The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-06-27
THE MILTON DISASTER.
Corousr,s Inquest-Testiriony Of the Pilot ana
Wheelman Of the Nuhpa.

WheeInan of the Nuhpas
PouGHKEEPsIE, June 20, 1870
Gradually the facts relative to the Milton
drowning disaster are coming to light, ana they
show that the officers Of the steamer Nuhpa did
everything they could to avoid the collision and to
save life after 1t occurred. One could not convince
the Villagers at Milton that Captain Carroll aud
plot Briggs, OF the Nuhpa had acted humanely. and
their false opinion was no doubt brought about in
part by the conflicting statements Of Henry Miller,
the man who was rescued. Reliable men at Milton
say he has already told three or four different
stories, and thus 1t was that the people have been
partially msled. When lie first related the details
below. Milton, 10 TQgpsspd,s 4Qck, when y. The the
nc sp has va d sss az ~ his Soss
ay se a s Md Is p was Ssank s
ment which Is confirmed by the evidence given BY
the pilot Of the Nuhpa Now II be has made errors
which way he was pulling Is 1t not poss BILE that he
has forgotten whether he shouted and yelled while he
while the pilot and wheelman OF the Nuhpa declare
they heard shouting after the collision. The peo
pie have been mised III relatont 70 the entire matter
and solely 30 by the conflicting statements referred
TO. The following testimony was given In q iree,
straightforward manner before Acting Coroner
WoClsey, at Milton, last evening"
Pilot Briggs sworn-l reside at Athens, y. H;
! am by occupation pilot on the freight
tween p New York ana Hudson We lett HUDSON
last Sunday evening shortly after seven O'Clock;
we passed Milton at about eleven p. NJ; we were
In the middle Of the river, bound south; was
at the wheel and man was with me; saw some
thing ahead and told my assistant 20 heave over;
looked again and saw 1t was small boat, when I
boat coming towards US; stopped the boat when
the small boat passed under our bow out OF sight;
asked the lookout II we hit her; he said, 'yes; we
then lowered q boat, when Captain Carroll and
another man got into 1t and wentof they were gone
from q half to three-quarters OF al hour ana we
drIfted along; did not dare to back the boat for
fear the wheel would catch whoever was In the
water; all our lights were burning; the captain
and the man, VINO was one OF the deck
hands, searched for the occupants OF the boat half
or three quarters OF an hour; when the captain came
back he said he had seen the boat bottom up and
turned 1t over he saw nothing OF the occupants and
told me TO go on; we were short distance below
Milton, In the middle OF the river, wnen the boat was
struck; the Nupha is large boat; we were gong at
the rate 0f fourteen or fifteen miles the hour; we had
just time TO give The propeller sheer; when we first
cve the wheel over as soon as we saw the boat but
saw We could not clear item JUMPED and rang the
bells to stop; theh as soon as the small boat passed
uRof boss SSns % das all H. lowered he STAR
board one; We ala not blow OF steam; thought
heard woman halIoo just as the boat struck and
passed out OF sight, but could not tell
whether any one was In the boat only from
the shouting; the propeller Corning came down and
stopped abreast Of us and asked whats the mat
terfu aud passed on; heard no one call for help;
can't tell how far our boat ran before the small boai
was lowered, which was not more than I'VE minutes
after the bells were rung she did not drift quarter
OF q mile; used the best Judgment had and did
ali could TO avoid the collision; the small boat
might have hung short time on our bow, but
think not; the forward lookout leaped down on the
forward deck and sung out for heaviDg line; this
was ali done IN o moment; boat irom sloop was
out, the captain said and neiped turn over this
small boat, bat didn't see 1t; II the man who was
saved mad swum twenty feet to the westward in the
shade OF the mountain we could not have seen him;
there was dead calm; a light breeze lights the
water up always; could not see any one in the
boat; large steamer,-tne VanderDiltMpassed up
two whistles for the Vanderbilt; the Corning
passed between US and the west shore, as did also
the Vanderbilt; the wind II any, was to the south
Ward The Nuhpa runs along very stills after we DIS
covered boat we did everything we could to avoid
we sheered TO the eastward and SO did the small
boat, shutting up the gap; the small boat was lying
still when first saw IL; there are SO many things
lying In the river nights you can't hall the time tell
what they are.
sackie am wheeIman on the Nuhpa; was on the
boat last Sunday night; was on duty at the wheel
when the accident occurred; the boat which we
fifty feet OF when we first saw 1t; the first ! knew
the pilot shouted "Heave - and the propeller was
sheered to the eastward; then the small boat also
moved to the eastward; the pilot shouted twice to
the small boat "Stop rowing and the two bells to
stop our boat were rung just quickly they could
be- Just before the collision the clock struck eleven
/ helped lower our small boat; the captain got
into IT.; he had nothing but his night
astern on the starboard side aud didn't see him
again TIL he back; heard no one haoO after the
boat was lowered; went aft on the upper deck I'M
mediatey after the collision; saw a s0op TO the
eastward of us just after we lowered our boat; saw
a small boat near the sloop, two or three hundred
feet TO the eastward; that boat might have picked
up the man that was saved and l not know it,
Henry Miller, the man who was saved, was then
recalled and testified that ne was IN the water ab0u
half an hour and when the propeller sIruck the boa
he was heading to the eastward.
Mary Ann Purdy then testified, but her evidenc
has already been published
The inquest was then adjourned till four P. M. OF
Friday next get the testimony Of the two men VIII
rescued Miller.