The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-03-15
THE M'ALESTER INVESTIGATION.
ADDITIONAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE
BOARD.
more witne. ses su snpnoned.

Army, and Capt II. A. Torrey. United States
Army.
MR.. r. n. SEXTON
was recalled and sworn-aen. Simpson called
Mr.. Sections attention TO several articles pub
lished In tho Times last summer and later, all
hearing upon the rotenneas If the MeAlester
and f HHreHs, The inflammation having been
Furnished. according TO the testimony Of Mr..
Lept yesterdav, by Mr.. Sexton in an interview
All Alb ' nut ihe nrst Of Septemter last year fal,
the witntss, whilst l was in the office Of Brady
lrom f. ppi n""s ast]ne The d1pth at which tbs
MeAlester could drejge. / replied. 25 feet A
few Gays afterwards II, reporter came on board
as reporter II ths Times. asking me for 8 me
| Information about the dredgehboas. H. wished
TO examine the vessels and the machinery. |
brought him In the engine room OF The Mo
Alestar. He begin to tn about Eads' jetties,
and asked me If thought they sere Il success.
IT THEN sTRucK ME
that he had been sent for the express purrose
Of beirg iniorne, ab ut The v.ss, Is and their
condition IN the interest OF Capt. E,ds, who
probably wanted the. d,edgeboe = for South
Pass M work then d n h the ps seg ba "
vent them from sinking He said the maenn.
should pronounce 1t defectivs. After that ws
u smile did not drink with him. then
show Il him the gnngway and he Went ashore.
| would state here. tim steam is always kept up
In the donkey boiler anoard the shi ps in "a nf
| IRE, did not use the pumps except to throw
out bige water once q week. j considered the
ships.
EsrEcIALIr THE M'ALEsTER
in better trim than ever before; MY object In
stating to the reporter that the sbips we rotten
was because | supposed he took me for
''greeny," but turned the tables on him.
My only motive, was to prevent the reporter
'bepeois te to him bat tht boats ais wer w s p
worthy and the machinery detective never
r. ceived instructions to refuse Information to
The McAlester was. in my judgment,
rERyEcTLy sEAwoRrHv
at that time.
since. considered II" tlmbers good n'nilships.
at the water ljne. IA had examined the fasen-
ings Of the boilers at that point; they would
last nine or ten ears In river water
CAPT. HOOPER.
of Aleers, being sworn said-I was In
charge of the McAleeter from 1879 to Janu-
ary. 1879. before ! cay ANYTHING Of the con,
ditch e TIC MsAleat.r les In before she set out
current 10 the Effect that l had stated. through
malice that the vessel was r2tteni tn vinnira,
letter | wrote to Mai + Howell, In December,
1876 be produced ms evidence.
MAJOR HOWELL,
after searching for The letter, said that he could
not flnd II Oh the file. aud had no recollection OF
the letter
/ believe. continued The witness. Tint tho
Major had tho right to discharge me-. nm that
hid nothing to Say about IT, IN The letter.
stated that In certain pats Of tho ship the
pIanting tin bera, stern post. etc. were weak.
and / remember distinctly that said 1t would
use the McAleeter for servi g, unless repaired
in those prrt. kn?. no hing 9f the ennni-
ou this year but when was in charge of the
boat I consider, d her Ii "shell'-that is the out
site was comparatively soun'. and the inside
rotten, In s4yeral places the pianks had roted
, pQy
That -he was 4 mere shell, found out after
careully exRmining her on the outside oil
Amidsbips. near the -water-line. there were
SONS rot holes. which covered with planking
and canvas.
MAJOR HOWELL
asked II The witness had any recollection of n
survey which he and others, together with Capt.
Hooper, made Of the MoAt ster. The witness
hnd no recollection OF the fact.
they could have been repaired, replaced or
pa ehed up to A certain extent, but this would
not add to the STRENGTH OF the timber by cutting
deck beama. was rotten inside, =,
since December 1915. was twice on board Of
tho McAletter as visitor. saw the process Of
not go near tho vessel then. l left the service
in Deeamber, 1876. Previous to writing the lot
that would be discharged but l thought my
discharge probable, through lack of work on
account Of the jetty work progressing at South
\
the ttmbers I the McAlester had baen made
before she started on her last trip. but think l
heard some rumors , to that h etie + h .,t ~,
Cuff. but she had too much weight astern to
make her safe seaaolng vessel. Coming hero
some gearing apparatus: / do not quite re-
emher. would not have risked the voyage
to Sabine Pass on The vessel when the caution
service and had to work for my bread and but
ter. would have obeyod the orders. but surely
an ordinary sea. When the McAlester left her
CAuTIoNARy SIGNALS
we're up. and n gentleman standing with mo on
the day after her departure. but 1t did not look
threatening when she loft.
JOHN ID. YOUNG.
sworn. said-I reside in Algiers. whore follow
the trade of eauker. In 1871 l worked on the
McA Alester. when she first came here. In De-
cember. 1877. was engaged eng by the canlkinE foro-
70 rapss m M T @ pe
seams in The starbonrd side. Amidthips was
the worst part of the vessel; there were many
which we filled with rope. Capt Swift at ono
time asked me- what thought of the boat. I
well she rs, Is slack s In some places and
St. emed to have dry rot" The afterpart was
very bad: about four or five feet above the
water line the timbers were very much shrunk.
The shrink go Is caused by heat, and The rot
comes from green timber used In constructing
boats. Shrinkage and rottipg OF tmbers occur
frequently in river craft, and unless the timber
is gone. repairs can safely be made. II proper
time ts taken In repairing. Seasoned wood
sometimes rots In two or three years. and can
be repaired with safety. provided the fasenings
would hold.
I CANNOT SAT-
whether the McAlester. properly caulked
sh a he'd. etc. would have been able to hold out
a. sea. being no seaman. but from what saw
she did not seem to have any leaks, unless be-
low the water line. / never saw the McAlester
In docE.
JOHN BERTUS,
duly sworn. said-I was engaged about eight
pair certain holes and seams when she was
about to start for the Pass to take the place of
the Essayons. worked on her about a day and
adnarter: know no, hing about the hull of the
MoAleSfer aXcent what WAS rapairing.