The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-02-29
THE BOHEMIAN DISASTER !
,oroner's Inquest--yerdict of the Jury
FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Tue cause oil the wreck OF the montreal ocean
| Steamship Bohemian, by which some thirty
lives were lost, closed its investigation on
| Saturday. at noon. The testimony is volum-
nous. aud as much off is repetition of what
has been already published, and some of it OF
no particular importance, we shall give only
condensed report Of the testimony, embrac-
ing, however, all the important facts bearing
upon the case.
The first witness examined on Friday, was
| James Spence, who was at the wheel from 6
O'Clock Of the evening Of the disaster until the
time she struck on Alden's Rock. His state
ment conceded with that OF Captain Borland's
in relation 10 The course steered, making the
| lights, &c He stated that he had sailed with
/ Captain Borland eighteen months and had
never seen him show signs of ntoxication
and that he was perfectly cool after the ship
| struck and did all he could to save the psssen-
gers.
! Washington Stetson, pilot on the steamer
Montreal of the Portland and Boston line,
said they passed the Bohemian on the night
| OF the disaster, at about o'clock. She was
apparently heading northeast, and he thought
she was farther to the westward than she
ought to be. Saw her fire rockets and blue
| lights, as is customary when waiting for pi-
lot. He thought the Bohemian was a mile
and a half outside of them, and they were
about half mile from the Cape. She did not
appear TO be going ahead scarcely any. He
thought, from her position, she could see the
Cape lights, but rs there was haze or yapor
in the atmosphere, the lights looked further
of than they really were. Had she fired
| gun they would have supposed her in distress,
as they thought her too near the shore.
Captain Borland states that shortly after
clock of the evening OF the disaster, he saw
Cape Elizabeth lights. He judged he was
about miles from land. The weather was
hazy aud he went slow, and then dead slow
He put lookouts upon the forecastle and aloft
He went below at s O'Clock to consult his
chart, and the ship struck just as he reached
the deck. He continued to fire rockets and
blue lights from the time they discovered the
lights until she struck The pilot boat gen
orally responds to these signals and they
steer for it. but no pilot boat was seen that
night.
Shortly after striking the engineer reported
that she was making water very fast, when he
ordered full steam put on and headed her for
the shore to beach her. She run about ten
minutes, when the engineer reported that the
fires were drowned ont. The anchors were
then cast and the boats got in readiness to
save the passengers. The boat was settling
all the time. He gave an account of the man
ner in which the passengers were saved which
is the most important part of the testimony
and we give it substantially in his own Ian
guage.
Afler the boats were got in readiness the
| passengers made such rush that many of
them were filed before they reached the wa
ter; the anchors were not let go until all
Roadway ceased; it might have been later
than nine o'clock when the anchors were left
! }; steamer must have run fullytwo miles af-
r she struck The engine stopped in less
IAN ten minutes after she struck; the ship
as settling all the time, and she had hardly
OF under Roadway when the engines stopped
fter the anchors were let 60 got the passen-
gers into the boats as soon as possible; all the
| passengers were on deck, and there-was great
confusion; every officer was at his own boat
saw them endeayor to drive the passengers
out Of them where they were over-crowded
before they were lowered into the water; all
the boats were numbered and each boat had
its officer and crew; the crew wore a badge
with the number of their boat on it; he 1.-THE
Captain was at various points experimenting
the embarkation; it was the achief officers
boat that was swamped; sent the chief officer
forward TO let go the anchors il was the chief
officers and carpenters duty to perform that
Office; could not say whether the boat was
swamped while he was forward or not; the
boat was swsmped in lowering; one end
dropped down aud threw the passengers into
the water some of the boats were filed and
others were not, which left some 10 or so
passengers on deck; the chief officer asked,
after his boat was swamped, if he should get
into another and try to bring those which
were not filed alongside; told him to do SO
he did, and succeeded in bringing one boat
under starboard bow: this boat took on board
number Of passengers; could not say how
many; at the time dense fog and the ship
settling down: the boats were all away from
the ship moment after: the only alternative
then was to get the passengers into the rig
ging; he was left on board with the boatswain
three of the crew, and some 70 or so passen-
gers; succeeded in getting about 80 women
and children into the fore-top; the water was
then over the forecastle head; the men in the
boats not full refused TO pull alongside; No 2
boat was swanipcd by the letting go of the
fall or breaking OF the pin; No. | boat and
No. 5 or boat came back in about three
honrs and took all OF them Off; lowered the
women and children into the boats from the
rigging got all safe TO the land that were in
the rigging few passengers washed of the
'"ecastle head when the ship flied; after
eng the passengers housed and cared for
4turned to the ship; left the beach for that
purpose about O'Clock; the ship did not sink
for some time after the anchors were cast;
very little or no wind could not say whether
she would have dTifted On or OIL the shore il
the anchors had not been cast; had no con
yersation with Capt. Stone before she struck ;
no person told him there was danger of run
ming upon Alden's Rock; gun was fred
after she struck; did everything in his power
TO save the lives of the passengers.
Captain Edward Stone, of Kennebunk, was
on board the Bohemian when she strnck He