The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-07
THE TORNADO.
INVESTIGATION BEFORE THE consul
LAR COURT or INQUIRY
Az to the origin, management and C0nse-
uucuCes of the Fire.

uucnces of the Fire.
The fnvcstip alton IA to the origin, manage
was q .e yeserday
s g. ds hs SG" a 8tt,h and
an nP Matthew Davis. OF The McDouea. md pro
crossed to ifs conclusion. The following testi.
Inony was elected. the first witness called being
JOHN GREER.
Am one Of the Tornado'a crew; have served Us
Waterman since her arrival MT this port; we
keep watch all night: when che began loading
I kept watch OF the cotton on the wharf, and
sometimes went on board ehip the cotton was
always covered ut night
sunday morning when discovered the fire
simultaneously with thu, boatswan ,.,
Many people passed tho ship that night. but
think no one on board.
Know Wheeler; he came on board about ten
minutes before o'clock the morning t NE ,t IRE
until hbout9 o'clock; don't remember MS com
inR on board any night and remaining Ing only o q
ssT , very Often. Don't think there we're any
strangers on board the ship that SATURDAY
night who did net a. once paas eyer to o.ns
Tho three ordinary seamen who were last
working att the cotton, md who were directed to
called and none Of them being present fine
Of f5 wns entered against them. or whoever was
responsible for their non appearanoe.
While waiting for them tho court proceeded
10 examine
Am captain of the salvage corps Of the Board
of Tn lerwriters, also knowa as the fire pa
troll: am prepared to make statement as 70 the
present from Sunday morning t3 g, Monday mid
night, when LETT the ship The alarm ar Iva vas
s sa Wes ii Inc rs ar
found dense volumes Of smoke riaing FROM the
min batch Two engines W sSai On has the s M a
The Protector came alongside, Of "a , eutsf
to tho Tornado Capt. Golburn. OF the PToteo.
tor came On board and shorty f alter aa t,
s s Rtpg' hold a be also ordered the hatohe
be closed and covered with tarpaulina.
sop worp 90 that tho eY hatchos 1
and two. streams Of gas were forced i9a2 shs'
s whsn ohief oGonnor esamined the hold by
opening one section OF tho main l hntch;, ard
SSS 5S4n d %yae hs sn hen 's2 oS H CIV
B. s Ellis " { ea RSaff Ellis sgS vii
gus to remain In, your vessel an hour or so
longer, your ship 10 saved.
CAPT Ellis at once turned on his heel, said he
ea p oc S to estinsuss shat ire le
III the ship with water. and Chief O'Connor
turned in m alarm and water was poured into
'A When tic matches were opened there was no
smoke Visible; tho only thing to be seen was
the vaporized carbonio acid gas, which has
somewhat the appearance Of smoke. or rather
TIE smoke of burning cotton Is perfectly yell
low while this was u milky white. -
diver in submarine armor went down into
The hold, and hooksd on 70 several bales OF cot
ton, and remained peiow until inc engines went
Alter awhile the smoke of burning cotton
commenced again to rise from the main hatch.
a large hole was cut on the starbosrd side of
the deck, just abaft the main hatch. from which
also cotton was taken ont -,
smoke becoming 80 dense rs almost to prevent
any one working near the hole or the main
Toward nightfall tho engines were stopped
aitl the Protector again commenced using gas;
h9 nc persona, n E III 20 Wo ora nn
mand Of his ship the gas was used GIL plight,
and BY daylight no more smoke was visible,
opened fea and the engines put to. work throwing
water shortly, after smoke again, poured out q
That night Chief OConnor, Capt; Ellis. Capt.
S on 9 Mr. S 1s0y s eed g ays dsSaas what S
guaranteed that { the Tornado was put il lis
ship and cargo within five days.
70 this Capt; EIIis S dlsssntsd and would not
nnen or e sv9
This Capt Ellis also refused. intimatng that
lively, hars was n his oGap 10 enough time
Il think your gas can put that Ire out in twelve
hours" but Capt. Colburn thought not. and that
the gas to thoroughly permeate tho vessel.
Thereupon all negotiations we're broken Off.
and | left the ship and went home, not hlvng
been home before since my first arrival at the
ia Capt Ellis-Tbe INSTRUMENTATION was held
on the port side of tho ship. and Chief O'Connor
snid to you. in my presence and that of Capt.
Golonrn and Mr. Candy iha a the gas could save
nously throughout Sunday night
CAPT ELLIS.
before questioning Capt. Kalinski. stated that
his (Kalnslds) statement was correct In every
Ellis BY Chief 70 allow
10 remain in the ship for an hour or 80 longer.
CAPT. KhLINsKI
resumng-I have heen connected with tho fire
department oyer twenty years. as man and boy.
thorough knowledge Of fires.
/ went on board the Protector oncs-perhaps
twiCe--to get n cup of coffee. | know that gas
was used ali the time by tic amount OF ehemi-
Gals consumed; know the amount Of chemicals
used, because nave them to by.
There were about 100 to 175 kegs Of b-carbo-
nate OF soda used. The accounts are now being
made up, and y VII show the exact amount The
Gals received all used. and the stock on hand at
tho time of the breaking out of the fire. know
only by the amount Of chemicals used that the
Chemicals we're sent s %, on board the Protector
ire. The Protector can hardly carry a sufficient
amount of chemicals to last through twenty
four hours Of continuous pumping;
/ know that she had board chemicals
enough to start with. Don't know how long
after she began work further supply was sent
for but can ascertain and testify AT any future
time. Saw the chemicals coming out of her
hold to recharge The generator and know by
that that she bad n supp,y on board when she
first @ to the fire.. In the cabin consultation
Capt Ellis referred to n future and not past
use of the gas.
GAIT. SIIhs w. Crosby.
Am master of the bark Ocean Express Was
not on board tho Tornado until about 7 or I 80
o'clock on Monday morning. At that time they
were about lifting one ction of the main
hatch, and as they lifted The tarpaulns / saw
what took to be smoke. dark in color, rising
from the seams Of the hatch. and when the
hntch was raised saw that the ship was full of
the same thing.