of the third which alleges that the loss of life was due to the commander's neglect and leaving the ship, the court apparently being of the opinion that while his leaving the ship as he did, in violation of paragraph 133, section 4, chapter 5 of the United States navy regulations, which requires the commander to be the last to abandon his ship in case of accident, was highly improper; that his remaining would have resulted in his loss, and not in saving the men.

Comdr. Mullan was found guilty of all three of the charges and sentenced to dismissal which sentence has been confirmed by the President.

Lieut. Wyckoff was tried for neglect of duty, but was fully acquitted by the court.

Passed Assistant Engineers Entwistle and Leitch were found guilty of neglect of duty in not seeing their men up from below before leaving the ship themselves, and were sentenced, the former to suspension from duty for one year and the latter to be publicly reprimanded by the honorable secretary of the navy.

One of the firemen who had so nobly stuck to his post answered, with some indignation, when asked "When and how did you leave the ship?"

"I did not leave her at all; she left me."