The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-28

Of the disaster to the steamer New State,
at Glass House Ripple Just below Pitts
burgh, a few weeks since ! II will be read
with interest here, as the boat was owned
by a company in this city.
The report Is as follows:
John S. DeHnny, Supervising Inspector
Steam Ke1Sels, &renM DiStriUt:'
SIR-We herewith respectfully submit
to you our report Of the result OF our IN.
VeStigstlon In the cause OF the collision Of
the steam toWboat Eagle" and passenger
steamer New State" ON the evening Of
April 9TH, near the head Of Glass House
Ripple, by which accident the New State
was sunk, fortunately without loss OF life.
She was owned at Wheeling, West Va,
and was valued at 5000.
We have examined the officers OF both
boats, also several others who were pas
sengers on the New State. Nathan Potts
was plotting the New State, and John r.
Mcdonald was plotting the Eagle. The
masters OF both boats were on The hurri-
cane deck.
Captain Dillon, OF the New State, testi.
6es that they lett Pittsburgh at APO p. N,
and proceeded without difficulty until
they arrived at the head Of Brunors Is
land, when owing to the drift logs, they
kept 10 the right shore, and when about
600 yards above the old refinery the boat
was stopped and backed lew ticks,
which brought them in contact with a
floating log. At this time the steamer
Eagle, coming up, blew two blasts Of her
whistle Tor the lett, which signal was an
sWered by his pilot potts Not yet be.
ing free from the log, no ordered hlr:
Potts 10 stop the engines. Potts answered
that he must go ahead TO avoid the Eagle.
Captain Dillon also says that at this time
the boats were about 400 yards apart and
his engines working ahead, and they were
stopped when about three lengths OF the
boat from the Eagle, and Immediately
commenced backing. he also states that
his boat was light, drawing only two feet,
and going down the river at the rate oil
thirteen miles per hour.
Nathan Potts testifes that he was pilot
ing the New State at the time Of collision;
that when OF the head OF Glass House
Ripple he saw the Eagle coming up the
river, and that she-the Eagle-blew two
whistles, which he answered by two
blasts oil his own whistle. He also cor
roborates Captain Dillon In reference 10
his order 10 stop the engines and his own
answer, and then states that he immedi'
ately stopped his engines and rang the
backing bells, being then about two hun.
dred yards from the Eagle, and that Cap.
tain Dillon had repeated bis order to stop
and back before he (Potts) did so. he
SAYS that at this time he saw "a collision
was unavoidable, and he backed his boat
to make it as light as possible. Mr.. Potts
tesufes that there was no one In the pl.
lot house with him at the time Of the
collision, nor had he any recollection OF
any one being in from the time he left
Pittsburgh, and that he did not know
where Mr.. Haney This partner) was. He
did not see him. In this latter statement,
he Is fatty contradicted by four witnesses
the Captain, Hsney his partner, Thorn.
as Morris and George STong, a passen.
ger. All Of those persons except the
Captain swear positively that they were
in the pilot house, and Haney and Morris
testify that they spoke to Potts and he
answered them, refusing 10 stop his en-
gines when Mr.. Haney, his partner, re-
Quested him TO do 80 in order 10 avoid q
collision.
Captain Harper, Of the Eagle, testines
that by his order John r. Mcdonald, his
pilot, blew two blasts OF his whistle when
about 800 yards from the New State, and
she answered by two blasts Of the whis-
tie; but seeing moment later that q col
lision was probable, he ordered his pilot
to stop and back, which was done, the
boats then being 400 yards apart. The
Eagle made eight or nine revolutions
back when the collision occurred. She,
the Eagle, had sternwsy going back fast.
In this he is fully corroborRted by his
pilot, John Il. Mcdonald, and First En-.
gineer WesllY Bstemsn.
Mr.. Bateman testiaes that about two
revolutions Of the Eagles wheel would
stop her and start her back, from the fact
that the current was swift and that she
had been running slow just previous to
backing.
Both engineers Of the New State testi.
~ that their engines had made but two
or three revolutions back before the boats
collided.
Thomas ]. Morris, a pilot of lon expo.
rience, testitles that the Eagle was In her
proper place for an upstream boat, and
that the New State was not in her proper
place for down stream boat, and at the
time the Eagle gave the passing signal the
New State could have backed her stern
out and avoided the collision. The testi.
mony OF MIR. Haney, who was Mr.. Pott's
partner, fully corroborated the above.
ItappeRrs from the evidence taken in
this case that at the proper distance re-
Quired by the rules OF the Board Of Super.
Vising Inspectors, the signals were made,
answered and understood, and that Ma
than Potts, pilot on the New State, kept
his boat pointed toward the right shore
and in the course the Eagle was coming,
and kept her engines going ahead strong
until within so ahort q distance Of the
Eagle that collision was inevitable, not.
withstanding the Eagle was going down
tho river.
The evidence shows very clearly that
this collision could haye easily been
avoided either by Mr.. Potts backing his
boat at the time he went ahead, or by sig.
mailing the Eagle TO stop or take the
other side, there being plenty Of water
from shore 10 shore, and he, Potts, having
choice OF sides, his answering the signal
Of the Eagle was IN invitation 10 her to
come on the side shc had asked for by her
signal.
The evidence shows that the officers oil
the Eagle did all in their power to avoid
a collision, and when it did occur they
did all that was in their power to save life
and property on board the New State.
We arc fully satisfied that Nathan Potts
Is alone 10 blame for the collision, in
violation Of Rule Il the Pilot rules as
adopted by the Board Of Supervising In.
spectors, June 18th, 1871.
We do therefore revoke tho license, as
a nIlnf nf tho said Nathan pnita In az.