Norfolk Landmark, November 17, 1891

The Despatch Court of Inquiry.

Transportation -- Water - Wrecks

Each of the Three Officers on Board Found Technically at Fault.

Washington, November 15. When the announcement was made at the Navy Department some days ago that the court of inquiry on the loss of the United States steamship Despatch had found on one to blame, there was some surprise, for although the disaster was plainly one that could not have been averted under the circumstances, yet it was expected there would be some sort of explanation offered for the general finding of the court that "no further proceedings should be had in the matter." It now appears that such an explanation was submitted, and that while no officer on board the vessel was blamed for the wreck, the three officers in charge of the ship were each found technically at fault.

Lieutenant W. S. Cowles, who commanded the Despatch, the court found omitted to comply with the naval regulations in not requiring the occasional use of the lead, but the loss of the vessel was not directly due to this omission, as his written night orders would have carried the vessel clear.

Lieutenant York Noel, who is commended by the court for his "pluck and ability" in laying out an anchor under difficult and dangerous circumstances, was at fault in not reporting the light, which the officers and men on deck supposed to be the Winter Quarter Shoallightship's light, to the commanding officer as soon as it was sighted and in subsequently changing the course of the vessel without reporting the fact. The court further found regarding this officer that he was at fault in not causing soundings to be taken when heading toward the land in the vicinity of dangerous shoals, and in not informing his relief that the commanding officer had not been informed of the sighting of the light. All of which faults arose from and in consequence of mistaking Assateague light, on the New Jersey coast, for the lightship light, which was some miles off the coast.

Lieutenant R. P. Mulligan, who also displayed bravery, was found in fault in that he failed to inform himself by what authority changes had been made from the written night orders handed him, and in that he changed the course without reporting to the commanding officer, when the ship was on her new course, and in that with the ship heading toward the land, he did not cause sounding to be taken, and in that he did not report to the commanding officer that the run by patent log showed that the ship should have passed Winter Quarter shoal light by some distance, when the light was till on the starboard bow, and that these faults arose from having the supposed information that the apparently red light in sight was Winter Quarter shoal light and no other light.

The board found the grounding and loss of the vessel was caused principally by this confusion of lights, and, secondarily, by the failure to use the lead.