The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-12-25
THE LOSS OF THE COTTON
VALLEY,
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ErroET or rHs FOCAL li1f ~.

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HrroHs fay roqaa a''s'ios0a'.
orr1orU. ssBoAaD For Local IN \ /
sPEcToss 81 STEAK vEsskIs, /
Neg 0rleades Las 81
Dec. ID, 1873. I
We have carefully stndied the tes-
timony given in the case, and find
the Cotton Valley ascending and the
Chas. Morgan deseenaing the river
on the morning OF the 1st inst, at
about four p'clock, i fbeing yeEy |
dark, Aeswihd blowing hard and
raining@hesrys ~place-aboats two
miles below Donaldsonville, near
Bringier's Point, where collision
occurred whereby Tie Cotton Valley
was sunk and three lives lost. We
find the Chas. Morgan cher proper
place in the river for sdssaehding
steamer, fully oflcered4s .Ahe law
requires, both pilots III tbspilot
house at the time, asslso> ths dpp-
tain, where be had gone 70 ksepSut
Of the l,kdfsin then. falling the
first mats Sd watch and. at b IS post,
the steamer backing before and Jay
the time 81 The eollision, and every
thing doas 81 her officers to avaidias
collision and Afterwards asa rescus
the. pespteof tie IN fassl steapsrA
| We Andsthat the Cotton Vslley was
not in her. proper place for an as
vending steamer, that her captain
lhads 1oES9sp dhWatcK since teNvep:
o'elost pfas ssiehhls efsthgt olhsbled,
THAT her hrst mate had not been on
watch since Immediately after leav-
ing this city till about four o'clock
in the morning Of, the scollission-'
+both' u which We, deem gross neglect
Of duty-z;especially,on such q night.
MEtSwsin, the pilot on watch on
tie CotDn valley, was evidently
mistaken in his position in the ri "a r,
: as the testimony shows that the col;
I |lision occurred in ,ornear the middle
, Of the river. eiWhenI he steod quite
! turn Bringisr'so Point (which was 8
!, starboard point, the, night being
very dark and the wind blowing Of
the starboard shore, he missed hi.
: calculation and we find him out o
his place. We also find that thu
Cottona Valleys engines were 40
! stopped Aunta 'Sher bow had passet
b across The bow Of Tie Chas. Morgan
: nor were they.backed at,all.
: We believe that if either the cap
. tain orthe frst mate of tie fCottoI
2 Valley had been on watch and 1t hi
post the collision would not hav
I occurred.
u We STE DO evidence ,on$t6e part 4
= the officers Of the Cotton Vale
p" where the licensed officers did any
!, thing to save the lives Of The cabi
or deck passengers, eittcr thrcug
II supplying them with life-preserver
OF even suggesting ttreirIEnse, an
: especially was one poor unfortuuat
= lady allowed to drown with only
. simple invitation to jump overheard
. whereas, had she had a,life-prcserve
= on, she would doubtless have foate
= until she could have been rescue
! by the yawl Of the Chas., Morgan
= The act Of Captain Kours, in 4
y lowing only his wife and two chi
- dren and, Mrs. Sandford in q lif
y boat that was capable :ef scarryin
4 fifteen persons, is reprehenslble
e. the extreme. Captain Kouns lis all
BIT Responsible for the deck ofshis We
Of sells, being In charge of the secor
NJ mate, an officer not required to |
8. licensed, who was il charge 81 Il
j. deck from six o'clock P. M. to- fo'
4 O'Clock "A. Ma most unusual waite
Ii We have therefore, this day,
rs. sccordancs with Section 4439 al
IT, 444O, 81 the Revised Statutes, for i
y attention to duty, revoked the :.
~ censes of M. n. ,Kouns and w. 4
Fs Duke, respectively master and ma
az of the ill,fated aaCptton Valley a,
u suspended the license OF a., 4
?. fSwain; the pilot ON watch on Il
" 'Cotton Valley" for period
O. O. thirty days from the date, hereof,
.: accordance with Section 4450, Of &
w Revised i. Statutes, for u nnskilli
g 9 management inattention to dnt
p and neglect; and we hereby iexont
- ate the licensed officers Of Tie stea1
~ er "Charles Morgan from all blau
pl @. B. JOHNSON,
sas S''! ~ i''J.SA. 'MeFFETr, dssse'
!" ~ ,.i-,.a p. s. Local Inspecto
Al AZ tts,t..x ~Tc~~S1-Oe-~>c~~>> II !
9 ~ - osE,S. NAME WRITING FAM
~; II STITCHING. AND ,DARNIl
o.o ATTACHMENTS FOR ALL M
SIS lCHTNES.-FOR SALE BY FERG