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


apart, the Stars wheel stopped until the
Bowen was close on her, when the Stars
bell rang TO go ahead think ber wheel |,
made but one revolution, when the boats
came together; it was n clear moonlight
night; IAcould sec the position Of both
boats distinctly; ! think the Star was about
the middle OF the river when they came to-
gethe: she was quartering across the river,
her head a little down and pointed towards
the kentucky shore; when the Bowen was
about SO yards from the Star, the-be ring
10 stop her engines which Was done IN
stantly; at that time | thought the Bowen
wOnld sheer around the stern OF the Star. rs
she tihe Bowen) was swinging SO fast Ia,
wards the Indiana shore; when the boats
came together, L think the position at the
bowen on the river WAS qnartering across
at an angle OF more than - degrees !
thought after the Bowen got clear Of the
Star. she would run aground on the point
bar before she could straighten down the
river; as soon as the Bowen could round to,
sire went back 10 the Stars relief; the
wheel of the Star struck the Bowen on her
larboard quarter, taking away part of the
boiler-deck in front OF the chimneys, and
tearing the casing OF the larboard chimney
loose; l reside in Evansville am travel
ing and passenger agent of the Evansville
and Charlottesville railroad; the BOwens
bow was swinging from the Star and to-
wards the Indiana shore L think the how
of The Star was further down the river than
il represented in the chart am OF the opin-
ion that the stern OF the Bowen was Iearer
the bow OF the Star than is represented
IA little nearer i think Il the Stars stern
way had been checked one minute sooner, "A
collision would not have occurred q
Question.-fIad the Bowen stopped when
the Star was backing out, would there have
been a collision, and was there not sufficient
cy of water on either side OF the Star 70
pass down the river n TrEf 70 49,
Answer suppose not; there was wa
ter sufficient, 7 suppose The Bowen stop
ped her engines about fifty yards from the
Star, as before stated the boats were not
over twenty feet apart when the Star rang
her bell to 60 ahead, and the Bowen sheer
ing off to the starboard ; the Bowen was
running at her ordinary speed when the bell
was rung TO stop her; suppose she was
running from ten To twelve miles an hour :;
/ have been agent for both the, Star and
Bowen; am still agent for the Star :;
have timed Bowen in high water, but do not
recollect the time she made am here-at
the solicitation of the Captain Of the Doweu.
TO testify. n Cu
W. II. Finley, being duly sworn, said /
reside near Louisville, Ky; was a passenger
Oh the Silver Star at time of collision, June
10th was on hurricane deck, in front of pi-
lot house, ut the time the Star backed out.
from distillery landing, and | staid there
until after the collision; saw Bowen leave
upper wharf boat; She had Got round, or
nearly so, and ready To start down stream,
when the Star commenced backing; tire
Star was lying with her bow against the
hank and her stern quartering down stream. |;
as she backed ont her stern came more up
stream; when collision occurred, the Star
was lying nearly straight across the river
aud Bowen coming down about middle OF
the river; when about 10 yards OF US /
| though she wonld run into us about ID feet
forward of the wheel; when about so yards
from the Star, the Bowen commenced sheer
ing TO the right-sheering more than
thought she could some one on hoard the
Bowen, when the boats were about 40 yards
apart, said Z" go ahead on that boat" Just
before this, Capt. Fowler gave the order to
90 ahead; before the engine began TO move
ahead aud tie Star wheel hah made abont
| one revolution, tho boats came Together
think the engine of the Star had stopped
! backing just about the time Of the cry from
| the Bowen to 90 ahead about the moment
of the collision i thought the boats would
come so nearly broadside to each other that
4 would be able to jump from the Star to
! the Bowen, and went att. with the view TO
Ito so bnt went back and stood near the life
boat think when they came together the
I stern OF the Bowen was within itwo-ihirds
I OF the length OF the Bowen of the bow OF
| the Star; the Captain OF the star ordered
rhepiio to go ahead, 4 think, twice; some
| little time elapsed between the two orders |;
| shonld think time enough Ton engine 10 move
ahead didn't hear any bell ring !; ddn' I STE
| the wheel; suppose, from scalenent, that
the Star made ono revolution Of the wheel ;
one or twoscapes of steain make one revolu-
! ton OF wheel am not acquainted with boat
ing, bat suppose itwonld take ; or 20 see
! Onds 10 give signal and put the engine in
motion do not recollect hearing Capt. Fow-
| Ter say "start ahead, or she will be into us;
can't say that bells had not rung when Capt
Fowler gave his order; Judge they had not
or the engines would have been started.
| Edward Fitzpatrick sworn; Sell coal at
! .Uniontown;s was standing Oh the barge;
Bowen rnug her bell at upper wharf boat;
! Star soon after rung three bells at the dis
tilIrry landing; about 800 yards from upper
wharf boat to disiiliery; MS soon as bellsrung
left wharf boat and went down ON coal
barges--there heiisg hve ia Ter; noticed
| Bowen coming down at the lower end of
lower wharf boat; Bowen was on her way
down when the Star commenced backing;
Bowen was about 200 feet below lower
wharf boat when Bowen commenced sheer
ing out TO Indiana shore, Star was backing
ont and stopped-stopped about three revo-
lutions and commenced backing second time;
boats then came together; Bowen steering
| 10 Indiana shore, and Star backing out
straight across the river Bowen going at
good gait boats came together; couldn't
tell which struck; Bowen was $50 or 200
yards of from Star when she commenced
sheering; Star continued backing when the
Bowen began TO sheer; been in coal bust
ness at that point six years; never saw
boat hack in front Of another in that way
before; couldn't say that it was the Stars
backing that caused the collision; Star was
hacking On her wheel when the collision &C.
curreu point of contact might be little
closer 10 knntnckv than Indian, obora.