Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-06-05
THE LATE COLLISION.

lflE LAlE COLLlSlON.
The Washington Republican says There
have been so many conflicting STATEN ents pub
lished of the collision between the steamer
Lady of the Lake and the U. S. steamship
Gettysburg on Saturday evening last, that we
delegated one Of our reporters to interview
Capt. Partridge, the comulaudug officer OF the
Lady Of the Lake, in relation to the affair."
That officer states that at the time ot the oc
curreuce he was quietly enjoying his supper,
the boat being iu charge OF the pilot, whose
duty it is to navigate the vessel, except when
making landings.
On hcariag the signal Of four bells, which
means to stop the engines and reverse their mo-
ton, he Immediately started for the forward part
of the boat but, before reaching the pllOt-hOuse,
the collision had occurred. He at once went
below into the hold to sec what damage had
been done to the hull, aod, 6Dding no injury
that would prevent the vessel from making
hcadway, he continued on up the river. 1t was
not until reaching Alexandria that he learned
some of his passengers had jumped 90 board
the Gettysburg, and, on questioning the pilot
about it, that officer stated that in couse-
uucnce of the excitement prevailing on board
at the time, he did not thlnk it would be safe
to make any attempt to gcl them back again on
the Lady of the Lake, fearing that, had the
steamer been stopped and boats lowered,
pauic would have been created among the pas
scngers, which it might have been impossible
to control, and which might have resulted lu
serious loss Of life To have seen boats lowered
and a portion OF the crew getting into them
would, to the passengers in their then excited
state, have implied danger, and the results
which might have followed no Que eau toresee.
with regard to the right and wrong OF the
matter, and the fixing OF responsibility where
it properly belongs, that can best be determln-
I'd by an investigation by the proper authOrl-
ties, for which the owners and officers OF
the Lady OF the Lake are extremely auxlous,
as by it aoue can they be properly vlndl-
Gated. The law regulating steamboat navi-
CATION Of rivers gives the vessel ascending
the stream the right to the way-the right
to select her course. Acting upon this
the pilot Of the Lady of the Lake signaled by
Two Whistles, that he would take the port hand
side of tho river, which signal was clearly uu
derstood and fully replied to by the Gettys-
burg. This Capt McRitchie, of the Ge,tyS-
burg, fully admits, as appears by bis state
menls in the New York Tribune of June 2,
but for some reason or other he directed his
pilot to take the opposite course without again
signaling the Lady Of the Lake, although that
boat repeated the signal as first given. Seeing
change of course of the Gettysburg the pilot of
verse the engine and succeeded 10 getting his
boat 10 backward motion when the Gettysburg
came down upon sher. Had the Gettysburg
kept the course as indicated by the reply to
the signal from the Lady Of the Lake no COLI
sion could have occurred
"Ou Monday Inspectors Savlllc and Lowry,
otlhis steamboat district, made an cxamlna-
ton of the Lady OF the Lake, and satisfied
themselves thoroughly that the owners of that
boat had fully complied with all the require
mens OF the steamboat laws III every particu-
lar, and that the number of lltc-preservers on
hand was greatly in excess of what the regu-
lations demand. The custom house officers
of Georgetown also made an examination,
aud were equally we'll satisfied with the
boat and her appointments Captain Part
ridge, with much emphasis, denies tho report
cd statement OF an officer OF the Gettysburg
charging him with indecorous conduct toward
the surgeon of that vessel who, it is stated,
profered his services to assist any OF his pas
seugers who might be hurt. No such offer oil
service was made to his knowledge, aud be
uuuuallfedy pronounces the whole story as a
malicious slandeg and cowardly outrage We
elm from the New York Tribune the article re-
terred to above
Captain David G. McRi,chic, the comman-
der OF the Gettysburg, was questioned by Il
Tribune reporter last evening IN relation to the
accident on the Potomac on Saturday night,
when the vessel ran into the steamer Lady of the
Lake The captain said that when the accident
occurred both vessels were in mid chaDnol. The
accident took place at about p m. 1t was
still clear, and each vessel could be plainly
seen by the ether. Between the time when
the Lady OF the Lake was sighted and the col
lSion there was an interval of about fifteen
minutes The Lady of the Lake was going up
stream, while the Gettysburg was going down.
The former vessel blew two whistles; at this
time she was about point and ahalt on port
bow of the war vessel. The pilot OF the latter
answered the signal by blowing two whistles
also, but Captain McRitchic immediately couD-
tcrmanded the signal, and ordered the pilot to
put his helm hard-a-port The order was inn
mediately obeyed. The captain ordered the
eugiues to be stopped and the vessel backed.
hut it was too late to prevent collision. About
three minutes elapsed between the blowing OF
the first whistle and the collision
Capt. McRitchie denied the statement that
he was drunk, and was ready to vouch for the
sobriety of himself and the officers Of the Gettys
burg. Whoever is to blame, continued he, L am
willing to bear the responsibility, for followed
the rule of the road strictly. Ii had put my
helm starboard, 10 accordance with the blow
ing of the other vessels whistles, dire calamity
would have happened. The captain of the
Lady of the Lake had no right to blow two
whistles, as he was on our port bow. In re-
gard to the statement that the Gettysburg, af
ter the accident, had Immediately and hurried
ly steamed away, the captain said that she lay
there an hour and landed the passengers of the
other vessel The damage done to the Get
tysburg was very slight. There was no shock,
and hence none of the instruments were in-
Jured. Less than FIVE dollars would cover
all the damage, and less than 5000 would make
good the loss sustained by the Lady Of the
Lake
An officer of the Gettysburg, iu narrating
some Of the incidents of the collision, said that
the surgeon of the war vessel had Immediately
offered his services to anybody who might be
hurt, but that Captain Partridge, of the Lady
OF the I,akn had ro,lied NTH an oath ~