Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-20
BURNING OF THE WAWASET.
Official Investigation of the Disaster
TESTIMONY BEFORE The TREASURY BOARD TO-DAY.


The official investigation into the causes
| leading to the wawaset disaster was resumed
this morning at the Treasury department.
| CAPT. SAMUEL GEDNEY RECALLED.
The license that the Potomac Ferry company
| received calls for 100 cabin passengers and 20
steerage passengers. The license was received
| from the Georgetown custom house,; the
president Of the company (Mr. Howison) asked
me to go to Georgetown with HIM and saw
duplicate of a license calling 1870 cabin passen-
| gers and 20 steerage or deck; kept the papers
OF the last Inspection only allowing 80 cabin
| AID deck passengers, until | could see Mr.
SHville; the boat made trip without the
papers; said they were wrong and did not post
them up; witness then presented the following
| permit:
duplication having been made to the under
signed local inspectors of steam vessels for the
district Of Baltimore for permission to steamer
Wawaset to run on excursions said steamer
having complied with the necessary REQUIRE
ments of law in regard to life-saving appliance,
to carry 800 additional passengers, the route
and distance of said excursion not to exceed so
miles on the Potomac river.
JAMES LOWRY,
WIN. .. SAvILEe,
U. s. Local Inspectors"
BALTIMORE, June Sd, 1872.
q. This, however, was not an excursion?
consider 1t An excursion.
Q. Were the contents of both inspection GER
tifieates the same with the exception of the
number of passengers?
A. think so, with only slight difference.
g. Did you call Mr.. Saville's attention to the
difference?
A. did; he was going to Alexandria, and he
said, I" don't think the boat has been reduced:
thought did my duty; have no idea how the
mistake occurred; Mr.. Lowry made the certih
cate on my desk In my room; he said the inspec-
ton would remain the same as last year; am
positive of that"
q. Mr.. Lowry did not say that when he tes-
A. Well, he forgot himself; he said he in
spected the boat in Baltimore, whereas the in
spection was made in Washington.
q. How long did the boat run without GER
tlficate before you had il put up?
A. One trip think; maybe two.
Y why did you not notify the inspector of
A | did notify Mr.. Savlle, and he said the
boat had not been reduced; it would remain
the same As last year; that allowed us to
carry one hundred and thirty cabin passengers.
.. Have You a practice aboard your boats of
lnstr9etng the men in the fire department?
A. No, sir.
O. Have you ever ordered your captains to
instruct the men in the ire apparatus?
A. No, sir.
Q. Not on this or any of your boats2
A. No, sir.
CAPTAIN WOODS RECALLED.
Q. Did you ever receive any orders to exercise
your men upon the pumps, hose, or fire ex-
tiDguishers?
A. No, sir.
- 9; DO you know from your own knowledge
that all fire apparatus was in good order2
Q. How do you know
A. Well, we used the hose 70 wash the boat
and one Of the fire extinguishers was used on
q. The .extinguisher has not been charged
since you have been captain?
A. No, sir.
Q. Were you not aware that a captain had to
be licensed?
A. Not until this investigation.
Q: Are you not aware that there are steam
boat regulations governing the service?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Have you ever read them?
A. A little; some portions of item.
Q. Did You read that portion which requir ed
a captain to be licensed?
A. No, sir.
O. Your reading was then of no service to you?
JAMES D. LOWRY, RECALLED.
The Wawaset was inspected in March last,
when we substituted the new series of inspec-
ton; heretofore she had been inspected under
the old series, because we didn't have them;
when 1 inspected the boat, said to Captain
Foulke, (since dead,) how many passengers do
you want 70 carry? He said forty, fifty or sixty,
Q. Would you have given certificate for car
rying one hundred and fifty?
q. How many would you have given a GER
tifcate for?
A. One hundred and twenty. think; never
that there had been no change.
SAMUEL MASH RECALLED.
q. VIII you please give statement of how
many passengers the boat is allowed to carry?
A; One hundred and thirty cabin and twenty
q. How do you know that?
a. Because read it aboard the boat; the GER
tlncate was hung up on the boat in a walnut
frame, covered with glass; l said at the time,
which confirms my memory in this respect, ii is
very small amount of people for the boat TO
hundred. 'AoS
Q. Why?
A. Because she had so many life preservers
Q. Does your father (the engineer) usually
bar-rOom?
A. No, sir; he never goes in the BARRON.
y. were you put on watch at any time du-
A. No, sir; sometimes have stood at the en-
gihe while my father went to get a drink of |
water; he was always In full sight of the en-
CINE, however. |
PLAIN TALK BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
Gen. ID. ID. Smith, supervising inspector gen. |
eral of steamboats,, who arrived In Washington
this morning, then addressed those in the room |
as follows
presume, wnen speak for a moment or two,
that am addressing steamboat men. Little did |
L think, i've weeks ago, when left the Treasu-
ry department on trip of observation on the /
northern lakes, that should first meet in this
apartment then being put in order for our ser |
VICE TO act as jury, and under such painful |
circumstances as are presented by the disaster /
TO the Wawaset. l am very sorry that we are /
called together under such circumstances, and /
that we are obliged to enter into such an un- /
peasant duty, yet 1t Is our duty, aud the law |
obiges us. And these
POOR BLEEDING, MOURNING, AND BROKEN /
HEARTS
cry to us to perform it, and to perform IL thor
oughly And trust that this commission, which /
has been appointed for the purpose, will make |
q thorough investigation, that the innocent may |
1t Is often thought that
ANYBODY MAY BE STEAMBOAT MAN.
i know that from my own experiences; know L
II from observation, for during the early part of
my life spent some time in the harness. But /
Judge you viii all agree with me this morning /
mag it Is not every one who Is q at person to i
Ia.e charge OF steam vessel steam boiler,
or . steam engine. 1t requires the
BEST NEE IN OUR COUNTRY