National Republican., 1874-06-04
THE RECENT COLLISION.
STATEMENT OF THE INSPECTORS AND
THE COMMANDER OF THE GETTYS.

STATEMENT OF THE INSPECTORS AND
THE COMMANDER OF THE GETTYS-
BURG.
There have been SO many conflicting statements
published Of the collision between the steamer
Lady Of the Lake and the United States steam
ship Gettysburg, on Saturd ay evening last, that
we yesterday delegated one of our reporters to In
tervlew Captain Partridge, the commanding off,
fsr' That offieer states tSat az the time ne Of the
occurrence he was quietly enjoying his supper,
the boat being In charge OF the pilot, whose duty
u Is 20 navigate the vessel, except when making
On hearing the signal Of four bells, which
ton he im%edstely s stated for the forward part
OF the boat, but, before reaching the pilothouse,
the collision had occurred. He at once went BE-
done to the hull, and, finding injury that would
prevent the vessel from making headWay, he con-
thai he learned some Of Sia
| had jumped on board the Gettysburg, aud, on
questioning the pilot about It, that officer stated
on board at the time he did mot think ii would be
safe to make any attempt to get them back again
on the Lady OF the Lake, fearing that, had the
would have been created among the passenyers
which It might have been impossible to control
@ ana which might have resulted in serious loss OF
lite; 70 have seen boats lowered, and 9 portion
Of the crew getting into them would, to the pas
ssngers In their then excited state, have implied
DANGER, and the results which might have fol-
With regard to the right and wrong of the mat
Ter, and the liking Of responsibility where it
an Investigation by the proper authorities, for
which the owners and oficers Of the Lady OF the
Lake are extremely anxious, as BY IT alone can
they be properly vindicated. The law regulating
steamboat navigation of rivers gives ths vessel
ascending the stream the right TO the way-the
pilot oi the Lady Of the Lake signaled, BY two
whistles, that he would take the PORTLAND side OF
the river, which signal was clearly understood |
Ow.I E,lI la1 20 hrw eha 1aNkw ah,-1r tel
Capt McRitchie, OF the Gettysblrg, fully ad- |
mits, as appears by his statement In the New !
ISrk IrtSnue Of June 2 but for some reason or
course without again signaling the Lady Of the |
Lake, although that boat repeated the signal as
by reason Of the Change Of course Of the Gettys-
burg the pilot of the Lady OF the Lake sfgnaled
at once to reverse the engine, and succeeded in
Gettysburg came down upon her. Had the Get
tysburg kept the course as indicated by the reply
to the signal from the Lady Of the Lake no COLL
On Monday Inspectors Saville and Lowry, or
this steamboat district, made an examination Of
the Lady Of the Lake, and satisfied themselves
thoroughly that the owners of that boat had fully
complied with all the requirements of the steam-
boat laws in every particular; and that the num-
cess Of what the regulations demand. Tho Gus
tom-house officers OF Georgetown also made an
the boat and her appointments. Capt. Partridge,
with much emphasis, denies the reported state
ment of an ot1cer OF the Gettysburg charging
him with indecorous conduct toward the surgeon
Of that vessel, who, It is stated, proffered his
services to assist any Of his passengers who might
be hurt No such offer Of service was made to his
whole story as malicious s!ander and cowardly
the article referred to above:
"Captain David q. McRItchie, the commander
Of the Gettysburg, was questioned by Tribune
reporter last evening in relation to the accident
sci ran into the steamer Lady OF the Lake. The
captain said that when the accident occurred
both vessels were in mid-channel. The accident
and each sSud Be- p plainly VS. seem sa By St e.
pther., Between the time when the Lady Of the
Lake WAS sighted and the collision there was an
the Lake was going up streaM, while The Ge:tys
burg was going down. The former vessel blew
two whistles; at this time she was about point
The pilot Of the latter answered the signal by
blowing two whistles also, but Captain MeRitchie
Ss pHo to baE e. rs ena
isftd the e6glhet to be stopped and the vessel
About thfee minutes @ les elapsed % between the blow.
Ing Of the first whistle and the collision. :,
Captain McRitShie denied the statement that
'obriety Of himself and the officers Of the Gettys-
burg. whoever is to blame, continued he II am
Filling to bear the respoI,btlisy, fqr FOLLOWED
helm a-star9oard, in accordance with the blowing
II TIE othef Vessels Whistles, o dire calamity t
would have happened. The captain of the Lady Q
,f the Lake had no right to blow two Whistles as O
that alter Se aeodsns &c
aptafn said 6sSs6e Yay ythirs AZ Cur and landed
be passengers Of the othef vessel. lie damage ]
one to the Gettysburg was very slight. Thofe I
Sh9s ipd hHn SsTt
Qoa the loss sustained BY the Lady Of the {
An officer of the Gettysburg, In narratipg
ome of the incidents Of the Collision, said that
be surgeon of the war vessel had Immediately
fered his services TO anybody who might be hurt,
ut that Captain Partridge, OF the Lady OF the :
AXE, had replied with an oath" IL