National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-15
THE RECENT COLLISION.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE NAVAL
COURT OF INQUIRY.

TESTIMONY BEFORE THE MAYA
/ COURT OF INQUIRY.
WHAT THE OFFICERS OF THE GETTYs
BURG KNOW OF THE AFFAIR : VIVA,
THEY DID AND WHY THEY DID IT TIL
OFFICERS OF THE LADY OF THE LAX
TO BE EXAMINED TO-DAY.
IN already announced In the columns Of TIL
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN the Navy Department
convened court of inquiry to investigate the cir
cumstances Of the collision between the Unite
States steamer Gettysburg and the mail steame
| Lady of the Lake. The following is Q copy Of tn
order converting the court:
"By virtue OF the authority contained IN tn
act for the better government Of the navy Of tn
United States approved July IL, 1884, hersb
appoint Commander John II. Russell, president
Commander Montgomery Sicard and Lieutenan
First Lieutenant George O. Reed, Of the Unite'
States Marine corps, judge advocate OF court o
ySrd, Wilmington, D. G., on Thursday, the lit
day Of June, 1874, for the purpose Of Investigation
| all the circumstances relating to the collftol
Washington, on or about the soth day Of May
| 1874, between the United States steamer Gettys
burg and the steamboat Lady Of the Lake.
closely the rules Of the road and act Of Con
| gress relating thereto, and state the cause o.
causes that brought about the collision, with 1T
| opinion as to where the blame, If any, should
rest.
"Given under my hand, at the Navy Depart
ment of the United States, this ninth day o.
June, IN the year eighteen hundred and seventy
| four. GEO. NJ. RoBEsoE,
Secretary Of the Navy"
The court met, pursuant to the above order,
Thursday last, and decided to sit with open doors
The first witness called was
LIEUTENANT D. e:M'RITcHIA
United States navy, commander Of the Gettys
burg, and who was sworn by the president anC
examined by the Judge advocate. He testified
that he was in command Of the above-named
steamer when the collision took place between
that vessel and the Lady Of the Lake on the Pc
tomsc river, Of Fort Washington on the evening 2
vessel left Georgetown, D. O., with cargo for the
United States steamer Swatars, at New York.
A. a10ps ' b neaf f S9 tSs 1Ia
peared in sight and blew two whistles, which is
signal among steamboat men to starboard, she
port bow, and about three hundred yards of,
both vessels being nearly in mid-channel ct the
time. The pilot answered by blowing two
whistles also, which signal he Immediately coun-
fernandez and ordered one whistle to be blown,
which means TO "port your helm, " which was done
the moment the order was issued. The reasons
for blowing one whistle and porting the helm were
not only IN accordance with the "rules Of the
road" but to prevent what was thought at the
asse ana
that It would have been impossible for the
Lady Of the Lake to have crossed our bow
sSd
and the signal Of one whistle repeated, but no
notice was taken OF this whistle by the Lady OF
means starboard. immediately after I'D last Sig
nal the two vessels collded, the Gettysburg strE-
ing the Lady of the Lake near her forward star
sells clearing each other the Lady Of the Lake pro-
oesded on her course up the river, leaving i've Of
er.passensers on the Gettysburg, who were af
-. Al. III
Of the ship channel at the point where the collision
took place was at least three hundred yards.
There was plenty Of room for the two steamers to
sideration the relative positions at the time the
first signal was given.
II THE LADY OF THE LAKE
had answered the second .sIgnal-one whistle-of
the Gettysburg the collision would have been
the rules Of the road and put her helm to port no
collision could Posffbly have occurred, and it is
impossible to imagine why that vessel should
SssPR to cross opE ns there
side she ought TO haveTEapt. Lieutenant Nc
Richie stated that he alone xes responsible for
that there is no blame q be attached 70 any one
on board Of that vessel but himself Tor what was
done, and that what he done was partly in accord
snce with the rules Of the road and TO avoid
Lieutenant Me Richie, in conversation with tho
representative Of The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,,
stated that naQ an old Sall0r ike CAPTAIN Fart
ridge bsen in the pilot-house he never would have
suffered his pilot TO put his helm to starboard and
attempt to cross the Gettysburg's bow, snd'that
the slanderous statement in the New York frf-.
bune relative to this offer Of medical assistance
from the Gettysburg to the Lady Of the Lake
was answered by Captain Partridge with an oath,
steam drowned the sound Of voices, 50 that
nothing could be heard beyond over the blowing
on Of steam.
