The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-03-23

The steamer Texas, on her last
trip up, ran down and sunk the Tug
boat Hope. The following is some
of the testimony elected before Coro-
nrr Roache:
Charles II L.agroue states that on the
cv-uiug OF tie hih "i March, 1873, about
6 y. m, at the head of rI'str street, ON
the Mississippi river, was clerk and
pilot ot Tie tuyhoat Hop" | was g"'"@
up stream when the steamboat Texas
wa, coming up behind us. 81" blew
two hl>ljrS meaning that she 'tl ">-
as was to tax" the rtt. ! answered by
blowing two whistles, which MEATS hat
! wouu keep the right. | kept N my
course and to the right: she tthr lrNa>>
was continually pressing NE towards TIA"
shipping as she was vcrriny LII passing
she struck the boat Hop" AIT on the left
side, which canSrl the Hopes bow It"
swiuy across that OF the Texas. AS soon
as she struck synallcd to the engineer
of our boat to stop tn" engine. which b."
did. noticed that the Texas did not
stop her engine AZ she struck, winch
caused oar boat TO fill and sink.
| 1t is my opinion that were the engines
of the Texas stopped and reversed the
arcdent could have been avoided, as
she had all the space on the river out"
side had no cause whatever to strike
U.S. and | firmly believe that their run.
ming into us was done through malice.
After the Hope had been stuck and was
sinking, l asked the captain, or party
that appeared to be the captain from the
orders he was giving, to assist me in
saviu" the lives of u family that wcr"
in the cabin. or to try and keep the
boat from sinking by tying line to the
HOPE. Tie did not answer my appeal,
hut hacked his boat down Il little and
lowered small boat. but rendered no
assistance.
thought his object in lowering a boot
was to faSt-n Il line to tow us in as we We're
not completely sunk. The Texas had
two haryrS in two, one Oh each side.
Myself, Fred Mitchell. NJ. Bernard, A.
Peterson, the engineer. and +. Pallet,
the cook. saved ourselves by jumping on
the har.cs. The parties who were in
the cabin We're Mr.. Savoo St. Pierre, wife
and two children.
WIN. BERNARD
trstitied Ireside at Bayou Late urchc.
about 20 miles below Thibodaux, at
Grav's canal. am the owner of the
canal. About & o'clock on the evening
Of March +, 1873, was on board the tug
boat Hope. and on my way up the river
yoinr t, my Lomr. When off Celeste
street. ! o served the steamboat Texas
comm" behind us. l went to the stern
and haIIord to the pilot of tho Texas and
n,ntionrd to him to keep out. ha!loe<'
loud enough for the pilot to hear me.
He paid no attention to me and ran
into oul boat. We We're rs close to the
shipping as we could well be. The If:
ficrrs of the Texas made no effort to
save on passengers or boat after they
had run into lis. | did not see any per.
son on board of the Texas make any ef-
fort to save us until after we got on
board of the barge. Then they offered
as a boat to 90 ashore. This was after
the Hope went down. heard two whis
Ties blown from the Texas first, and then
two were blown by the Hope
do not understand the whistles
There was no other vessels outside of the
Texas when she struck us. She had all
the space to keep out in the river.
feel confident that she treated US mali
cionsly, because she had the whole river
outside of her. l think if she had stop
ped when she first struck rs, our boa
and passengers could have been saved.