The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-02-29

would have gone over the rock without
touching. lie said he did not see neither Of
fcers or men under the influence of liquor
during the voyage.
Mr.. Trocks, the first officer of the Bohemian.
testified that he was on deck at the time the
lights were made, they were steering n. w. by
w. at the time and changed their course to
n. aud n. by L. and run that course half an
hour before she struck. The engines worked
about 10 minutes, but he could not tell how
far she went before she sunk He said the
cause of losing so many passengers from No.
2 boat was that one end was let down sudden
ly throwing the passengers out-that ropes
and ladders were thrown out but they seemed
too much exhausted to make any effort to save
themselves. A boat came round but could do
but little TO save the passengers on account of
the swell No. = boat was rendered useless as
it was full of water with the sea breaking over
it.
After doing what he could to Iescue The pas
sengers, he was instructed to go to the shore,
TO get help; and taking No. 4 boat with as
many passengers as he could carry, he made
for the Cape Elizabeth light, and as he could
not succeed in making any one on shore hear,
he went for Portland harbor, and landing his
passengers, returned with the tugboat. He
said they saw the Boston boat going out; had
not seen the Portland lights at that town.
He had been IA voyages with Capt. Borland.
On Saturday the investigation was resumed,
and Capt b. j. Willard was called upon to
testify. He said he was in his pilot boat at
the time OF the accident, near Bangs Island
ledge, said he was out eight miles from shore
all day, about S. T.. from Cape Elizabeth
light, and came in as the fog shut down.
Did not see any rockets or blue lights. The
man on watch said he thought he heard a
gun, but as guns were was fired in the city in
honor of Washington's Birthday they thought
it might be one of them. fit had been clear
enough for vessel to approach the coast, he
should have been out further. Said it was
impossible to judge of the distance Of light
in fog, when they cannot get cross bear
ings. Said the Portland lights were safer
to follow than the Cape lights in foggy
weather.
Said he had brought Captain Borland in every
trip he has come. He thought Capt. b. had
very good knowledge of the harbor and
could have brought in the ship in clear
weather. He had always found him very cor
rect. He said there was four feet water in
the shoaest place on Alden's Rock, at low
water. He acted as pilot by agreement with
the agents of the company to look after and
bring in their vessels. The first knowledge
he had of this disaster was when the tug boat
hove in sight with the chief officer of the Boz
hemian on board. He went down 10 the
wreck with them and found the passengers all
of, and the Captain aud few of the men only
remaining. Said there was first class buoy
on Alden's Ledge larger than a hogshead, but
that a bell-boat would probably have given
timely warning and saved the ship Said the
harbor was the easiest of access on the coast.
when you can get the lights, as you can keep
in 0 fathoms of water all the time Said he
was the only pilot who kept boat for that
purpose. Said there was no branch pilot in the
city or in the State; thought it important
there should be one
The following is the verdict of the Jury:
STATE OF MAINE
| IT.. s. Cumberland, IS.
An inquisition, taken at Portland within
| said county of Cumberland on the twenty
third day OF February, in the year of our
| Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty
| four, before James S. Gould, gentleman one
of the Coroners OF said county OF Cumber-
land, upon the view OF the bodies of several
persons there lying dead, by the oaths of
| Richard Crockett, Robert Dyer Levi Wey-
III. Estes, yeomen, good and careful men, who
! being charged and sworn, to enquire for the
| State, when, how, and by what means the
| said several persons came to their death, upon
| their oaths do say, that the said persons of
name and residence unknown, came to death
| by the sinking of the steamship Bohemian.
| Capt. Robert Borland, in Caseo Bay, off the
shore of Cape Elizabeth, on the 22d and 23d
| days of February, 1864; the shaking of said
steamer being caused by her collision with
Alden's Rock, at about eight o'clock on the
evening of the 22d of February, 1864, when
| running at the rate of one and one-half to
two and two and half knots per hour We fur
Their find that said collision was owing. LIST, TO
an error in the judgment of Capt. Borland as
| TO the distance from Cape Elizabeth lights,
| which were then visible I'd; that even had
the steamer been where Capt. Borland sup
| posed her TO be. it would have been course
| OF wisdom aud caution to have taken more
eastward direction than he did take till Port
land light was made; Sd, that said collision
would not probably have occurred had there
| been bellboat on Alden's Rock: 4th, that
| though the weather was mild and calm, and
| that two steamers were overdue, while anoih-
er was expected, the pilot employed by the
owners of the line was not in a position TO OBJ
serve the signals made by the steamer.
The jury further find that most of these
| persons, how many being to us unknown, were
| drowned in consequence Of the swapping in
some way to us unknown of the boat belong
| ing to said steamer. known as boat No. ?.
while being launched partially filed with pas
sengers. We further find boat known as
boat No 9, left the ship when but partially
filed with passengers, and though repeatedly
ordered back to the ship by the officers of the
ship, refused to return; and that this refusal
contributeAto increase the loss of life by the
sinking of the steamer.
We further find that, after the steamer
struck on said Alden's Rock, every officer con-
nected with the ship was at his post and that
officers and men worked with energy aud good
| judgment rarely equalled, and never surpassed,
to avoid the loss of life. and 10 secure the pas
sengers from threatened death.
We further find that the steamship Company
are specially worthy of commentator for their
| efforts for the recovery of the bodies of the
drowned, and in defraying the expenses con-
! nected thereupon; and that the Steamship
| Company, the Board of Trade, and citizens of
! Portland and the citizens of Cape Elizabeth.
| have been most earnest and untring in their
efforts to relieve the sufierings of the saved,
and to forward them to their several destina-
| tons.
| In testimv whereof the said Coroner and the