Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-10
The Nets Investigation.
Contradictory Testimony.

PROVIDENCE, Sept. 9.-The board of United
States inspectors continued their investigation
into the loss of the steamer Metis to-day The
first witness was John McAuslan, passenger,
whose testimony was the same in substance as
his statement before published. He is familiar
with steam navigation, having crossed the At
lantic several times After the crash, he heard
sound of water which was very unfamiliar 10
him, producing the impression that there was
water inside the vessel. On reflection he con
cluded he had confidence enough in the officers
not to be alarmed. He thought the vessel be-
gan TO fill with water as soon as she was struck,
and that she filled forward. This impression
was definitely formed as he lay in the berth.
What has happened since has strengthened that
impression; did not hear any one passing
through the steamer giving warning; only
heaId the voice calling to us to put on life pre-
servers; noticed several ladies in the little space
at the foot of the stairs in front of the
clerks office; tied a life preserYer on one of
them; she was afterwards saved; no one was
attending to these ladies; it was light enough to
see person fifty yards off; think it might be
twenty or twenty five, or it may be thirty min
uteS, after heard the crash before | heard the
call TO put on life preservers.
VIM. b. Appleby, wheelsman-0 fduty at the
time OF collision; got up and went to bed
again; heard talk in the pilot house about
making water very fast and again got up; found
the steamer headed for the beach, was settling
give orders to get the boats ready; he was then
at the port door OF the pilot house; would not
be positive whether he gave the order to any
man in particular; then heard him tell the pas
sengers to get on their life preservers; lie went
INTO the stateiroom hall when he said it, Wit
ness detailed his connection with efforts to
launch the boats, which were attended with en-
barrasSment and disorder.
Alfred ). Nutting, pas senger testified that
AFTER the collision the purser told him that those
craft couldn't hurt us any; soon noticed that
the boat was careening very badly to the port
SIDE; got on the hurricane deck with my wife
and babe, and got place ON the life raft;
stopped there until the boat was pretty well
sunk, when the captain ordered us off saving
he wanted TO launch the raft for some reason
they could rot get it off; could not get back on
the raft, it was SO crowded. and the people
rushed about it, so took my seat on the sky.
light; asked Capt Burton if he thought the deck
would part from the hull; he said ifit didn't we
were all right; | then begun TO see the deck
follow the waves as if it had separated from the
hulk impossible for me to do much Of anything;
saw Captain Burton and Captain Hull work
very hard TO pick up the people; ] stuck to the
hurricane deck until it went to pieces; we were
washed ashore through the breakers; this life
raft on top OF the hurricane deck remained there
until it was beached and then 1oated ashore.
Capt. Hull incurred great many dangers to
save life; could not say that | saw any steerage
L
thought the reason why they could not launch
the raft was because it was so heavy; they looked
around it and could not find that it was dashed
any where; Captain Burton was there: | saw
no one experimenting the lowering of the boats:
did not notice anything about what was going
on about the boats.
Captain Burton, commander of the Metis. re-
caled-He said that after putting the boat on
her course after the collision, and running five
or seven minutes, he observed that she keeled
considerably over to port; this was owing to the
strong breeze then blowing on our broadside
The order was given to shift over some freight
to the starbOard, in order to right her M as
this was rather difficult, the suggestion was
made, think by Capt Hull, to bring the boat
up, head TO the sea and wind, in order to facil-
tate the shifting Of the cargo, in order to bring
her up. We did so, and about the time the boat
was brought up to the wind the report came
that we were filing. then ordered her to put
time after the hull parted from the deck. we saw
a steamer passing by about half q mile to
the wlndward of us. We all made all
the noise in our power to attract her attention,
but could not, and she passed on without seeing
to the windward and some to the eeward, but
none of them saw us. think the conduct of
the passengers, officers and crew was remarka-
bly, cool and collected under such trying circum.
stances. AS the time was so short from the time
we ascertained the boat was sinking there was
very little if any opportunity for us to organize
in regard to lowering boats or leaving the ship;
there were three station bills posted to inform
the officers where their station was in cases of
an emergency. / gave the order to get
the boats ready to the chief mate
and to the second pilot; the second
mate don't remember seeing at all; / expected