The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-06-10

of any seconsituted committee board of investi-
CATION inquire into the private affairs Of our busi-
ness transactions, yet we are both perfectly willing
and most DESTROYS, with this general disclaimer
furnish the public through this meeting, with all the
facts in possession relating TO the President.
" The statement, gentlemen, which has been much
bruited about that the President of trim when
she left this port is unqualifedIy false and is
OF the greatest insults that could by possibility have
been offered TO the memory Of Capt. Roberts,
to suppose that he would have taken that vessel
when she was out Of trim; he would have remained
here week over time with her rather than have done
so.
"Her exact draught Of water, when she left this
port was thus she drew II ieet inches abafi, and
II feet inches forward, that she was not out Of
trim more than inch at the outside Il is true that
she had between forty and fifty chaldrons or about
hhy-hve TO sixty tons weight of coaI in her between
decks, besides having all her coal boxes and bunkers
closely filled. This coal placed in Il 6 between
decks, immediate the openings of the coal bunk
ers and placed there at Captain Robert vown request
because he calculated that the President consumed
about thirty tons OF coal in twenty four hours all the
coal between decks would be consumed by the time he
had been thirty hours at Besides il that quaint
~ had remained there all the passage il could have
Affected that vessel in any way but very slightly.
There was no cargo placed in any Of her coal box
ers or bunkers the cargo space is distinct and sepa
rate; she could have taken from 800 to 400 barrels
more cargo than she had board aboui seventy tons
wegh) all altogether her weight of cargo her last
have carried double that quantity or more, with ease
As to her being hogged strained that is equally
preposterous. Before she left England for the last
time, she was taken into the Cobourg dock al Liver
pool, thoroughly overhaued and her hull was pronoun
ced to be as sound and strong, and safe as ever il
was"
Here Capt. Waite, of the England, rose and said
mat ne could testify TO the original strength of the
President Before she first left Lyerpoo1 he went
through her with Capt. Fayrer he examined her
thoroughly, and considered her strong as wood and
metal could make her
Mr.. Smith farther remarked that in regard 10 the
rumor about deficiency of masts and spars that
contradcted and put to rest entirely by the full and sat
siactoy statements in the letter Of Junius Smith re-
Gently published in London, wherein he says she was
fully provided with every thing of the kind, spare
yards spais, sails, rigging, &c
The gentleman who appeared for Mr. Lockman, the
pilot here and stated that when the pilot left the
President, Capt Roberts observed that he felt satisfied
of making quick passage-that his vessel was in good
order-he had abundance offull, &C., and that with
regard her TRIM she was only about one and half
inches by the head
After this Capt Cole of the ship Orpheus rose and
stated that he left New York in company with the
steamship President on the morning Of the 18th Of
March last and that he was in sight of her until about
shutdown on the evening of the 18th. Capt Cole then
read the following extract from his log book
Extract from the Log Of Ship Orpheus.
March ll-Leh New York at II A. NJ. Com
T. NJ discharged pilot-the steamboat President four
miles ahead, bearing Z. ~ E-ship under all sail. and
sailing nine knots per hour.
Lat. 80 AZ, long 7l-commenced with brisk
ofeezes from the N-hazy weather ship under all
sail-4 p M took in studding sails and topgaant
sails-wind at N. E. AT 6 P. M. double reefed top
sails, and fured the mansail and jib. At $ p. M.
| commenced heavy gale from N. L. with snow and
seettook in fore and mizen topsai and close reefed
| the manopsai and furled the foresa-hove the shin
to, head s. +. AT the time the ship [Orpheusl was
laborng heavily and shipping large quantities Of alter
on deck AT p. M. the steamship President
bearing n E. by N. by compass, steering eastshort-
ly after lost sight of her-durng the night he shin
Orpheus lying TO under mantopsail and storm stay
sails.
| l3th--Commenccd with heavy gale from N E. and
heavy rain. At p. M. wind shifted suddenly to
S. E. with heavy sea running from the East-wore
ship to,he N. Z. ship laboring heavy and shipping
large quantities Of water deck. IL, midnight,
more moderate, set close reefed fore and mzen top
sails, and oresa and spanker, the weather moderat
ing and made sail accordngly--heavy on from
the East. !.
18th Fresh breezcs from s. W.; ship under full
SAIL running II knots.
Captain Cole farther stated that when he last saw
the President rising on the top Of tremendous sea
she appeared to be pitching heavily and aboring ire
mendousy. She then situated in that danger
part of the Atlantic Ocean, about midway he
tween the Nantucket Shoa and the st. Georges
Bank just where the Gulf Stream strikes soundnes
and where the waves rise almost straight up and down
and as high four and five story house That the
President then must have been shipping seas heavily
and fast that probably these large bodies Of water
worked through into the engine ROOM or fire room
and extnguished the fires, in which case the steamer
would have been comparatively helpless; that The
storm was terrific all that night that next morning
the wind shifted suddenly from N. f. to S. E. knock
ing up still more tremendous sea- and that the gale
continued with undated fury till midnight of the
18th. And that IL his belief that the President did
nat hat Ia h.tE, ~.
and that all persisted before down on the 9Th OF
in less than twenty four hours after he last saw her
and that most probably in the terrific nigh, of the 9th
of March.
In this opinion Capt Waite and the other nautical
gentlemen seemed TO coincide.
After this the meeting broke up, and the following
statement was drawn up Tor publication by the gentle
men whose names are thereunto attached
STEAM PACKET SHIP PRESIDENT.
BRiTIsH CONSULATE,
New York, 9Th June 1884,
President Rear Admiral Walton George Barclay
Esq, agent for Loyds, and Thomas w Moore, E.u.
her maestys packet agent who met by appoin,men,
to investigate such reports and matters as relate to said
vessel pervous to her departure from this port on the
lth day Of March last.
The letter from Consul Buchanan, of the 3lst Nav
addressed TO Messrs. Wadsworth & Smith the agents
for the propretors, and their answer being read the
following facts were satisfactorily elected
That there was coal deck and that the shin
was IN proper trim, drawing 2 feet inches abaft and
II feet inches forward.
That she was not fully loaded having spare room
for about four hundred barrels
That the statement Of deficiency of sails and spars
has been satisfactorily refued by the letter of Junus
smith, q. of London, which has appeared.
That when last seen by Captain Cole of the Or
pheus during the storm at p. NJ on the 18th March
between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank. at
which time the ship Orpheus was laborinr heavily.
and shipping large quantities of water on her deck
JACOB WALTON,
Rear Admiral Of the White
GEORGE BARCLAY,
THOMAS VIM MOORE.