The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-06-24


cept the Diana; in looking out from disti!-
lery landing saw boat coming down the
river some 500 or coo yards of, aud asked
what boat that could be bearing down upon
us; the star was stopped, and my attention.
was called 10 some one saying on the Bow
en- {" Go ahead on that boat; Bowen then
was about 30 yards off; she did not stop
the Star went two or three revolutions
ahead; | then heard the Bowen hell ring
to stop; couldn't say she stopped; -lwaS on.
the lower deck of the Star at the time;
thought the Bowen would strike the Star
about the cylinder of the larboard engin
picked up small lamp and went back but
could see no wheel looked To see IL the
shaft was gone; the shaft wac there, but
two fanges on the wheel were broken
found the spar and blocks of the Bowen
sticking In the bulkheads of the Star; Bow
en- passed on down until the bell of the Star
was rang, when che came back aud tJwe ell
us 10 the Kentucky shore; the siarboard
hanges of the Stars wheel were broken -
always thought there was good understand
ing between the officer OF both boats; am
NO Judge OF The water AT that point; VIC
were nearest the Kentucky shore when
struck, the boat not being quite straight,
hut slightly qnartering; the Bowen was in
jnred about the forward part OF the boiler
deck on the larboard side; the wheel of the
Star wa3 struck first. -ss
John w. Trimble sworn: Happened TO be
in Uniontown on the 10th; saw the Star
turn Poker point and land at wharf boat;
| was standing on the bank; stepped into
doggery to get glass of lemonade, rs to-
pers generally do; when | stepped out, the
Star was at the distillery landing saw the
Star back out; she backed about one-thrd
way across the river; I saw the Bowen
come down and run into her; twas about
IL minutes after the Stars wheel stopped
when the Bowen run into her; it was a
u moonlight night; the Bowen struck her
on the Kentucky side as she quartered down
stream; didn't see Bowen stop her wheel /;
didn't see any damage done; heard mon
strous cracking; live at Henderson am
acquainted with both boats have travelled
on the Star, but never on the Bowen |
think the Bowen started first from the Ken
lucky shore; the distance between the two
landings must be over one-fourth of mile !;
the Bowen was running rapidly; didn't see
her sheer any; heard no signals from either
boat; l scringed little, for / expected
both boats to be sunk was above the dis
tillery landing and nearest the Star;
thought the Bowen would strike. the Star aft
of her midships, from the position of the
two boats; 1t must have been the Bowen 5
steering to the Indiana shore that prevented
her striking the Star about midships. The
Star seemed right in the way and the Bowen
al, al fl,nx r.rt,<
A. w. Long sworn: Was a passenger on
the Star; the Star had backed about one
third the way across the river, when the
Bowen ran into her; she had stopped back
ing, and her head was swinging down the
| river; was back of the pilot house heard
Capt Fowler tell the pilot TO go-ahead on
her, twice wheel had made only one or two
revolutions when the Bowen strnuk her
have travelled good deal on boats; ii the
Bowen had stopped, she had no time 10 re-
verse her engines to back didn I think the
Bowen's engines were stopped until che
commenced steering she hit the Star on
\ the larhoard side OF her wheel | thinE the
! collision might have been avoided by the
/ Bowen checking up; did not think ihg
/ Star was backing out further than vas nee
| essdry 20 turn around the Star hacked Oui
! from, the landing square.
J. II. Hurt sworn; Have been a TiIei
! phO, Tor 10 years; was a pilot on Ihg :;ti.
AT the time 81 collision, but asleep / ditin
! get mp until the next morning; when ~
amned the Star " heel found the after enc
! of the cylinder timber was.bruised; thought
from the appearance Of the wreck that III,
starboard side had been struck there WI.
deep water in that part OF the river; no re.,
son why boats should come together, then,
is II sand-bar just opposite the place OF col
ision wonldn consider il safe plotapr 4,
hack boat ont from handing with anolh-t
hUat coming directly down the channtl
hai both boats been M the landing al sam,
time, and leii together, would not considr
il unsafe 10 back out; il is about zoo ward
from distillery landing to tower wharf boat
W. III. Rollins swOrn Am pilot on III,
Star was not aboard m that trip my rlll
is in Fassih. a landinE going up OF dow,
and a hOaI backs out, rendering coils
i0n liable, "a stop my boat until can So,
" Inch side 10 take have been a pilot 10 o.
IL years had i'eeu oH the star l wonl,
have expected the Bowen 10 have kept GU
of the way, IL having more power 10 DO -
than the boat hacking out; Judge the rive
H. about 400 or 500 yards wide at Union
town liar on the Indiana side; have an
preached close 10 il in low water; coul,
run within 10 or loo yards Of the bar OF
The iVlh am acquainted with position o
wharl-boaIs and distillery landing a
iiOirJwn the distillery is about 300 o
loo Warts l,um upper wharf boat ] am &C
qdaIiiIrd with the running qualities OF boil
boats bad been on the Bowen | shoulC
have stopped her had been on the Star
under the circumstances, | should have lai,
stll, expecting the other boat 10 pass her;
consider a boat going up or down the rive
has more power to keep out of the way thar
one in the act of swinging around would
not have considered it any impropriety i,
backing out with the Star when the Bower
backed out from the upper wharf-boat.
John Riley sworn | WAS on tue rive
bank about $50 yards above the dst,ller,
landing had beeu looking NJ the Star un
loading her freight; first noticed the Bow
en- backing out from the upper whari-boat
she swung around, and had been goin.
ahead on her wheel when the Star wa
backing o1t from shore think the Star wa
20 or 30 feet from shore when the BoweI
was fairly under way distance between th
boats ~ that time was about one-lourth of
mile; the Star backed out about 200 yard
81. A