Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-03-02
long vas Standing Il ne throttle 1slxs & ths

long, Twas standing at the throttle valve at the
II time. Icy 4 tg5S7 3 =,
! WITNESSES ON THE PART OF rHEITHosy SWAMI
Henry Conqnt, Captain, steorn.z5I was; in bed
~ the time OF the colllsoi the first nteli sence
had was hearing cur big btlltihg. was Just
awake enonghlto know that heard bell. Shortly
:; alter heard the boas come together. jumped
ont OF oed as quick us could, opened the door of
H my. room, which gaSelne view oil the Fanny
Il germ Side My first impression was that il was
stern wheel boat that had backed out from the
Shore and backed against our bow with her wheel.
then turned round from The door, pulled on my
ooots, reached for my cravat and started out. We
j We're together when | first discovered it. don't
KNOW whether we were backing at the time got
4 out forward OF moi. But my inpreSslon is, that
aiter.we came together our boat was stopped, in
order to know what was best to do, whether il
| Woulu he best to back away, or remau. as we
were' IN order 10 give the persons on board the
i ranhy Fern chance 10 get aboard the Swami, if
necesSary.Ab bout the time got forward some per.
son soa haloed "iers get apatt.,'a very short Time
4 ailer"ards the boats seperated.s We then came
alongside some person holloed from the other
1 ooaL 10 come alongside, al nd we did so.
I 9ues. w as tie Swami in the, proper place, or
i The channel, mt the time of the collision?
ans. As near, | think, as "a boat could be with
me lick size got. a the time got out forward her
DOW lay little quartering, nl;erthe boats struck
Inc boats striking on the side, l suppose would
throw her out about as much as she was.
CUES. dy Clerk Of Fanny Fe,n-Dil you see
Tue Fanny Fern previous to the collision? Mn q
!! uld not, was not pp previous 20 the collision.
| 1hoHas Whithen, Pilot, tSicorn-I was lat the
wheel at the time OF the collision; am pilot or the
Swami, and wason watch at the time; was COM
ing out OF the head of Little Grave Creek bar in
| about The usual course always run with boat
IKE lhe Swami IN that Stage of water. When
got up TO the place where the boat commenced
leaving tile shore, 1 discovered the light OF the
Fanny Fern, or what was supposed 10 be hers,
SAID TO the male. Mr.. Sheats, IN the pilot house,
THAT cant be a boa: lying on shore there?"-
Just about the time The shore come out, her bell
tapped. Isconld see her starboard side Us it was.
When she made the first tap of The bell grabbed
| nj our bells aud rang them boti. As soon as |
.ahg .henl looked up anlsaw her whole starboard
sue coming. out. Rang the backing BELLS then the
Dig oeii-gnye 1t one tap. i remnrkei il was too
late Tor any big bells 10 do any. good.E Before
rang them 81 bbed ut the stopping bell. Didn't
see anything that'looked like steamboat coming
down or lying at shore ten seconds before they
tapped their bell. Didn't see anything near shore
that looked like steamboat. There were lights
al along shore and up atlhe coal bank. When i
first noticed her She lookek to me 10 be very close
To shore, closer tiun,l ever saw a boat running
there. Tue Swami was running as steady ana
stearng as easy rs ever her with a load in
her, at the time sow the boat near the shore
The heel was never turned anyway till they
struck. When got through ringing, the boats had
struck. They were so closesI Knew l could do
nothing with the wheel. think our headway was
stopped in the river.
Ques. How soon did you ring the bell after YOU
heard their bell ring? FL 'i, lt-aasat
ans. AS soon as their bell rang knew il was
steamboat and grabbed both bells and rang lighht
away, two distinct taps. 7s $50
Cues. by. Clerk of Fanny Peril believe I'M
derSood you 10 say tina! you heard the two distinct
taps Of our signal bell. Did did you not answer
those bells as they should have been?
ans. rang the hell to stop her. / answered
as should have done according to my understand
ing Of the position oftthe boats. 1 knew you
could not get OH the out side of us, rang the bell
Tor the only side which L knew you could go on.
CUES. How close were the boats together when
you rang the bell?
Ans. suppose two hundred yards, as near as
can tell. 1t is deceiving afler n ghl.
CUES By Clerk Of Fanny Fer1.-W hat course
was the Fanny Fern.running when you heard her
signal bell? ~ #,- al-i=f.7
Ans. About tile time of the second tap she was
coming out from the Ohio shore and pointing
towards the Virginia shore. ,H.: -
CUES. What coulss or direction was the Thos.
Swami running when you heard the signal bell Of
The Fanny Fern? II -
Ans. She was, if anything, pointing from the
Ono shore about the course oil the channel and
searing veryprettily. She was pointed JUST little
oui. bout the course of the channel, lust about
the shape she should run IN.
Ques. Al about what speed were you running2
Ams. About nime and a half miles au hour.
CUES. w hen you first discovered the Fanny
Fern, what distance DO YOU suppose they were
apart. s1a y 80 - .af
Ans. Between two hundred AMI two hundred
CUES. Wheniyou saw there was going 10 be
collision, did or did you not say thai you wanted
TO strike the Fern so as to avoid striking her
boilers? "a. 49,
Aus. recollect Of saying nothing of the kind
before the collision; afterit said was glad she
did not hit the boilerS-I think that was what
said. Saiu if she had been pointing at the boil
erS she would have hit us there. knew that If
We got out of her way it would have to be by back
ing. was perfectly cool, and told tie men IN the
pilot house TO take particular notice. i said she
was bound 10 hit us. 7otatsi.- ~ tasi7h
Cues. Did you notice whether the Fanny Fern
Ans. dd,not. The Swami was backing.
Ques.a From the relative POSITION Of The two
boats i'll the channel, whenyou first saw the Fern,
could the Fern have gone down on the Ohio side
if she had kept straight!
z Ans. Yes, she could. between the Swami and
Ohio shore. gs.H 7r4' A-ei-7N'.
Joseph WIitten. SteGrs1nar. S,rron-The Swami
was coming out at the head of Little Grave Creek.
Fhoma my brother, asked if that boat
lying al shore, and lie heard the Loaf strike two
APPS of the bell. Betwxt the two he rang the stops
ing bell, then ang the backing bell. then rung the
big bell. The boat looked to me as il she was
coming out from shore. The Swami was running
very steady. When he let go of the wheel to
strike the bells held it just 1t was. sHpytg-
Ques. How far were the boats apart when you
frst saw them Gaming together? . 2 tstqsgi
Ams. thought they were about $50 yards.
. CUES. When you tapped the bells how far were
the boats apart?
Ans. don't think we we more than 100 or a
$50 yards. ~.
: osss. Was your boat standing straight up The
Ans. She was s,anding; out a little, about in the
hannel. - 80 -
Ques. by Clerk of Fanny Fern-Did under
stand you TO say that when yourtr0ther let go Of
the wheel, you look hold of il? r.
Ams. When lie let 90 of The wheel to ring the
bellsf had hold of it, and held it just as it was.
& CUES. by sane=-What direction wos the Swami
ruAningi in when you took hold of the wheell
Ans. She, appeared, to be wearing out little
from the Ohio shore, justin the channel. ~ y
z Qu.s. By sgme-Can you state what time elaps-
ed between the tapping of the Fanny Ferns bell
and the time the collision took placel 0aN
Ans. i cannot.