The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-17

THE M'ALESTER INVESTIGATE
FURTHER PROCEEDINGS or THE
B>0ARD AT ALGlEms.
Testimf my of Caulkers, Carpenters. Elc.,
Residing In Algiers.
II 10 board met at II o'clock in the justices
70 ON, Algiers.
MAJOR HOWELL
made n few remarks on the subject OF hearSay
Testimony. He said that the object Of this in
yestieation is to get sufficient matter for the
action of a court-martial. He objected to intro
ducing hearsay testimony when the Witnesses
themselves cannot be produced.
He said also, that men with whom ne mas mao
business relations tried to Introduce testimony
damaging to him; therefore, he asked that when
testimony was taken. the public should not Dc
allowed to hear it. because Of the preludiees
existing in Algiers against him.
The Major
REITERATED THE ASSURANCES
he made in the letter he handed to Mr.. j.
Hughes, stating that all Witnesses Wishing 10,
testify. should have no fear OF not being en-
ployed BY him in the future.
!. Major Howell offered the name OF Mr. McCiel-
Ian, Of the Ocean Dry Docks, as witness. Ac-s
copied by the board
NH HEhL1,
the attorney who represents the families OF
those who have been lost on the McAlester. rose
and said that his desire was to get o thorough
Of this ass :r and s b
which was purely voluntary.
GEN. SIMPSON.
commenting on Major Howells desire to ex-
the a9 s ff ba hs nna aas q
already appeared before the board were wel-
come to hear the testimony. but that witnesses
who had not yet spoken should be- excluded. IN
order TO insure perfect fairness In the inves-
tigation.
MR.. BRADY
was handed list Of witnesses and lef. e ap-
fore the board.
PJ. coRRNs
b BY trads was em oyed on the MeAeser a.
oiler last year Tor three q, monthslGom Fsorn
they had to keep the bilge pump work Ing every
half hour. because she leaked about the shaft
ana the
the pumping. l do not know II the shaft and
deadwood are repaired once year or more.
i do not know whether the McA1ester had
been repaired previous to her last trip to Sabine
Pass.
caulker, residing in Algiers. sworn. ssid-On 8
the Saturday previous to the McAlesters yoy-
cAulker. / repaired the Dlanking and the
seams In her in the up stream end, about four
ee a6oye ae ma gva Na ah1 Wen eamsed md
roped Some seams wers better than others.
but generally they were all In bad condition.
Those filled up with rope and they were after
wards. sheathed. [ do not consider that the q
work done
MADE THE VESSEL sEAwoRTHY.
cannot say whether the officers expressed
any idea of her SeawOrthineSS, but some
eanlkers who worked with me on the McAlester
he o to ns sabns Pass
reported to my foreman that the vessel was
not seaworthy. but he told me to attend to what
was engaged to do.
Here Mr.. Brady, who had gone out
IN SEARCH OF WITNESSES.
returned. and said the men were very reluctant,
to come, only few G ut OF about hity expressing
their willingness to come forward.
L. PETERSON
sworn-I reside in Algiers. My trade is that of
ship carpenter. I worked on the port side OF
the McAiester for two days about q week before
s she ins he spikes would not hold IN some
places. on account OF the softness Of the w0od.
was put. The pianking below the old sheafhing
would not hold we drove in twelye.inch bolts.
was well fastened. In some places We could hit
the framing. which was rather soft. The sheath
der s SIRE TWelyeinch buttbos We're driven
in through the sheathing.
EDWARD CAHILL,
a resident OF Algiers since twenty-five years.
and q ship carpenter by trade, was called up
and sworn as witness. He safd-On the FRI
day and Saturday before the McAl lester depart
ure was employed In fastening the OLD sheath
ing. When cut nails failed to hold / drove In
wrought iron pals. This happened many g
one side. The old sheathing was SOUND, but
the planking was rotten Do not ap ~ d TIE
made were too small. The timber was SO rotten
in some place amidships that when bored de- 4
cayed and rotten wood like
SNUFF
would come out Neither Can't Swift nor Capt.
Warren knew that such was the case, as neither
ever came near the work was doing. All the
bolts drove In bored soft am not related to
any person who was lost on the McAiester.
When the McAlester left here considered her
not at all seaworthy.
No more witnesses coming forward, the board
adjourned to Monday, the eighteenth instant. &c
10 80 a. M, at the same place.
d