New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-09-06


SCHOONER CAPTAfN-CONFLICrING EVIDENCE
OF OFFICERS OF THE NETS.
PROVIDENCE, Sept. 5.-The official investlga-
ton into the causes OF the wreck OF the Nets was
begun at New London last Tuesday. when Capt Jameson
Of the schooner Nettie Cushing testified ,ollows
Emory d. Jameson OF the town OF Friendship in the
State OF Name having been duly sworn, here make ne
following statements am master OF the schooner Netue
Cushing Of nor Ms Sesse Ts@ oeere
until the morning Of the Soth. Az II O'Clock, midnight,
Beaver Tail light bore due north by compass the course
was west by SOUTH the wind coming from the southoa
The weather drzzling rain. AZ a. M Watch I'M
bore north The weather being thick with ram squalls
took i'm light sails sent and steamer two
points the lee or starboard bow. We steered our
course west by south. Oar lights were IN goOd order
was standing alongside the at the wheel the mate
was aft saw the steamers green hght ana masthead
LIGHT also We held and In ABOUT three minutes
eoIded Tie steamer struck our ibbo0n and DOwsprit
breaking the former in three pieces ana the V0Wsp AZ
night heads breaking of night head stanenlOns ir0m
hofh bows and All our head gear aud cutwater also Tue
steamer turned US around head 70 the "iRu' naiIvu
the steamer, and asked them to take us on, as sup,
posed we were sinking in sinking condition Sne
kent course and we lost sight OF her When, as
whistle until TIE steamer out OF sight Boon aIer
another steamer passed 10 wndward and near US we
hailed but received reply. iJudge that We were
going the rate OF six knots an hour at the time OF tne
o. What was the extent Of the injury after collision
A. The cutwater was gone, and its fastenlgs Dent on
the port side the stem was crushed WITHIN Two teeS ~
the upper bobstay plates.
A. No, cannot.
The mate, John Geyer, and Geo W. Bradford, one OF
the crew. gave similar testimony. and the Captain and
mate gave diagrams illustrating the relative positions
Of the vessels when tho steamers lights were nrst
seen and when they struck. This after
noon. Inspectors Beckwth and Hovcy have taken the
statements OF John c. King chief engineer OF the Mes,
Edmund DAVIS. bow watchman, and John b. f. Gately
OF Boston, passenger, as follows;
TESTIMONY OF The CHIEF ENGINEER.
John C. King testified: chief engineer OF the
steamer Nets the Goth of July last until she was
LOST about 800 o'clock, on the morning OF the SOth was
wheel; jumped up, ana ran iorWaru " t the eus In
nes one OF the deck hands to me for some nas,
SAYING wanted 10 nail some canvas over hoe Whoh
was burst in oy schooner supplied plea MN SH We did
within three minutes after Capt Ha came 10 me-
f5Stprobaby ali hands were lost, and asked ne If
the steamer making any water toid MN
nnmns were sucking air; the bge pumps working
ali the time while the engine was In motion, thought
we were looking for the schooner the steamer haa a
heavy list 10 the port and seemingly settling for
ward: the mate then con menced TO run freight
mn on the starbodrd side, TO right the ship,
but It answered no purposes ne tneh
went forward; as l was not not iuy s saS
nav assistant down, who went into the rum where our
pumps take water and he also reported that the pumps
sucking airs then stopped 10 ook down lht1 tno
freroon, aud saw the water bursting through along
each side OF the boeri should think that the space
about IS inches wide on eaeh sde OF tue ooef anu
that the currents OF water we're about Tour eet deep
which apparently broke in at once l then sen, sent
the second engineer to open the plse hlec,
tion, which he did immediately, aud by the
time he got open the water was up TO his hps on tne
lower engineroom toorj he then reported 70 le anu
told TO run TO the piotnouse anu el tneIn thIe @
vessel Is snng Dn tI wa mn TO the
and put the fire out was not over one minutes tne
Wien he dd and we Kept it ana all other bge pumps
in the engine department WORKING until
most un the water had risen within about four feet Of
the main deck, and left the engine working win St
with nv assistant and oilers, 10 render what assist
ancc we could we, with the hrst pilot lowered boat
and deck hands should Think that IS 30 were IN It
| while Sue hung in the davits; then got on the
thing gave way, the boat striking the water
| and filing and throwing several out the steamer
was then under way with engine still working the snip
heading for shore, as was supposed then went 10
the port side and with assistance OF others helped 10
lower boat No 4; as stood the forward end Of the
boat lowering it, something gave way ana the boat IAN
ing struck rail- capszng her. also fell the water
swan for the got her bottom and remained
there hour more until daylight ana by the assls
tance heavy finally succeeded In rlghtng her
baled partly out with the rudder ana scued her
to the wreck which was about three quarters OK nile
to the leeward; as neared the wreck peAea up MT
Baker, the wheesman Capt Hull called nc To the point
OF the wreck where he was taen LOOK IN egIt SIe
| ger clerks. wheesman, Mr.. AppeDy ana
until + reached the breakers when we cast loose
then picked up the first mate, second plOt one
lady and gentlemen, passengers We let lOr Natch
Hill Point TO go INTO slohnston' put naa NOT sensn
wind and tide were ahead but were PICKED up Dy
ing about r. M 1t about 1890 a. M, when the cut
| ter picked us up. ,, -, q,
@ Were your bilge pumps all in good working order
| O. How lar forward was the second bulkhead com
partment from your furnace dOOri A. About ~ feet
o. Was opening In n leading 10 the nre rOOm
A. There two three scupper holes next to the
kelsoD, about two inches diameter each.
O. Ii water had flowed through there freely would not
| your bilge pumps have taken the wnteri A. No;
q. Why mott A. Because the ship was so niucD D! the
headend the Dee pumps were above the Level oi the
o. Was either bioe punp 40 arranged that Won could
| pump out either compartment separatelyi A No
o. How long II from the time you heard the en-
glue stop before you arrived IN the englne-rOOm A.
O, According 10 the best Of your knowledge what do
yo think was the cause OF the water rushing into tho
re-room all ouce1 A. think the water had rushed
INTO The middle conprtment until II raised TO such
mght TO burst open the buead forward OF the en-
o. Alter all the bilgcpumps began to take water, did
n decrease any IN the Holdi a NO. but Increased rap
| O. DO you know what became OF boat No. ~ A.
She driited ashore tue deck hands steering ner safely
O. Did you either Of the other Doatsi A. No, not
| alter tney left the steamer.
TESTIMONY Oh THE BOW wATCHMAN.
Edward Davis, the bow Waterman, testified Was on
watch on the Nets on the morning OF the OF August
saw Gull Island light and Watch Hill light before We
sighted this vessel few minutes after saw two vessels,
one with staI6oard green light land the other port
hand red light that the staTboard wac two and q
half points of the bow that on the port two points
could see Watch Hin Light Point abait the port, be
cause passed three four miles of the usual dis
taDee Gull Island hight shut out; the vessels were
first seen about nile on the green ugnJ perhaps tne
farthest exported light 20 the pothouse and was an
swered; believe, as far 1 could observe, we still
kept on course; then l called in five
| or ten minutes afterward; were going ten
twelve knots an hour the wind being little south OF
southeast cOllided with the schooner showing the
red light the green light passed on we were struck 81
40 FEET abaft the STEM or the port side the schooner
she had altered her course, shutting In the
red light and showing only green when she hit us
and up within a minute and a half before that, we
thought Of going past her the port hand and when
she hit us her sails we're shaking and she had come
up IN the wind her pbboom entered the oer