The New York herald., 1872-09-10
Insufifciency of Boats and Life
Saving Apparatus.
FURTHER TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN BURTON
Might Not Proper Examination After
the Collision Have at Once Revealed
tho Leak Of the Vessel2

Metis to-day The hrst witness was John McAus-
Ian, a passenger, whose testimony was the same in
substance as his statement before published He
said that he was familiar with steam navigation,
having crossed the Atlantic several times after
the crash he heard the sound of water, which was
very unfamiliar to him, producing the impression
that there was water inside Of the ves-
sell: on reflection he concluded that he
had confidence enough in the officers not to
be alarmed; he thought the vessel began
to fill with water as soon she was struck and
that she filed forward; this impression was def.
nitely formed as he lay in his Derth what has hap
pened since has strengthened that impression; he
did not hear any one passing through the steamer
giving warming; only heard the voice calling on US
to put on life preservers; noticed several ladies in
the little space at the foot OF the stairs in front OF
the clerks ofilce tied life preserver on one of
them; she was afterwards saved; no one was at
tending to these ladies'; 1t was light enough to see
person fifty yards Off; thinks 1t might be twenty
or twenty-five or 1t may be thirty minutes after he
heard the crash before he heard the call to put on
the life preseryers.
TESTIMONY OF A wHEELsMAN.
William b. Applcby wheelsman, of duty Mt the
time OF the collision, depOsed:- IL got up after the
collision but went to bed again; heard talking in
the pilot house about making water very fast and
again got up and found the steamer was headed
for the beach; she was settling then by the head
very fast; heard the captain 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 passengers to get on their life
preservers; he went into the stater0om hall when
he said it, The witness then described his connec-
ton with the efforts made to launch the boats
which were attended with embarrassment and dis
order.
TESTIMONY OF ANOTHER PASSENGER
Alfred L. Nutting, passenger, testified that after
the collision the purser told him 'those craft could
not hurt us any," soon noticed the boat veering
very badly to port side; got upon the hurricane
deck, with my wife and babe, and got place on
the life raft; stopped there until the boat was
very well sunk when the captain ordered US OF,
saying he wanted to launch the raft; for some rea
son they could not get 1t or we could not get back
on the y Captain BURTON he Thought
the deck would part from the hull he said II 1t did
we've we were all right; then began to see the deck
0 much was snytanss %sG''ss ssv Saptais
up the people; stuck to the hurricane deck until
It went to pieces; We were washed ashore through
cane deck remained there until 1t was beached and
then 1Oated ashore; Captain Hull incurred great
many dangers to save life; could not say that saw
any steeraEe passengers come upon the hurricane
deck; thought the reason why they could not
launch the raft was because 1t was 80 heavy; they
looked all aronnd It and could not find that It
was ashed anywhere; Captain Burton was
there; saw no one experimenting the lowering
OF the boats; did not notice anything about what
FURTHER TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN BURTON.
Captain Burton, commander Of the Nets, re-
called-He said that ater putting the boat on her
course after the collision and running i've or seven
minutes he observed that she heeled considerably
breeze then blowing on our broadside orders were
given to shit over some freight to the starboard
segesD wss made think By CAPTAIN Haul to
bring the boat up head to the and wind in order
to facilitate shifting the cargon order to right her
up; we did 80, and about the time the boat was
brought up to the wind the report came that we
were filling; then ordered her to be put away to
the beas, as before stated; short time after the
hull separated from the deck; saw q steamer
passing by, about half mile to the wndward of
US; we all made all the noise in power to
attract her attention. but could not; she passed on
without seeing US; we also saw several vessels
passing, some to the wndward and some to the
THE CONDUCT OF THE PASSENGERS, OFFICERS AND
CREW
was remarkably cool and collected under such try
| ing circumstances; as the time was so short from
| the time when we ascertained the boat was sink
to organize in regard to lowering the boats or
| leaving the ship; there were three station bills
posted to inform officers where the station was in
! case OF emergency; i gave the order to get the
boats ready to the chief mate and to
the second pilot; the second mate ! do
pected thSse officers would take charge; there
was general order to lower the boats to the net
ting and hold them there until the passengers
| were ready to step into them; navigation from
StOnngtOn to Point Judith Is not more difficult than
other parts OF the Sound, and there is no need CT
| greater vigilance there; think one wheeman
and pilot sufficient for the of the steamer
ON such night; ! think there was nothing In the
take any extra precautions or stand any watch my
| SELF
| the number Of passengers on board, that you dis
charged your whole duty up to the time Of the col
mon A. Yes sir; do.
o. After the collision, do you think that all the
means in your power were used to ascertain
| THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE TO THE sTEAMER'
! x. | am positive they were-that we did every
| thing that was possible to ascertain the damage.
Q. How can you account for the fact that all the
officers and crew. who are mostly boatmen, were so
deceived to the quantity OF water that must, OF
necessity, have been going into that compartments
A. BY the fact that the compartment was enclosed
by the two water. tight buKheads, into which there
was no communication, except through the matches
in the main deck, which were covered with freight
O. II remember rightly, there was the pilot
Torrey and the second mate and the first mate, be-
sides number OF deck hands, that were around
steamer; some Of these were men OF large expert
ence on the water; how do you account for the fact
water, when 1t must have been rushing In In per-
feet torrent? A. think the hole must have been
made about At At or & below the the water!ne perhaps
guard, the distance from there to the deck being
some twelve feet, probably; and the hole being
broken through under the deck enclosed In this
compartment do not see how they could hear It,
q. Would there be any difference in the noise that
the water would make inside, whether the water
was passing in below the water line or above it ?
A. think they could not distinguish between the
sound OF the water the inside or the sound of the
sea on the outside OF the boat.
q. These two compartments forming something
like box, would not water entering to the depth
of three or four feet be very likely to make a
swashing noise that these men could have heard on
deck3 A. The only chance see for 1t to have been
heard would have been by the parties In the fore
CASTLE
z. Leaving the noise out OF the question, don't
you think body OF water In there three or fOur
feet deep would nave communicated shock to the
vessel that ought to have been readily dstin-
guished by an experienced boatmanY A. ] don't
think that the body Of water would bring up with
the shock that less quantity would: 1t would roll
with the ship and would roll deep; don't think
there was anything to attract the attention
OF the officers, unless they thought that the ship