The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-12
TIE STEAMSHIP PENNSYLVANIA.
Startling Testimony in Regard to the Vessels
Condition-Hsr Beams Broken and Bolts
All Loose Before the Gale-Dread-
full Scene During q Storm.

PHILADELPHIA, April IL, 1874.
II win be ascertained by turning 20 the HERALD
report OF the disaster 10 steamer Pennsylvania
~ rendered by the company, that the snip was IN
comparatively good condition before the accident
and that IL was not owing to faulty construction
mt TO the severity of the storm, that she was
no terribly disabled. In Captain Brady's
suit Tor salvage which for the past ten
days has been slowly going on, there
nave been statements made which have severely
rejected on the safstlness and stanchness OF the
vessel while to-day the puplic understand Tor the
hrst time the AWFUL condition 0, The snip before
the heavy sea struck her and carried OF her OH
GERS. Below | appen the sworn AFFIDAVIT OF one
George Keavea, the ships storekeeper, when was
reac TINS afternoon before the Court -
KBAvEA's AFFIDAVIT.
shipped sailor on the steamship Pennsylvania at
sou, pGrs was made sorekeeper my duty
70 keep the ropes tools paints Ae everything except
have been going steadily with the exception Of;
f uSsa yssT aarns
and boatswain's mate about the 18th o. % yh
The e ca # Mr.. rrssDsr into the lower peak
e. ss s sp a aad went n 'I
he had been down before we ouad the cargo forward
ron afo Of the snip hpp P ss@
ing backward forward; they were loose the bolts
hal given away, and when the snip w9udl ro iaey
inches; ali the bolts we're chewed on; we went
ney aoa put Se n ss1ea o Told the
penter he should tell the Captain to slow the ship
the Capsinso he told me-and directed to Say
% inf h. and kept watch in tins
OF the ship, going down ao9n .n every 0 nSns
and everything, was wet; everything was loose the
had to stay get wedges tools, ae.i still
there the big se .Ds E 5as aer knew BY 3
out the iorescute hatch the upper deck, and
@ was fsn the trough Of the sea-
body could ieel that and | thought sns was going e
Davy Jones' locker enough; heard them singing
out below Tor tools and went down Immediately to tae
the men to divide in three gangs and get the lower
deck matches up to cover the matches as seen az posi-
ming about, not knowing what TO do; there was nc
w that the ann
asked somsSody who mad charge ana said me
charge, and was glad o. ii Knew him by reputation;
su o on Spies sans %c W Which,
% secure he haehes and helping TO pass them up
the difference in the behavior Of the ship; could fee
could tell
motion OF the ship; she had ceased her heavy rolling
the carpenter and went down into the peak;
THE SHIPS CONDITION MUCH WORSE;
Lsaw the large indenaons in the siarboard side they
heavy sea, and nothing else saw the heads Of some
as Oh w and he 9e n
where butts working the wooden bukbead
the vibration OF the bows; could see them working
etner's talking for the screeching ana noise
caused by the vessels working. about eight or nine
O'CLOCK next morning the 18th al hands were mustered
on deck abat the stack the upper deeE was pres
ent; Mr. Rivers Joined the vessel after did; he and
were her two voyagesi the sailors had no confluence
in him. and he could not control them either before the
night OF the accident afterwards am satisfied hat
the steamer never would have lived through thai
night il Captain Brady had not taken command when
he did, aud lie to the TACT that he was on
board
KEEPING TO THE STORY.
The witness was then cross-eXamined by Mr.
Henry for the company
II about days before the accident when nj
down with the ship carpenter 10 make examination
the knees ali gone and the beams all gone
there had not been very heavy weather up 70 then
always win the carpenter wnen maze the ex-
amin atoms in the forward hold hogsheads were all
stove pieces; do not know what in the casks;
when went deck somebody sang out .hat the cap
tain. officers and two had been lost in answer 10
m inquiry ] made the morning after the accident
the ship much worse, because there were beats
in the ships side the rivets broken the butt ends
working and water coming in by the butt ends mean
where the iron plates Joined together en- the ENDS
forward Of the heavy dents: my storeroom was wet
that had TO OF the rooms, because
my room wet that II would have spoiled; all the
salt and the beef the pork also ed TO
intermediate left the steamer Lord 10 ship or
the Penney yania was quartermaster on the Junata
Of the southern Mail line and was boatswap's mat
OIL the NOM or Catskill am German by brin and i
has been twenty years SINCE arrived first IL th
country.