Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-13
TELEGRAPHlC.
Ynn,nraav Afternoen,s RepoEt.
THE LADY ELGIN.-CORONER's INYEs-
TTGATTON.

THE LADY ELGINs-CORONElt's > lNfEs-
TIGATION.
CnicAoo, Sept, l2
The Coronerp Jury yesterday commenced an
investigation on the wreck Of the steamer Lady
,fohn Jarvis. Milwaukee, passenger. testified
Just before the schooner struck I was Standing
at the middle gangWay; saw the schooner about
two minutes before the collision; she appeared
20 be coming towards US at about an angle Of a
degrees; nbOut hall o minute before she struck
left the ganEway; Capt Wilson was at AFT gang
way; asked some one on schooner IL they wanted
70 come aboard, reply was they did not; think
they were injured; would stop where they We're
The schooner was now dropping utt saw
light on the schooner before the collision, but
none afterwards; I went down into the coal
bunker; saw water coming In very INST; then
went over to the breaks the steward was there
trying 10 stop the leak with matrasscs. The yes
sci had before been hoisted up Ire Ihe Septa,n
stood at the edge OF the semitic ordering men TO
fire up Is Cast as possible. then Went ait; Gap
tain wePtat same dime; gave orders that every
thing loose be thrown overooagd 'he captain,
then went below % see how long we could keep
ahOat; when ! got 20 the engine room engines
had just stOpped l went back 20 the cabin, the
hold being half null of water. The Captain aud
myself then got from twenty 20 twenty five ladies
upon the hurricane deck The boat went down
tive minutes afterwards. There were between
twenty and thirty children ON the forward part
Of the hurricane roof It was very dark and
was raining at the time. The bell commenced
ringing almost at ence after the collision and the
whistle commenced blowing nt the same time
Thomas Cummings, on Lady Elgin, testified
thatthe schooner did not strike the steamer quar-
tering, but at right Vangles, and run square into
her; the steamer moving turned the schooner
round; think we were about ten miles from shore;
saw a vessels light after we left the steamer.
think we could have seen a light on a vessel
miles OF; did not see the schooner after she got
clear Of US; saw that all the steamer head lights
were mp.
Schooner was running about due east when she
struck us; there is rule that boats going 20 Mil
wankee should pass vessels on the larboard side.
I think a vessel under thar wind aud headWay
coald have avoided tina steamer If within twenty
rods Of her, by great eNeruon, even II the vessel
was but three times her length from the steamer;
she could have avoided doing serious damage by
putting her helm hard up. Had the schooner
seen the steamer half mile OF, she could not
have struck her except BY gross negligence. il
seems to me that the helm Of the vessel must
have been put down instead Of up and that Is
what caused the accident. The schooner could
have laid TO within mile Of Us, after the eOlli-
sion, with perfect safety II was not very dark,
although raining heavily
John Vorce hrst mate Of the Augusta says
that At the time Of the collision il was the cap
tain's watch. The second mate was on when the
squall came up, and called the captain, who got
on deck as the squall struck Us About one third
of the foresan and one fourth of She mainsail
were up when we struck the steamer When
saw the steamers light heard the captain sing
out-s Hard up" steamer then crossing our bow
the schooner showed white light from to u;
don't know whether she did at time Of collision
or not heard the helmsmOn answer the order
''hard up but did not notice any change in the
course of the vessel
The Augusta steers wild that is, will not an
sWer the helm readily was not two minutes. at
the outside after the order, that the vessel struck
We heard no noise whsteVer from steamer after
collision. George Bridge, second mate, says it
was the Captains watch. | was on deck yes
sells course was south by east, under full sail, eX
oept main gaf-topsail We showed a white light
drst saw the steamers light about enminutes be-
fore we called the captain, about one point on
the weather bow. IL was about twenty minutes
before the collision when called the captain i
called him because it locked squally. When he
came mp 1 showed him the light. He ran forward
and looked at It, but made no remarks 10 me
about 1t. From three TO i've minutes before she
struck the steamer he ordered the helm 70 be put
hard up the order was Obeyed, but the sail yes
sci did not mind the helm, did not hear any noise
on the steamer after the collision. The wind was
blowing so we could not hear ourselves from one
end Of the vessel TO the other.
One Of the sohOOner's crew who WAS stationed
forward as q look kOut swOre he did not see the
steamers lights until just as the Captain ordered
the helm hard mp.
Up to this morning forty bodies had been re
covered, most of whom resided in Milwaukee.