The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-10
The Terrible Oneida Ca'am'y.
The English Version of the Disaster
The Testimony of Captain Eyre
A Very Contradictory Statement.

the British steamer Bombay, and the testimony
of the captain of the British steamer. We print
the evidence Rof Captain Eyre, commanding the
Bombay, as given IN presence OF the United
States Minister Delong, at the British Consu-
late:--
ter's certificates command the steamer Bonn
bay: was in command on the oath of January;
at about els 7. NJ. on the day the lighthouse at
Kanasaki bearing s. II E., the spit w. by N, as
near as could be judged; / saw q light half
point on my port bow it was bright light; this
was at 615 p. M; shortly afterwards | made out
two lights--sde lights green and red; ordered
the helm to be ported, and kept on porting until
shut the green light In; the pilot and chief off-
Ger were standing by my side on the bridge; |
turned the steam whistle on myself; in shutting
off the green light my pilot said: I'VE are well
clear. sir;" my orders were-"Port still, the
rule of the road, and we will give her wide
berth;" the steam whistle was then turned off;
almost Immediately after this saw the ship cross
ing my bows under full sail and steam as
far as could see; telegraphed and stopped the
engines; as she got nearly ahead OF me and close
to, put the helm hard a starboard TO clear her;
Immediately after this the collision took place,
our starboard bow striking her starboard quar-
ter; the shock was not at all great, nothing
more than a Craze; / then turned round and
looked astern, and sent the chief officer down to
see what damage was done and if the ship was
making water, and said to the pilot, II do not
think there is much harm done; If there is we
shall see signals, rockets, or lights, that she
wishes us 10 90 down 10 Der; stopped tue en-
gines as nearly as | can tell about ten minutes;
the chief officer came up to me and reported the
ship making water forward; then said, 81 can
see no signals of distress, and nothing can be
wanted, and then steamed ahead for Yokohama,
as the ship was making water, and l had mails
and passengers on board; but while standing
and looking astern | asked the pilot if sup
posing the ship was hurt, or that should re-
quire it, where could go for safety; the answer
was, there is not the slightest fear; the spit is
so near at hand ship cannot go down; then
came up to Yokohama; even after we got here
j thought very little of the collisions; had not
the slightest idea OF the consequences except
that might merely have cut his quarter gallery
off; nothing else; did not know what ship she
was; remarked, as she passed, that she was
an auxiliary screw; am stranger to this port,
never having been here before.
Examined by MIR. Barnard.-l could not sec,
to distinguish from another object, man
ships width off; could see an object, but could
not distinguish it; she was about one mile off
when | saw the side lights; can hardy say the
time; the other vessel evidently starboarded her
helm, crossing our bows; she, by so doing,
brought the wind more on her quarter; when |
first saw the lights ported the helm and kept
it SO until shut her light in, and she, seeing
my lights, starboarded her helm and crossed my
bows.
To the Court-At the time the collision took
place all the people were at their stations as
usual and customary; the second officer was on
the fore part OF the poop, and the fourth olhcer
by the wheel, to see my signals attended to; my
reason for sending an officer to the wheel was
that the quartermaster, during the previous
half hour, had not answered my signals quick
enough: an able seaman and a Sea-cunnie were
at the wheel; there was no one in the chains,
but q quartermaster was ready If wanted; ten
minutes elapsed from time of stopping engines
to going ahead again; l have never been in
Japan before, and have not seen the entrance by
daylight; my reason for taking pilot was this;
/ had no idea of the nationality of the other
vessel; remarked that she was an auxiliary
screw; have been at sea thirty-seven years,
and have been twenty in command; L have
been both in sailing vessels and steamers. (The
witness was about to answer question, when
the Court objected to any expression of opinion
only.) l did not see any damage, and merely
imagined the quarter gallery was Knocked off;
the pilot said the same thing; l supposed that
no Larm haG been dene had no idea of having
struck the other ship dangerously: did not see
any signal rockets or lights looked for them
and saw no signals; heard no guns; did not
see the other vessel clew up her sails; heard
nothing at all of the other vessel; as she passed
us the pilot called out, 'Whaf do you mean ~
the pilots name is Connor; l believe he is an
American, but am not sure
To Mr.. De Long-I cannot tell how far the
two ships drifted apart Immediately after the
collision; my ship came upon the other on the
quarter, and as the other vessel was under full
bail and steam she was quickly out OF sight;
turned and looked after her with my glass, and
could see nothing wrong; If there had been any
Ihing serious l should have seen 1t; heard nc
signal and saw none; that is trHthfuly said;
saw the Oneidas white light first, and almost
Immediately afterwards the two side lights:
saw both side lights at once-both nearly ahead
of me, half point on my port bow. L have stated
since This catastrophe that had struck shipanC
taken her larboard gallery off; made no remark
to the effect that mad seen light through the
vessels side, or seen man carried away from
the cabin; had seen anything of the sort
should have stopped at once; i heard no shou
nor hail; my pilot did not tell me that he hearC
anything; heard no whistle; If whistle wal
blown on board the Oneida from the time o
the accident or three guns fired and my no
hearing, attribute to the strong breeze tina
was blowing and the vessel having shot from
me so rapidly. ! looked for a blue-light o
rocket; the former would show me the position
of the vessel, and the latter that something wa
wrong; | stopped the engines before the COLI
sion; as soon as ever | saw the collision was in
eyitable stopped the engines; / was standing
by the engine-room telegraph myself and blew
the whistle with my own hands; l did tn
latter because the youngsters sometime
forget TO do so / remained altogether from tn
time of stopping. to going ahead again tel
minutes; remarked to the pilot, "Surely,
anything is wrong she will give us rocket, blue
light or signal OF some Sort" was good fl
teen minutes looking after the ship after th
accident; did not hail the other ship, as wa
too busy watching my own, and trying TO cas-
the collision as much as / could; the pilot Wa
the first man who spoke; was told by M
second officer that we called out "Steam'
ahoy' and were not answered by the Oth'
vessel; the collision was very slight, so much
that the lady passengers did not feel 1t; Q!
pected TO be flung OFF the bridge; eased the CO