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

The following is q portion of the teSti-
mony introduced by Capt. McClaln, OF the.
Bowen: -
McCiain's statement " G backed out from
the upper landing at nioniown, Ky, on
Friday evening, the 10th inst, abontsix o.
clock, and were proceeding down the river,
when- lust about opposite the lower wharf
boat / discovered the Silver Star backing ont
from the lower or mill landing; when Il
discovered Her backing OUT, began heading
the Bowen oyer for the Indiana side. and
kept her on that course until at least two
thirds over to the Indiana shore; when
stopped her engines We were from 80 TO -
yards from the Star she kept on backing
until within 20 or % feet of us, when She
stopped and rang to 60 ahead think she
made one or two revolutions when her
wheel struck the Bowen about the forward
end of her boilers, and the larboard end Of
her wheel we then passed on by her and
came around above her and took her in tow;
the Star was laying square across the river;
engines might have been reversed and set 90
backing, didn't DO il, because the rndders
could not have been shipped in time to do ANY
good had Sowef's engines been reversed
She would have struck the Star about the
engine gstruck Star on larboard end OF
wheel glancing lick boiler-deck of Bow
ems, forward, was injured on lairboard side,
conclusion was heavy; Star was laying
square across the river considered her
chances better tc GO ahead than his to back :;
never bad boat back out so close 10 him
before river was 4J0 yards wi lie from bar
on lndians,,s ide to the Nv. shore deep wafer; ;
IL.
pilot house with Inc Il, the time; Weed re-
marked aft she Keeps on backing she II
come into You said ~ guess not,-think
she II stops" couldn't have been over
minute from time Stars steam stopped un
ill we struck; on good terms with all Off
GERS OF Star except Mr.. Moore have not
been on sociable terms with h.m for some
years wish TO do iIim no personal injury ;
Capt. Dexter remarked, that g Inc bet $40
Alb. Moore Was plotting the Star" he
didn't remember making any reply TO it I;
short time after Star commenced backing,
Weed called my attention to the Star back
ing; Bowen might be stopped in 70 yard :;
! Bowen was about that distance from Star
when Weed spoke; did not reverse the en-
gines; saw no signal TO back.
Samuel Linton, lives in Washington, Pa. !;
was passenger on the Bowen have no ex-
perlence la boating except from observation
in travelling; was in cabin at time of land
ing; when i came ont and sst.down, Bowen
/ was passing lower wharf-boat; was sitting
near the stairway in the centre of boat
1 leaning with my elbows on the railing: saw
a boat below us; and saw it was the Star
! from time SAW the Star until collision, was
about two minutes; Bowen WAS pointing
| about ID or 20 feet forward of the Star 5
wheel; Star continued backing, and boats
maintained that position till about "a yards
Of each other, perhaps a little less y Bowen
began 10 ware oil, and felt secure, thinking
she would get clear, around heard some
one on deck say ego ahead on that boat; -
in the collision the cylinder, timber of Star
passed over the deck OF Bowen front of boil
/ er deck floor began to raise and began
Ia leave saw a srar lying on the Star s
! wheel, with a line from spar attached TO the
! Bowen and drawn tight; think the angle
/ formed by The BoWen's stern and Star
bow was less than that represented on
McCian Chalt: il was the lairboard spar
OF the Bowen on 1.-THE Stars wheel; stern
I WAY of the Star had not been checked. her
motion was toward the Bowen which was
steering oti il the Bowen hal half lcnytll
to run before she struck she would nave
mi-sri the Gar altogether Did the Bowen
run into the Star, o. the Star into the Bow
eli The backward motion Of the Star
had not stopped, the ripples running
round her bow quite sharply; the Bowen
wn' sheering OFT from the Star towards In.
diana shore; IL the Stars stern way had
erased > seconds sooner there would have
heen ao collision !. heard bell ring ami mo
lion al Stars wheel changed quickly; col.
i,-ion occurred about minute Mt err
!. &. Medley sworn Am n resident of
TniontOwn, NY; have no interest in either
the Bowen or Silver Star; no wise related
Ia any one concerned in the controversy
witnessed collision, petween the boats on
1 10TH at zUniontown, kysIsogsn Camhron
and myself are interested in lower wharf.
boat, had proposed to ship small lot o
freight on the Star; supposed she couldn
land, on account OF the Diana lying in
the road With two barges- in tow Star
dropped down 10 distillery landing. about
200 yards below the wharf boat Mr.. Cam.
hron and myself stood on the hank 10 see
if the Star would return while waiting
the Bowen backed from the upper wharf
\ turned and started down stream saw star
backing out from disiillery landing, "a
thought nearly straight across the river, am
in such manner that -expressed-fhe fear
that the boats would come together; Mr
Cambron expressed the same fear we stood
watching the boats until after the collision
observed the Bowen bearing of 10 the In.
diana shore, as il to give room to the Star,
while the Star Continued to back nearl,
straight across the river; at one time
thought the Star had stopped, or nearly
stopped backing, and thai. the Bowen wouil
be able to pass her without striking; look
ing again at Star when the boats we're about
40 yards apart, the Star seemed TO be back
ing again, while the Bowen was gradually
working towards the Indiana shore thinL
the engines of both boats had stopped al
the time OF contact; think the Star was moi
quite square across the river, bat quarterina
little down stream, her bow towards the
Kentucky shore; the Bowen was unarterino
down stream, with her bow To the Indiana
shore; place of collision was about middl,
way of the river; | think McClains chart
most correctly represents position of river
and boats; it is more full and satisfactory
but do not wish 10 be understood rs en-.
d0rsing either plat rs perfect MOores plat
represents. the Silver Star Is quarterina
foo mflch down Strpam and NcCloin's a -