Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-04-07


200 sheets to bury the dead, and an undertaken
to attend to the saloon Passengers bodies and
the second officers. their friends might wish
them forwarded; many bodies bad come on
shore before | left, some unrecognlzabc, but
identified Mr. Mctcalt, Mis- Mrrrctt, Mrs.
Fisher and the chief steward, together with
several o! tie crew; left the fourth otiic'r and
four men at the wreck to identify and take
charge of papcrs and valuables that might bc
thrown up; | saved thirteen saloon paSSeng r.,
lost twenty, saved IA steerage, lost 527 steer
age and crew; but three women were seem the
two I have spoken Of and one who got up be-
side the chief officer aud died i'll the rigging
with her baby.
The Captain having then concluded his state
ment, in reply to questions by his COUNSEL, he
added: II was on the bridge up to twenty
minutes past twelve; up to midnight it was
brilliant starlight, and after that there was AL
occasional sight of stars; when left the bridge
went into the chart room. thirty feet ahatl
the bridge on the upper deck, within easy cal
ut the officer on deck; got up Il, two o clock,
locked iuto the wheelhouse and then lay down
fer al aarm; in making calculations | cstlna,
ted her speed to be eleven knots; she had in
creased gradually from seven and oDc-haii' tc
twelve knots; the third officer reported thai
she had run one hundred and twenty-five miles
at twelve clock; that agreed with my calcua
lions; | expected the ship at three o clock
would be clgi teen Or twenty miles south oil
Sambro, and to l"y by until daylight; | had
pot my clothes off at alt; had every reason tG
put confidence in the second officer; he ha4
made TWO voyages i'll the ship; | always found
him steady. sober man
Cross cXamincd-l had latitude by ohscrva
ton and by chrOunmGter when l bore VI
for Halifax the charts have all been lost
the ship increased her speed after bore VI
for Halifax, because We were not then so an
xin,ls to cconomize coal the speed at lively,
y clock was about twelve knots | rcckOned
then We were forty eight miles off Sambro
thrn bearing north five degrees cast did not
shift the Course /; | considered We would pas:
five miles cast Of the Slmbro lodges | haC
never before brought ships into Halifax ul
been on this coast the third officer had been
in the llarbur twice !; none Of the other officer:
bad ever been here | did not use the lead a
all in coming to !Ialifrx knew we We're with
in soundings north of Iahave did NOT sound
brc,,lsc the nj ght Was clear, AMI ) tmb:n Light
Shouli he seen lwrn;y -onc mil = IN clear wealth
CT aud in moderate weather fiji .cn miles ; /
knew | was approaching shore the clcarness
ut the night and the certainty nj seeing the light
We're my only reasons for not sounding | an
now satisfied that when went into the chart
room | was mistaken in the lncaty uf the
and westward than | thought; | knew the
coast was iron bound and dangerous one,
though had never been on it.
(Ilrrc the Captain to K chart and explained
the position Of the vrsscls) | would not have
t,tl &
II miles south of Sllubro, W here should stop
The ship if had been >oundiug regularly from
- to 3 . clock; | would have been On deck
and the Sh: would not have gone ashore; there
were three quartcr-masters AID the second AVID
fourth officers on deck; it was my second voy,
age to America in that ship; when the ship
struck there was considerable swell on; there
was no sort OF warning; she was going between
zine aud ten knots at the time; in solne of the
statements in the press it is said left the ship
when about fifteen persons had been taken oti
the rigging; what said was that when left
all but fifteen had left; when left was 50
benumhed and cold that | could be of no assist
ance; | had my leg broken year before, and
was weak; was asleep when the ship struck
it was five minutes past ) by my watch, aud
fifteen minutes past ) by Chief Engineer whcu
she struck.
left word to be called at three clock; | d.
not know whether vas called at three, as the
ship struck but a few minutes after; | don
think was; had been called at three sharp.
think would have seen land in time to have
avoided the calamity; from the state of the
weather, when | c1rne on deck. might have
seen u white snow line on the shore, which
would have been seen distance Of from two TO
three miles; the officers On duty had they been
energetic might. think, have seen that there
was something ahrad and if orders had been
given to reverse the engines. The calamity might
have been avoided. have Away made it u rule
to make all my officers participate IN the naviga-
ton of my ship. aud all are equally cDnvcrsant
with myself in the position OF the ship and de-
Walton of courses s'cercd by the compasS