The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-06-24
Trial of Pilots OF Bowen ana star,
before Inspector Harrison, OF Nash

Absalom Moore sworn: Am pilot OF the
Star; was hired as regular pilot at time of
accident, this being my first trip; saw every
thing perfectly distines it being n clear
night; the collision occurred at Uniontown,
KY, on Friday evening, June 10TH the dis
lance from the upper wharf boat, where the
Bowen lsy, TO disti!lery landing, where the
Star was taking on freight, was from TO
! of n mile; | backed out the Star in the
usual manner, until some distance from
shore her stern was probably near the mid
die of the river; her engines had been
stopped come little time--her stern way
being dead--when her wheel went ahead
one revolution nj least, if not more at the
time the Bowen struck her, the Star Vas
quartering towards the Kentucky shore,
the boat struck her without her (the Bow
en's) engines stopping, tearing away the
starboard fianges, and disfguring the Stars
wheel after striking us, the Bowen went
on down the river some distance, until we
hailed her, when she returned and towed ms
ashore no lives lost that | know of; could
not gay there had been good understanding
between me and the pilot of the Bowen had
nothing particular against the man, don't
know whether he has anything against me
there was any quantity of water and room
in the river; didn't think it necessary to
signal, and heard no signal; in my opinion
the collision might have been avoided the
Star was going ahead towards the Ken
lucky shore at the time she was struck,
leaving more room for the Bowen to pass
both boats left landing nearly At same time;
the Bowen probably started a little before
the Star; the river at the place of collision
is $50 or 500 yards wide--all good water;
boats GO any place they please; the usual
way OF running is near the center of the
river; when Bowen was in so feet Of us,
she was straight up and down the river,
ms near as could guess; had | been
pilot of Bowen, would have considered her
under my control, as she was fully under
way, and not rounding to; the Bowen was
little nearer the Kentucky shore than was
usual in boats going down stream the
Bowen backed out quicker than the Star !;
there is dry sand bar on the Indiana shore,
but nothing to prevent the Bcwen's going
to the left or right of the Star; the Star did
not go nearly over to the Indiana shore af-
ter the collision | did not stop backing once
and then begin again; backed first slow
Bowens Strengthening and running 4 OF a
mile before the Star swung round, because
the Bowen was lightly and the Star heavily
loaded both handle easy; the Bowen easiest
of the two; had the position of the boats
been reversed, the Bowen would have back
ell out and got out of the way before the
Star reached her; couldn tell exact time
stars engines had been at rest, before she
advanced some little time, however: Star
haadled slow on that trip; / might have
heen backing the Star, after the Bowen
was straight and coming down stream the
Bowen is the quickest, aud got around
first
Capt. Fowler teins duly sworn, said The
Star was unusually heavily loaded after
landing at the upper wharf boat az Union
town, we dropped down To the distilery
landing about One-thiTd of p mile below
while We were dropping down u the distil-
lery, the Eawen landed at the upper wharf
after iischargng some empty barrels runc
the bell to leave Just then | heard the
Bowen bell tap To let go; the Bowen CON-
inenced backing out little sooner than VIC
did the Star backed very s!0w-we were
only working n half head OF steam. when
Out ia the river some distance. | noticed
the Bowen had backed around and Wa,
coming ahead on her engines, | asked Mr.
Moore what side she intended taking; lie
said the outside asked the question lie
cause the Bowen was heading directly az
the Star. the Star was sWinging-her stern
up ana htr bow down stream, and, from hel
position, do not think she had much. n any
stern-way; the engine had stopped some TIM.
b h.
rccly on as; could not see tia, the gove,
sheerei of at all went Ia the stern Of Ga,
Star, and sa~ the Bowen must change he
conTse,o or We must get out of the way quick
Is or he sunk; told the pilot to go ahead
repeating the order rapidly. the bell wa
Tung and answered promptly By the engi
neer when within twenty yards Of u.. th,
Bowen commenced sheering to the star
board Bowen bell was rung 10 siop he
lust before she struck us can't say whetbe,
Bowens steam was shut oft the Star I'm,
made two or three revolutions ahead. whe,
the Bowen struck her wheel, carving ava,
the Two starboard hanges. and otherwis,
damaging II; ! suppose the Star larboar
side was towards tue Bowen; the head a.
the Star was pointed toward the hentu,l ,
sLorr, aud inclined down stream; the lar
board side of the Bowen was injured; sur.
pose the Bowen struck the larioard side ~
the Star did not think the Bowen coult
clear the larboard side the Star NAV HAY,
been IN the middle of the river, hat thi,l
she VAS nearest the Kentucky shore.
Mr. Haywood, second engineer on Star
sworn The Star left the upper wharE.boa
at Uniontown, and dropped down some dis
,,,,a haInuv yviIpn she ltari-a1 ON. s.
distillery landing, can't say how her hea,
was pointing, whether IL was straight acros
the river, or qnartering down about TN
time she stopped hacking, saw the Charlie,
Bowen coming down the river; the Bower
WAS about $50 or 800 yards off when IN,
Star engines were stopped; changed th
cam-rod SO rs to move either way rs quicl
rs possible thought if there was no aitera
ton ia the Bowen course, she would s,rik
the Stars larboard cylinder; when With,
,i.,nt 20 yards Of the Star, the Bower
shecred to the right; couldn't see where Oh
Bowen 5 head struck; thought it just misse
the Star huH !; a short time before the col
l,sion. the Stars pilot rang the go-ahea
hell init. lately obeyed the signal ia
wheel made only one or two revolutions Ice
fore the Bowen truck us Star handle
slow ON that trip; didn't make mach head
way by the two revolutions; il she mad
aut. IL was bv the wheel striking the Bow