The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-04

commenced yesterday before Messrs. johnson
and Morett.
The Investigation was opened by the reading
of the following letter and sworn statement Of
Capt Albert Stein of the Morgan:
NFw ORLEANS. Dec .. 1873.
Messrs. Johnson X Moffet Local Inspectors
Gpnfiemen-At your earliest convenience
wiah to have brought NJ before you, as local In,
spectors for the dietrlctan investigation and de-
positions taken relating to the collision between
the steamers Chas Morgan and Cotton Valley
the steamer Cbas. Morgan on her trip down
from Cincinnati o f. New orleans find and the
Orleans 10 Red River-eaid collision occurring
at Bringier's point. Just below Donaldsonvllle,
The s nc sdent took place about o'clock Sun
day morning. December 1, 1873. The night was
dark, stormy. and at times very heavy showers
lots were on watch and In the pilot at the
time Of the collision. We saw the Cotton Val
ley coming befcre she blew her whistle. which
was one. for thesstarboard. and which was plain
iy and distinctly answered by the Charles Nor
gan by one whistle also. Directly our pilots
discovered that the course of the Cotton Valley
stopped and directly put to backing. Her course
toward us still kept on and was In danger OF
striking rs on our starboard eide.
Our first mate. Livingston Mcfary, standing
forward on the hurricane deck of our boat.
hallooed over to stop the Cotton Valley or she
sylvester Doss one OF the Morgans pilots.
Immediately blew several short blows. OF our
whistle. which were never answered by the pilot
The course Of the Cotton Valley being altered
to cross over our lsrboard side caused our bow
to strike her Just at her name, Immediately for
ward OF her larboard cylinders.
Everything was done In our power, skill and
judgment to prevent the collision. The engines
had been stopped. backing and had made sew
Our watch were on deck at the time Of the &C
oident. Deckhand on watch standing in the
forecastle. First mate at bis post on the hurSs
cane deck. Both Of our pilots In the pilot-hous
pione ing ,i 81 them, and had been up since we
left ii nvSs and both h HSs hFd s ai2 been
Captain Steamer Charles Morgan.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this sec
ond day Of December, 1873.
G. b. JOHNSON, Inspector OF Hulls.
JOHN y. EVELYN.
am one Of the piss Of the steamer Charles
collision with the steamer Cotton Valley. at
about 4:ib a. m Of the first at point not ex-
eeiing one and half miles below Donaldson
VILE TO the best OF my judgment.
The Morgan landed at Donaldsonville. and
on being ready to back out asked the captain
whether t9 back out or round 0,hal out and ne
than to back out. 1t was blowing terrible gale
at the time down stream. auartering on to the
longer In getting Strengthened down the river.
and when fairly stralghtened down, the river.
and had run but short distance when we dis
covered an ascending boat coming up the bend.
was in the bend she left the shore, coming right
towards eur boat and after che had run about h,
one whistle which was answered Immediately
:, At that moment discovered that she was. in
her wrong place for an up stream boat I'm;
mediately stopped our. boats engines and
commenced backing right away aud rang the
gong to back her strong Cap,' stein, in who was
to give the engines all th,Sssteam he could. the
Valley coming towards us oil the time. My
said; John, che is going TO run Into us;;", 70
which replied that l was doing all could to
Our fret mate, who was on watch. was stand
Ing on the roof sung out to the Valley. for
Gods sake, 70 stop that boat
When In length OF our boat sbe changed her
course, running towards our larboard. don't
think there was bell rung on the Valley until
after her bow had passed ours. The four wills
ties from our boat were never answered We
coided with the Valley on her iarboard eide.
about the forward end Of the cylinder timbers
Az soon as we, struck her ! stopped back
ing o 5Dr the Isrboard engine and came ahead on
the starboard under Capt. STEMS orders. He
ordered us to tell the engineer to give her all
rible gale. 1t appeared impossible to get her
needed.
AZ one time | got close enough to the Valley
to throw a line TO her. and did go. but her
crew did MOI make II fast ! think everything
was done to assist those OF the Inflated boat.
or 500 yards of, and when she blew her whistle
she was distant about 400 or 500 yards. From
the time of the exchange of the signals to the
moment of the collision was about ten or fifteen
minutes. The weather had been rough all
night and we had run nearly TIL morning.
The Valley started over from the let hand
bend and che was. at the time Of the collision.
in the middle Of the river: She was making Tor
the point; at the time Of the Valleys crossing
oyer she was not IN nen regular ths eI8s snn
shore she was about mile above the usual
crossing. Had made no objections to running
To Mr.. Swain addressing himl-I DO not
think that It would make any difference whether
boat was ascending or descending. az TO the
Jet. lecis on on shore e could be distinguished.
The time of the collision was before could
distinguish objects, such as the shape OF the
TO the board From the time the three or four
short whistles were blown till the collision oc-
CURED 1t was about four or five minutes.
A. a. SWAIN. y
I am one Of the pilots Of the Cotton Valley.
and was on watch Mt the time Of the collision
with the steal.er Chas. Morgan. on the fret in
slant. at about a. m at Bringie,s Point. about
four miles below Donaldsonyi,le; where ;1,a the
Just about Bonnie GarTo Church.
About O'Clock Sunday morning 1t com
morning being very dark we ran along In our
regular up stream course "a usual
When turned Hampton's Point. crossed over
Immediately to the right hand shore the wind
blowing off that shore The usual crossing tor
this place is about one or one and half miles
above where | crossed. NV reason for crossing
so low down was the fact Of the wind blowing
on the left hand shore. which was stumpy and
jagged.
ran the right har d shore, passing some un.
known boat lying at the landing at Bringiers
Point. Soon after stood out to turn Bringirrs
Point when | saw steamboat coming down.
and | blew one whistle to so to the starboard.
which was answered by the descending boat.
and it was the impression that the signals were
understood. at which time we Were about 100
var l. from the right-hand shore. which was the
usual distance for upstream boas. About
three minutes, after exchanging signals the.
Morgan blew three short whistles, when i'm.
mediately rang the bells to stop the eng ines OF
the Cotton Valley. which was promptly an
swered.
Heard some hallootng on the Morgan. but
could not understand its meaning. and first
supposed that she was hailing us Tor passen-
gers.
for 1s. ouartering down stream and bound to
strike US, When saw she was certain to hit us
ttNt.u r,1f md hot