J. 3. PRICE, . .
pilot Of the Gettysburg, who was on duty at the
time Of the collision, was sworn by the president
and examined by the Judge Advocate. This wit
ness corrorborates the evidence Of Lieutenant Nc
Richie as to the positions OF the two steamers
when the first whistles were blown, the changing
OF the helm from starboard to port, the collision
sc. In answer to the question, What was Lieu
tenant McRitchie's condition at the time of the
occurrence" he said, Right as any gentleman
ahead after our engines were stopped.
II the Lady OF the Lake had obeyed the arules of
The road" the collision would not have occurred.
This witness stated that nearly all his life was
spent in steamboating on the Potomac and James
river and the Chesapeake bay
LIEUT.. JOSEPH r. JONES, -
executive oficer OF the Gettysburg, sworn by the
president and examined by the Judge advocate.
pilothouse, on the port side, short time before
The collision took place. First saw the Lady Of
the Lake about four hundred yards distant, on
pilot Of the Gettysburg answered, and ordered
the man at the wheel to put his hslm a-starboard
Lieut., McRitchie countermanded this order, and
ordered the helm a-port. Not more than two
minutes afterwards our engines were stopped,
and orders given to back. Al :his time the Lady
Of the Lake was stesming ahead, when, finding
stopped hef engines. The food tide drove the
Lady Of the Lake across our bow, when the col |
lision took place: We then backed out clear Of
Lady Of the Lake continued on her course up the
river, and we landed the passengers at Fort WASH
lngton, and proceeded on our way down the river.
her paddle wheels after engines were stopped.
To the question, "If the helm Of the Gettysburg
had remained as 1t was put by the pilot, would
81 think It is doubtful IL she would; II
the two vessels had kept on as they were going |
when the Lady Of the Lake blew her first whistle,
Tho ''rulss Of the road" were hung up In the |
pilothouse Of the Gettysburg. II the Lady Of
The Lake had changed her course after the COM
mander Of the Gettysburg had ordered one whis- |
tie to be blown, We would have passed clear Of |
zach other; cannot understand the reason she had
IN moving across our bow; If she had kept on all
the steering Of the Gettysburg when under way. |
He remains in or around the pilot, house nearly |
Ill the time; he eats his meals and sleeps there,
Ind very seldom goes below when the vessel is |
lnder way. The Gettysburg, as general ruIs, |
Itesmsrs. AZ the time the collision took piacs
burg were At thsIr posts. Saw no sign of liquor
IN any one. n<sS- -. 80
Mr.. cHEsLEY, COAST PILOT
If the Gettysburg, testified in substance rs fol-
ous: The two vessels were nearly in mid-chanpel |
Then they FIRST sighted each other. When the |
Lady Of the Lake blew two whistles she was |
ibout four hundred yards OF and point on our
port bow. Lieut.. McRitchie and all the officers |
we're perfectly sober. In answer to the question:
stances, provided you were commander Of the |
vessel 2" his answer was, al should have kept
ny helm to port, as Lieut.. McRitchie did"
Question. II the Gettysburg's helm had been |
put to cardboard, would she have cleared the Lady
of the Laksf Answer. do not think she would. |
Question. Had the Lady Of the Lake begun to |
wing at the time one whistle was blown? Ans. |
Slightly, fAny. Had the Lady Of the Lake kept |
On backing as she rst started to do, the collision
you'd not have taken place. The backward mo-
ton Of the Gettysburg was quick, and had the
working her engines in the same direction the nc
cldent would nave been prevented.
This witness corroborated the evidence given |
by Lieut.. McRitchie and the river pilot OF the |
the only difference being the dis |
lance between the two vessels when the first sig |
nails were blown
Passed Assistant Surgeon Thomas Owens, Of |
the Gettysburg, testified to haIling the Lady Of
the Lake and rendering medical assistance II any
ter vessel as the noise was SO great in conse- |
auence OF the blowing of steam BY both vessels. |
Passed Assistant Engineer W. ID. Smith, of the |
Gettysburg, testified TO the giving Of the signals
70 stop and back the engines Of the vessel.
Mate Q. II. Cleveland was also examined. His |
evidence corroborated that Of the other officers.
There was not q particle Of evidence given to |