The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-08
THE OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

lance, Ssamen and Others.
HALIFAX, N. s., Aprn =, 1s1a
The investigation into the Atlantic disaster was
resumed pursuant to adjournment At ten O'Clock
'shis morning.
The first witness called was Cornelius L. Brady,
sshe third ofncer, who testified as follows WAS
thrd oficer OF the Atlantic; my watch was
Iron eight to twelve O'Clock that night; we 1.-THE
Captain and the four oicers) were all conversant.
with the ships position at one r. M. bore on for
Halifax; course n. "a E.. By compass there was on
shat course 9 easterly variation by solar ohser.
walton; Sambro at noon bore N. E., distant ITO
miles; In the afternoon had variable weather; first
8. f. with rain; then shifted to s. W., cleared up
and then to w. N. W.; fine with occasional passing
clouds; brilliant starlight; at midnight, at the re-
quest ethe Captain, made out by the log slate the
distance run since shifting our course at
one O'Clock to be 1872 miles; this calculation
Is not always strictly correct but Ia nearly So and
is corrected by our judgment; did not look at the
chart, but / know the position OF the Ship and
that it was distant from Sambro forty-eight miles;
we used common log line, and 1t was hove every
two hours; the speed OF the steamer often varies
considerably, from various causes, as from cur
rents, different qualities OF coal used, &C.; / did
not know the number or revolutions the
screw made, but by looking over the side could
tell the speed that she was making within half
westerly set Of the current; have been to Halifax
twice before, but to stop lay here, and am
not Wen acquainted with the coast;
THE CAPTAINS ORDERS,
when he went below, were to cali him Immediately
any change in the weather occurred that is, IL it
became hazy or tuck; both leads, patent and conf
any time; the Captain did not give orders to heave
the lead gave the Captains orders to the fourth
Diicer and Immediately turned in after being re:
neved; did not know anything afterwards until
tne snip struck; my berth was In the alter end OF
the ship; my room was locked, and the fourth on
Ger had the key; / had no means OF getting
out; l ran on deck just | turned out
Of bed and met Qnartermaster Williams;
he was afterwards drowned; l asked him
what was the matter; he answered. ''My
God, the ship has gone ashore - ran at once to
No. 1epoas the Captains boat on the saloon
vlons heavy. weather on the passage; got an axe
and succeeded in clearing the boat; while in the
act OF launching the boat the ship fell over her
side; as near as could judge it was only six or
eight minutes after she struck that she keeled
scrambled up and succeeded in getting into the
mizzen rigging; finding that was Of no use made
owens and the storekeeper; / heard the Captain
1T the main rigging and called to him; l do not
suppose he heard me IN the confusion; when got
forward made out the rock in front OF the ship,
and thought that If could get to the rock
I could save myself and others; unrove the star
board ioretopsai wang, new rope, and also the
signal halliards; l took these on the outside OF
the ship, and sent Quartermaster Williams with
them to try to reach the rock, but he Jailed, and
we had to haul him back to the ship; then sent
Quartermaster Speakman; he succeeded, and
rope by means OF the wang TO the rock which
was about twenty-five yards, suppose from the
ship; we hauled number OF men from the ship to
the rock, but tindingi 1t
GETTING CROWDED
we then made the rope last to the rock and COM
In this way saved number OF lives; on the island
L met Clancy, and asked him II l could commun-
cate with Halifax; he told me that there
regular means OF Communication, and that would
have TO send messengeron horseback; this did,
and went went back ., to the ship; then the
Ing the people, and thus saved number OF lives.
Here the witness produced diagram of
the internal arrangements OF the ship and
showed that there was nothing to prevent the
Bteerage passengers from getting on deck.) To
my knowledge nothing was said or done to impede
any OF the passengers In coming deck the state
lment that there was is absurd and incorrect; the
steerage passengers were well acquainted with all
the ways OF Ingress and egress; from my own
positive knowledge the passengers had every iael-
ity that was possible under the circumstancesfor
reaching the neck; in fact met some OF them
going up when was making my way to the deck
am positive that no orders were given or carried
put to keep the passengers below.
Witness here produced another plan showing the
position OF the companion way leading to the
In going to the deck; during the time that was
On the watch the ship may have been going faster
DO no Teco a e %s was
was before we bore up, but 1t was increased alter
that: / do not know what the speed was when the
vessel struck; the Captain did all that any man
could possibly do to save life could distinctly see
and hear him IRON the rock exertng himself
THE DEAD RECKONING.
Cross-examination by Mr. Ritchie-The dead
reckoning was always very accurate: no Obserya-
tiOns were obtained during two or three days but
we always ound the dead reckoning very correct
when we subsequently took observations; during
the first watch that night, after we bore up for
knots per hour; the quartermasters generally
threw the log under the superintendent OF the
officers OF the watch on duty; during my watch
that night the log was thrown either by Quarter
master Speakman or owens and reported to me
In making up the distance run as directed by the
CAPTAIN; at twelve O'Clock that night used the
scrap log and slate; every time the log was thrown
II was entered IN the scrap logbook; was satisfied
Of Its correctness and that the distance was made
up correctly.
The sailing directions of the Admiralty were
here introduced, and the sailing directions Of the
Nova Scotia coast pointed out to the Court. IL is
there stated thai sambro light should be visible at
q distance OF twenty-one miles. Ten miles south
Of SaInbro soundlngs would give depth OF at least
fOrty-Hve athoms.
| went down TO the wreck in tugboat on Thurs.
day and last night Il saw the Sambro light from the
tugboat and from the deck OF OF the schooners,
but when got about quarter Of mile from the
] did not notice this fact so much last
night as / did on Thursday night. The life
boat spoken oil by Mr.. Allan IN his evidence given
on Saturday could not have been launched; all
the modern appliances were on board the Atlantic
their respective posts the Captain was one OF the
most competent and efficient officers that l ever
sailed with; know that
THE PROVISIONS
were inspected by government officers; went to
the wreck In u boat TO take the Captain OF. know
ing that he could not hold out much longer, but he
reused to leave until 1 had taken more
OF the passengers on OF the wreck; ne
was much exhausted when taken OF,
and had to be supported In climbing
The rocks when we landed; regarding Mr.. Adams
statement OF the condition OF the crew, may
state, from my knowledge and experience or crews,
that that Of the Atlantic was far better physically
and fully a. wen disciplined as are the average.
Re-examined by Commissioner McDonala-The
Captain, the chief oflcer and myself took tue solar
observation on Monday at noon; we all agreed In
our result; had weLdenned horizon; In esti-
mating the deviation caused by the current !
md not Know the true course or force but
do not know what rate OF speed
dhe Captain allowed for the current; knew that
the currents on this course vary in force ami di-
Tecton; no means were taken TO ascertain rae
force or direction 80 far as know did not c, an
pare the speed as given by the log with the IN