National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-16
LADY OF THE LAKE.
FURTHER TESTIMONY IN REGARD

FURTHER TESTIMONY IN REGARD To
THE LATE COLLISION.
Srhe naval court of inquiry reassembled at the
navy yard yesterday, and proceeded with the ex::
animation Of witnesses relative to the late coli-
| sion on the river.
The first one called was Captain L. H. Part
ridge, of the steamer Lady of the Lake, who was
| sworn by the president and examined by the
Judge advocate. He testified that he was on board
hisvessel at the time Of the collision, but knew
nothing Of the circumstances which led to 1t; was
at tea in the diningroom at the time of the acci-
dent, and did not know anything Of his own
| knowledge until after both ships collided. When
he came on deck the Lady of the Lake was head
| ing up the river, and the Gettysburg had backed
out nearly across the channel The bow of the
Gettysburg was towards the Virginia shore when
she was backing. Would have blown two whis-
ties the as the pilot of the Lady Of the Lake
did; 4 was in the pllOt-hGgse at the time Of
nails Of that vessel In passing vessels at night
the witness said that he was usually governed by
lights, but sometimes used the whistle in connec-
| ton with them. Would consider q vessel respon-
sible after she had answered O signal, even II she
did violate the law governing the movements of
1t is generally conceded by steamboat men that
the ascending ship river has the right of way,
or, In other words, that she has q. right to take
| whichever side Of the channel she pleases. 1t is
not provided by the new regulations, but 1t was
by the old ones, and is still o custom on the river
He said 1t was not customary for steamers on the
I y
The Lady Of the Lake was about twenty feet
from the shoals on the Virginia side. and directly
| accident occurred. Heard no offers Of assistance
from the Gettysburg-saw no movement on board
that vessel to lower the boats. Is Of the opinion
that Mr.. Price, the pilot of the Gettysburg, is q
man who understands his business, and that the
collision must have occurred through some misun-
Outstanding or disobedience of orders given on
board that vessel
COL. HOWARD A. SNOW,
- T ~.
Lake at the time Of the collision. was sworn by
the president and examined by the Judge advo-
cate, He testified that he was seated on the for
ward part of the vessel; heard the pilot blow two
whistles and the Gettysburg's reply, but did not
hear the second or any other signal from the lat
ter vessel; heard the second signal Of two whis-
ties blown by the Lady Of the Lake. When he
first saw the Gettysburg she was about two and
half points on the starboard bow and about 200
yards distant; heard no orders on board the Lady
Of the Lake, except one for the passengers to get
of the forward deck as collision was likely TO
take place; 1t was o very few minutes between
the blowing OF the first whistles and the issuing
Of this order; when the order was given the Get
tysburg was about one hundred and fifty yards
of. The angle at which the two vessels struck
was about IS degrees; the Lady Of the Lake was
heading for the Virginia shore when the collision
| occurred. When he first saw the Gettysburg her
engines were stopped; she was then about $50 or
the Virginia than the Maryland side Of the chan.
mel when the first whistle Was blown; three bells
were rung to stop her engines but cannot say
the movement of vessels; had charge OF all the
Government transports at Alexandria for two
years during the late war; from what he saw, he
RE could have avoided the collision or If she had
to strike the Lady Of the Lake, n need not be
more than CHANGING blow; the he ydway of the
Gettysburg was not stopped VIII n SIZE struck the
Lady of the Lake, but the latter vessel was at
sSaHus'lA' 49,
WILLIAM FRssENDES,
also passenger on board the Lady Of the Lake
on the 30th uItimo was sworn and examined. He
testified that he was sitting on the forward upper
deck, Immediately under the pilot-house. When
| he first noticed the Gettysburg she was on the
| starboard bow, about one half mile distant;
| soon after he heard the Lady Of the Lake blow
two whistles, to which the other vessel responded
\ promptly: the distance between the two vessels
was then about one fourth of O mile; heard the
| Lady Of the Lake repeat the first signal; at this
| time the wheels Of the Gettysburg had ceased to
| reyolve, but her headyay was not stopped: soon
after the signal to stop and reverse the engines Of
| the Lady of the Lake was given, and she was al
most at o standstill when the collision occurred.
If the two vessels had continued the course they
were pursuing they would have passed clear Of
each other on the starboard tack: the course of
the Lazy Of the Lake was changed few degrees
to port; the course of the Gettysburg was changed
other vessel; the hrst was the only signal he
heard from the Gettysburg, and from the course
the latter vessel took 1t seemed she was endeav-
oring to cross the bow Of the Lady Of the Lake
and pass on the port side. Did not observe the
wheels of the Gettysburg make backward
movement before the vessels collided; cannot say
positively whether the engines Of the Lady Of the
Lake were stopped and reversed.
This closed the testimony for the day, and the
court adjourned to meet again to-day at 1880
o'clock, when IL is expected Judge Henry OCon-
dor, solicitor of the State Department, and the
light house keeper at Fort Washington will be
examined.
The pilot of the Lady of the Lake, who 10 the
principal witness on the part Of the owners Of
that vessel, could not be examined yesterday, as
It was nearly one o'clock when the evidence Of
CAPTAIN Partridge was all in and his boat had to
leave at two O'Clock. He will be the first witness
nallad WednesdaY nnrninu