New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-06
THE TESTIMONY.

THE TESTIMONY.
WAsHINGTON Dec. 5.-The Court of Inquiry,
appointed by Secretary Of the Navy and consisting
If Vice-Admiral Rowan. Rear-Admira Rogers, COmmo-
lore H. II. Wyman. and Naval solicitor j. A. Bowles,
investigate the OF the disaster
10 the United states ship Huron met at the Navy De
narent today organized and proceeded upon the bust
ness for which they were appointed Judse-AdVocate
Bowles acted as recorder o: the court
The first witness examined was Rear-Admiral & d.
Trenchard in command Of the North Atlantic Station
who testified that in response to signal from Com
mander Ryan asking If he might go to sea- he replied
that he might tho draugntsmau for whose arrival the
vessel had waited three days having arrived on board
The next witness Was Commodore Wyman, who put IN
copies of the charts furnished the Huron Tor her use
MASTER CONwAYs ACCOUNT.
The rext witness called was Master W P. Conway who
was watch officer on board the Huron until o'clock OF
the evening she left Hampton Roads. and who tesun'u
that after getting around Cape Henry on the forenoon
east which course was maintained to the end OF ms
away soon after 6 o'clock They set the forcstormsay
sail the spanker, put single reef I'D inc 3rery
sail and double reef IN the mantrvsall quarter heore
o'clock when the lead was cast and found fourteen
was relieved by Master Wright and the snip was men
going at five and half knots under steam ana sall
close in me wind. The barometer had for three hours
indicated BOZ inches. At o'clock Conway Went lhlo
the cabin where Captain Ryan was examining the chal
and who remarked that the they were STEERING
ought take the Huron far enough ont ana tat ne vas
Gulf stream. At 1870 went on deck again Curftuch
L-ht was just visible rs the ship rose on 'le WV
Went below and turned i'm was awokeby heavy shot1i
thought at first 10 collision with another vessel
but az The next hump knew she was ashore ana htI4
some say 30. Heard some one on dcck cry out nu
~ starb0ard; hurried deck and found the snip on
her port side. inclinius about forty G5srees
down tie matches and throw the guns overheard,
Commander Ryan gave orders 20 lowe the sails. lie
witness assisted ~ pulling down the port try-sa IL was
then dangerous almost impossible, TO stand on the port
side ~ the main deck. The witness asked II De should
but us now The witness then went % the stabudd
asked Nj French what time II Was a. me- answered.;
quarter before two When the ship kecled over gu lhr
down, 10 Knocked an awning sIancEon through 'he
witness asked if a line could not be go on shore The
comman leg said. Yes, lower the cutler ana Try ~
When lowered her made line fast 10 her and
volunteers offered themselves and started 20 20 mo the
boat; then beard French sing ont, Cut away INC
rigging and the foremost went over 10 port side Al t5
time the weather thick. the spray hyinS so ilca
oYfcr Eo1 called for ''" Volunteer. in few
moments afterward the boat swauped 10 had been
tbat vent an lip. hoard Mr. french sing out cut
away the mas;s" he had the deck the time the vessel
struck; cat the stag5oard lanyard Of the forward
he VInd5yarl and il carried ne hbboom and main top
mast with H. ilen told the man 20 - down anu get up
The balsa; ound the hoops and barrel Of the 6alsa
but couo not find the bellows to blow up with had
lights put down the berth deck Tor rear OF HIe
being able to do anything furtncr went down oh
tie orecastle rail with the No thought there
was any danger of los, Of lie, bal ell knew the shipwoud
be lost We Thought az dayIgh we could an 81 ont
some time aitcrWard some Of the men and officers went
i4 - Si" O4I wen, mo o,13 IMAM b
sn% 9oalc nm laier went o3I on oie ,tt [ ~
m csr over the shin and IL was with difficulty any one
M t,T on also noticed t,at the water was getting
S9uu lo.i on, ,,t ~ ,ros d",d ia When he first
keeed over tee port rail wa- flush with the water
Just before dayi gar some OF the men were swept on
ifle Il
: O'Clock asked TO give me lie pres'rNer ana
would try to swim ashore aud be or some assistance
The man refused % take il on alleging that he could not
swim. At this time | am not certain that any
odriff seemed TO be washed out 10 sea.
some time after this. finding could not hold on much
longer, allowed myself 10 be washed on ana swan on
shore Two or three of the men left at the same time
What and officers were left on me snip DO not
know. The launch was washed away Driorc ieIl /
! was told Commander RYAN and LlueielantCOm-
manGer Palmer We're in H. Ensign Wound ana seaman
had left the snip previously Oh the Das Du ulu ~"
know whether they got ashore or not ut seems Tue
bellows had been found and ,he balsa blown up was
In the wafer about H'o minutes "heh f'Iu anoig
and was hauled IN by u fisherman. they carried /
me mp TO hut. met VT: young Eo.hS
10 tie uorthward Of the ship When reached the hat
a. had nothing on wnen reached shorei was naked
when left the ship started out To 20 mp the beach
fe->aying station three mics Down we neac "hch the
fishermen didut dare break tod him to take some ~
get out TIE mortar anu some me ana tnat Wuuu 20
up the beach ana assist the people from the ship who
that 10 one at all exhausted could get through |
it, When Mi. Young returned no one was
living on board the ship. We had brought !
the mortar up IN cask. No was
made oil IT, MT. Dennig Mr.. WaTbuTtOn and some men
came on shore after got ashore. Some eight dead
bodies were washed ashore during dar The fore and
nam mast went over the side some time before Mr.
Young got BACK There Ia the rigging al that
time. Al nlghs the men went TO the Life saving station
The next day about II o'clock received assistance
from Norfolk several naval vessels were outside bu
unable To send any boats ashore. The swat tra
POwhatin, and the Wrecking steamer r. ~ I
Baker were there. The surf prevented them from
landing. boat from the Baker attemuted
to land between and 1 o'clock but was
capsized, and four men drowned. II was moi a
boat from the Le-Saving Station That evening we an
lett the scene Of the wreck and arrived Norfolk next
morning The weather cloudy. with a moderate
blowing when we left Hampton Roads. When We
course from Cape Henry ii about the same
AT D. Ill the weather rather clear but
somewhat overcast, aud fresh gale was
blowing. At 1890 D. the weather was
.quaily and raining IL rather misty.
could see Currituck light eth nothing more was done
than have stated that know Of, 10 save the Huron or
her officers and the None OF the guns were thrown
over; don't know why they were not thrown over
The 1l-nch gun not thrown over for fear would
tear the side OF the slip cast loose The sea was
breaking ~ that Il would have been dangerous
10 attempt 70 move that gun.
Tie court here adjourned until tomorrow.
THE IIrBnN's nEAD