New-York tribune., 1872-09-10
THE NETS INVESTIGATION

States Inspectors continued their investigation into the
loss OF the steamer Mets to-day The first witness
John McAuslap passenger, whose testimony was this
in substance his statement before published
He said that he familiar With steam navigation
having crossed the Atlantic several times; after the
crash he heard the sound OF water which unfaml
lar to him. producing the impression that there was
inside of the vessel after reflection he concluded
that he had confidence enough In the officers not
to be alarmed; he thought Che vessel began
to fill with water she struck and that she
filed forward this impression definitely formed
he lay in his berth; what has happened since has
strengthened that impression he did not hear any
passing through the giving warning only heard
the voice calling TO put eDreseryers noticed sew
eral ladies the little space at the foot Of the stairs in
front Of the clerks Office tied ifepreseryer on one of
them; she was afterwards saved attending
to these ladies' it light enough TO see person 80
yards off; thinks might be 20 20 may be 30 min
after he heard the crash before he heard the call to
put on the life-preservers.
william B. Appleby, wheelsman. off duty at the
time OF the collision depOsed: got up after the col
iison but went to bed again 1 heard talking on the
pilotho about making water very fast, and again
got up ana the headed for the beach,
se was settling then by the head very fast heard the
captain give orders to the boats ready he was then
at port door Of the pilohOuse would not be posi-
tive whether he the order TO any man in particu-
then heard him tell the passengers To get on their
epreservers he went into the state room hall when
he said it, The witness then detailed his connection
with the efforts made launch the boats, which were
attended with embarrassment and disorder
Alfred L. Nuttng, passenger testned that after me
collision the purser told him those craft could nor hrt
US any noticed the boat careenng very badly
to port side; got upon the hurricane deck with my
wife and baDe and got place the life raft stopped
there until the boat well sunk, when the captain
ordered off, saying he wanted to launch the Tait Ior
BACK back on the raft the people rushed about; took my
seat on the skyght asked Capt burton u ne taG9Gne & M
were al right then began 70 had zee senaT, sne
deck follow ,n the as was mpossbe 6sd for
to do much Of ythng; saw Capt Burton ana capt
Hall work very hard to pick up the people; stuck 70
washed ASHORE through the breakers this life raft on top
of the hurricane deck remained there until u was
preached and then foated ashore Capt Han incurred
great many dangers TO save life could not say that
deck; thought the reason why they conld not dunc
the raft because it was so heavy; they looked ali
around il and could ind that was ashed
Capt. Burton was there; IsaW no one supeLntenalns
the lowering Of the boats did not notice thng ABOUT
what was going on about the boats.
Capt Burton, commander OF the Metls, recalled salu
that after putting the boat on her course alter the cor
that she keeed considerably over TO port TINS Was
owing the strong breeze then blowing on our broad
side; order given TO shift some freight TO the
starboatd order right her as this was rather dill
cult a suggestion made, L think by Capt Han,
wind in order to facilitate shifting the, cargo,
in order to right her up; we dia 20,
TO the wind the report that were filling; then
ordered her to be put away to the beach as before
q
deck we saw passing by about half mile 10
the windward OF us we all made all the noise In our
thont seeing u.s. we also saw vessels passing,
some TO the wndward and some To the but none
of them us, think the conduct OF the PASSENGERS
oalcers and crew was remarkably cool and collected
under zach trying circumstances as the time WaS 50
there was very httle any opportunity for us TO or
ganze regard to lowering the boats or leaving the
shin. there were three statOnbils posted 10 Inform
officers where the station was IN case OF emergency
gave the order TO get the boats ready 10 tne
second mate 1 do not remember seeing at all; L
expected these officers would take charge there was
order TO lower to the netting and hold
them until the passengers We're ready 10 seP into
them navigation from s0nngtoh 70 si Judtn @ - h nos
h no need OF greater vigilance there thnk one Whee
man and ono pilot sufficient for the care OF the steamer
On snch a night: | think there was nothing In the
weather that night make it necessary for me to take
any extra precautions or stand any watch myssh on
nnnber OF passengers board, that you discharged
yonr whole duty up to the time OF the coluslonf A.
o. After the collision do you think that all the means
in power used to ascertain the extent OF the
damage 10 the steamer A. lam positive they were
that did everything that was possible 10 ascertain
the damage. -, "a. A.. IN A. an
Gers aud crew who are mostly boatmen. were 80 de-
ceived the quantity of water that must or neces
sy have going into that compartment A by the
fact that the compartment inelosed by the two
water-tight bulkheads, into which there was no com
deck which were covered with freight.
o. II remember rightly there was the pilot Torrey
of deck hands, that around this place where the
schooner broke into the steamer; some OF these we're
men OF large experience the water how do you ac-
count for the fact that none OF these men heard
the rushing in OF that water, when it
must have been rushing in In q perfect
toTrentf A. think the hole must have been made
about below the waterhne, perhaps little ar OF
the hole In the bulwarks above the guard the distance
from there TO deck being IL feet probaby and
the hole being broken through under the deck nclosed
In this compartment do not see how they could near H.
O. Would there be any difference IN the noise that the
water would make inside whether the water was passing
I'm below the water-line above Wf A. thlnK they
coud not distinguish between the sound OF the water on
the inside or sound OF the on the outside Oh the
boat. ,,,
o. Those two compartments forming something like
box would not water entering to the deph Oh three OF
four feet be very likely to make swashing noise that
| these men could have heard on deckf A. Inc only
chance see ID TO have been heard would nave been
| by the men IN the fOroGastle.
Mr. McAuslan's testimony, which is somewhat severe
upon the officers IA regarded by the Board as Of more
value than that Of any other passenger yet examined
nasmueh as very COOL and is somewhat acquainted
with vessels The investigation viii be resumed at IL
| a. III. tomorrow.