, 1875-11-27

land three or four butts started;
| the captain Of the Orphous called
| f1rassistaucc; witness saw mum.
Ibcr Of lights on the steamer; did
Inot hear her hail us, but the man
at the wheel said they hailed US;
could not see her lights after the
collision for about half an hour;
they disappeared, but--cannot say
how. did not look; witness did
not hear a bail, but heard the man
who was at the wheel say at the
Iuoxt watch that they hailed us;
also heard that she burned blue
lights, but would not be certain,
as witness did not see them him
self; witness, who took particular
notice, did not see any persons on
board the Pacific at the time; i'm
mediately after the collision the
carpenter reported the hold full Of
water: after going down to the
hold with lights found that the
ship was making no water, and We
kept the ship on her course; at
the time Of the collision there was
quite a nice breeze; a boat could
live quite easily; saw the light
close on to 6 o'clock Friday eve
ming; thought it was Cape Flat
tery, but Cape Beale it turned out
to be.
BY Mr.. Richards.-Wheu wit
ness frstsaw the light thought it
was Flattery light; after discover
ing it was a steamer light were
about three miles or 50 off; don't
know for what purpose the cap
tain wanted to speak the steamer,
unless it was to find out our posi-
ton; witness thought there was
no necessity for it, because the
captain had taken bearings that
day, and supposed they were cor
rect; witness saw the steamers
lights; we did not show lighted
torch; know we ought to have
done so; many things ought to
have been done on board the
steamer and ship that were not
done; witness. was chief mate on
board the Pacific once, four and a
half years ago; witness knew she
was pretty weak when working in
sea; could see the hanging
knees move, and the house on the
upper deck move considerably;
the bulk head and horricane deck,
also moved; when witness belong
ed to her first he was first mate,
the last time he was second mate;
the Pacific was a good sea boat
for her build, but couldn't go
much on her as to soundness; she
had not the reputation of being a
sound vessel; she used to be all the
time having oakum chinked into
her somewhere or other, because
she always spat it out; her
machinery was not taken out for
the last four or FIVE years to my
knowledge; a ship Of her kind
ought to have her machinery tax
en- out IN that time to see If her
timbers were sound; have no
doubt she was pretty frail under
her engines from the way she used
to work; there is always friction
from the motion and no ventila-
ton, always wet, so that the
llimbers are likely to get unsound;
the caulking used 70 spit out Of
her at the stem and stern posts.
/ By the Foreman-The Captain
was not in charge when we saw
the light frst, but was atthe time
Of the collision; would be about q
mile and half of as the red light
became visible the captain took
charge; witness gave the order to
srarboard the helm, and the cap
tain countermanded it; had my or
ders been carried out there would
have been no collision; at the time
of the collision witness did not
think the steamers cut water
would be carried away, because he
did not consider the shock heavy
enough to do so; did not know it
was the Pacific until some Of the
crew told him she had three masts,
then thought it was the Pacific;
/ il the cut.vater was carried away
Iii must have started the planks; It
would take Us an hour to launch
Jour boats nnderthe circumstances;
witness had an idea when he first
saw the light that it was not Cape
/ IFlattery, and went down and asked
the first mate If he did not make a
mistake; he said no; witness said
no more. for If he had they would
have told bin to mind his own bu-
siness. About four and half
! years ago the Pacific was run
ashore about Columbia river, and
was taken to San Francisco with a
piece Of canvas under her bow,
her forefoot was carried away, bui
did not undergo a general over
hauling; do not think the Pacific
has been thoroughly overhauled
during the last 6Fe years, she was
always patched; the collision was
50 slight that although witness
knew it was the Pacific he did not