The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-10-23

Vanderbilt blew her Whistles We took NO sheer 70 sb .
east whatever, except shaping direct course to sne
blown; did not know f their any lookout foS
ward on board the Dean Richmond " tell II there
The witness was hers asked the question DO yoa
know that lookout forward Is required by hwr
Answer-we have carried lookouts heretofore always
There outside the pilot house " give sgnaIs
but the pilot and wheesmen The 81
John, when we met her, passed on the ives.
as heard the Other whistle Tor the Vanderbilt there
was not half minutes interval should think, blew
. distinct whistle very quick very loud; It was
just like ths foot toot the wind southwest not
heavy at all; can't tell bow many knots breeze wss
as We were going fat through the water; was Just
nice light breeze, that's ALI when blew We stored our
bow towards the just sufficient TO avoid the approach
ing boat we did not give frank sheer hs question
time look at the Vanderbilt again until she blew her
single whistle and then that she had turned her
then blow the alarm whistle Immediately; before that
both vessels were heading directly for each other
said about three lengths apart when blew tho
alarm WHISTLE the Vanderbilt must have been about
thousand feet or 50 from US AZ that tune certainly
the Vanderbilt and not from the Vanderbilt and ono
from the propeller, both sounded the same 70 me;
did not the propeer-ony the light was TOO busy
attending the vessel approaching me- never saw
such thing done before the whistles OF two vessels
another like that; the boat that signals
FIRST always entitled 70 the right OF way and usually
keeps the she wa Ssteeriua at the time
she whsted The ascending boat going up the river,
generally gives the nrsl whistles on the Hudson river il
not the practice to keep look -out-man specially Do
sides the men the pilot house, there was no better
place than the pilot house, which was in an elevated
ana unrestricted portion, TO see anything that was
approaching man deck could not SEQ as well or
as far on as man In the pilot house, bats general
ly 90 in The east side Esopus Island to get out or
the way OF vessels in tho ebb and the food tide they
frequently so to the west rs to avoid lows that they
20 the channel the west side Is wider dfd
not take the east side that hght the 81. John was
tonght;'' could not de- erm ne whether the Wander
blt should take the channel because II Ia
about It; both channels clear that night and
there was nothing 10 bar either from Vanderbilt;
when tho Vanderbilt sounded ner Two Whistles she was
Just about thro quarters OF mile from u.s.
could judge, and when answered hor we might have
been only half mile apart, as We were both going
along swiftly at the time blew, II | had had the
chance, could have had room enough TO have gone
either to the starboard port side OF the Vanderbilt,
provided had had the proper signal but after had
answered there was time TO change them; there
just sufficient time between the two whistles and
the second single whistle that heard from Wander
bit for me TO sheer the Dean Richmond over 70 the
eastward-perhaps minu,e-but only that time.
Gerard Van war was then sworn My business % con.
nected with the boats have been perhaps eight
years the river and know the BUSINESS was ABOARD
the Dean Richmond the night OF the 10Th and morn
men; before that used to be aboard the Rip Van
Winkle;. remember the night Of the col
food tide and light breeze; were about two miles
and half or SO from The Vanderbilt and going about-
then corroborated evidence de all Of the pilot who
last examined, and part cular as to tho
fact Of the Vanderbilt blowing two whistles nrst,
head oil the Dean Rcbmond.) Tho Dean Rich
mond was about still in the water, although
tho engines we're backing astcrn al the time they col
lided; light TO the OF the Vanderbilt, but
could tell what belonged to- all the whistles Of the
steamboats, sound differently, and knew that Of the
Vanderbilt WE'LL as l used to know her belore she was
sold out Of the Peoples lne there was about hundred
feet PROBABLY, between light and the Wander
bits; could steamboat about three miles of,
sailing vessel nth lights; vessels generally head for the
elbow ON passing the island we headed so al all events
hayp heQn n
Dean Richmond as steersman In her this year; have
only acted as wheesman one sea on before, that Was
in 1862 but after that have steered barges the
river; have been baggage master and deck hand ON
various vessels; do not know that the difference in
blown. The remainder OF tue wtness' evidence was
only exactly corroboratve Of that OF the pilot.
passenger on board the Dean Richmond tho night Of
the collision; heard ono whistle after had gone 70
bed and then shorty .ftsr~srds heard answered n
bsriS 70 the window aud saw the Wander.
on tho stsrboard de the after end OF the
vessel; heard the nrst whistle Just about twenty
minutes past Twelve O'clock very faip. but ours
quite loud when sas the Vanderbilt could read
her name in fuil she apparently coming across
our bows, steering 10 the eastward have trav-
elled good deal In ships, and know about maritime
matters, although not exactly sailor the rest OF the
he exception that Mr. Kadsr only observed one
WHISTLE az he said, first from the Vanderbilt, but he
added that his cabin window was shut, and ne might
not have hoard very distinctly
Lawrence Aionzo feel sworn and examned-I 1--we -
Athens and have been employed ten or Twelve years
in the boating business; was on board the
Dean Dichmond on The night OF the collision,
in the pilot house. acting as one Of the wheel
men Mr. hamburger and Van Wart were there besides
both the direct and sexamination tins witness
only corroboraed the former cvdence he was positive
that the whistle had bsen blown from the Vanderbilt
that he knew the vand.rbts VIII stlc and recognized
three as coming from her and that there was no pro-
peer ehher OF tho vessels although there vas
light to the Of the Vanderbilt, the pilot bad
stated On being examined by one OF the inspectors
witness said that jingle bells used
other Of comm uncatpg with the enaine room
besides the regular engin. room bell and there was no
way OF telling the engineer 10 back strongly in cases OF
emergency
The investigation adjourned at the conclusion Of
this testimony until the meeting OF the board Az
there a number OF witnesses to be heard on both
sides, the inquiry will probably last some days.