The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-27
A CA RID.

|
composed Of steamboat captains. ship carpen-
ters. boat builders and dock managers. nssem,
barge which the steamboat Texas had in tow at
the time Of the accident # the nnth q MaTeh
kirk. Capt. J. K Bell. CAPT; T. 4. Ksndis end
honey, boat builder: r. CothII. ship carpenter !:
J. nj. McAdam ship carpenter; Geo. +. Busing.
superintendent Good Intent Dock; J. Q. Nc,
Kahn. builder and dock superintendent, and
| Benz. Kelly. ship carpenter. Whose signatures
| are, appended below, who, after fqll, careful
and exhaustive examination, offer the follow
1. Testimony having been given, by parties on
the Hope. that che had been struck on the stern
thereby causing the Hope to swing across The
bows Of the barge. and with the view Of ascertain
| ing the truth of this testimony, close exami-
ha from %a' the stern Of e The Hope m POINT
| feet inches from the stern, and 81 feet 81
inches from the bow. there was no sign Of 9 col.
| liston break or abrasion Of nosing. side OF
hull or on the buwarks around the stern.
At the point above stated there was ,curyed
from the top Of the hull down to the water line
| leading slightly aft from top to its lower end.
| The nosng ct top Of the bull. twp inches thick
| also one plank below the nosing. The depth OF
| the, cut became less as the mark neared the
| water line, The shape Of the cut and it's curve
correspond with the shape and curve of the
barges stem. and there can be no doubt that
the cut was was made El by the IRON ron band on the
by rule and bowel, to be about ten degrees. The
cut is clear and we'll defined, and could only
have been made at o time when the Hopes side
| cut to have been made II the Hopes quarter had
been caught by the bulge OF the barges bow.
We examined closely the frai bulwark
around the Hopes stern, which leads about
posed of cypress board one inch thick and
| ten inches wide standing on edge near the
outer line of the boats deck. supported by slight
OF the boat from her stern to the cut In her
| side; there was no Sign Of collision. mark or
abrasion ON bulwark, nosing or hull; We placed
the bulwark above described on tho Hopes
quarter; the barge was about, foot higher
than the top of tho bulwark. and owing to the
its bend or bulge and around to its stem. 1t was
found that If the Hope had been struck and
barge. that the tor edge Of the above described
one inch thick by ten inch high cypress board
bulwark would have had to stand all the shock.
unhesitatingly pronounce to be a physical i'm
possibility. as such pressu re would certainly
have BROKEN the bulwark down. AS It now
stands 1t does not show mark Or scratch.
| After our close and thorough examination of
the Hope. We examined the barge; there are no
collision marks on 1t, unless we except the iron
stem band which is on the stem. or cut water"
on some / ortions OF which we found the paint
disdgured, which may or may not have been
done by the collision. We then placed the
Hope across the bow Of the barge. placing the
barge's stem band In the cut In the Hopes side.
The fit was xact, and the angle Of ths two ves-
vious test made with rule and bevel. viz: about
ten degrees. Appended we give measures taken
inches; bottom, 8 feet inch; depth Of hold.
feet 10; side timbers or ribs. by Inches; side
plank. IA inches thick-all of pine or cypress.
She has no deck or CROSS beams at the point she
was struck. and, being open hull would have
the barge; but 1t is very evident, from the frail
construction of the Hope ana the slight amount
of damage done by the collision, that the barge
could not have had any great degree OF head
way at time Of collision. otherwise the side OF
the Hope would have been completely smashed
In or the boat cut In two. During the time We
had the Hope and barge placed In position as
above described. photographs of them were
taken which will show them as they were at
time of collision.
(Signed)
GEO. Il. KIRK ex-Steamboat Captain
]. w. BLANKS. Steamboat Captain.
J. K. BELL. ex Steamboat Captain.
JOHN II MAHoN 1s Bo aR Bai der fl0''
J. o. MCKAIN. Manager Marine Dry Dock.
BENZ. KELLY. Foreman Louisiana Dry
Dock.
G. BLESSING. Manager Good Intent Dry
N. j. McADAM. Ship Carpenter and Lumber
Dealer.
J. T. BURDEAU. Master Steamer D. B. Camp
ROBT COTHILL. Marine Ways. A]giers.
r. A. KENDIG, ex-Steamboat Captain.
mh27 1t