The New York herald., 1878-03-03
THE CASTLEToN AND SPAIN.
UNITED STATES LOCAL STEAMBOAT ISsPscToRs
INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF COLLISION


UNITED STATES LOCAL STEAMBOAT INSPECTORS
INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF COLLISION
OFFICERS AND PASSENGERS TESTIMONY.
An inquiry was begun and concluded yesterday be-
fore Captain Austin jayne ana Mr.. John K Matthew's
the United States Local stsamboit Inspectors, at
their ofhcss IN the Post oinee Building into The CTR
cumstaucss attending the collision between tho Ma
tonsl Steamship Companys vessel the Spain and the
Staten island Fsrryboat Cas,eson. several OF the
passengers and the captain, engineer and wheelman
Of the srryboat and the pilot OF The Spain give EVIL
dcnce. Their testimony was many respects similar
TO that given before ths coronsr the previous day
Bank Inspector Mesgs, Of West Brighton who was
passenger ON the Casseton, sent q written communal
cation in the course OF which he sad:-sUp within
one or three minutes OF the disaster the up
per deck. outside Of the after cabin watching very in
tenly the progress Of boat through the dense fog
than prevailing. listening the steam whistles OF our
and of other boats and noticed most particularly
that we were travelling very slowly and sounding
steam whistle at very short intervals. and that
tinuously, and had very fully made up my mind that
Captain Bum was doing all that could do under
the circumstsnses- The SPAN gliding the
log As,ern OF rs, Castlston was heading up the
river and the Spain heading tho river, and the
swo boats were nearly possible Up parallel limos
one with the other when the Spain disappeared IN the
iog"
wHrrxAS's STORY
Mr. Stephen Whitman, passenger, testified MS fol.
lows:-We lett New Brighton usual trip at
about quarter to ten A. NJ, February %; We pro-
ceeded along usual; there a fog, aud the
steamer was constantly ulowing her whistles at In.
tervals OF every fifteen seconds; proceeded along
and passed Robbins Reef, until met tho Spain
At that time was In the forward cabin the port
ada and hear ttnp Ia hall and
together as possible; oome one remarked, 'Lovk out
sherei' that Is, through the window; looking out
were sitting at ths time; aud nuAiber OF
others got out on the forward decK: | went 10 the
side aud looked 10 see where The steamer was going
10 strike IN the moant,mo the OF the Castle
ton seemed to 90 surGins OF, her helm being aport
to atrixe Us u gIancing blow. othorw:se she would
have srucI US square or nearly so; shc struck tho
Csstston about iour isst abait th. SHAFT on port
paddle boz; after she struck heard tho captain
the Span TO como back; went ait to ascertain
the condition Of the null OF tho Custietan ana TO
sce II II was injured at at, and found It
WIS all right aud did what l could 10
quiet the passenger; shortly after that the
~ CO. bringing them TO New York; saw the gsns e.
man that was injured aud taken out of the water;
was not intimately acquainted with HIM, but knew
him by signt; Saw one or two others who were
slightly injured; the officers and crow were remark
ably sell possessed; l heard no signals gwen "tner
not IN position 10 have heard any from tho Spain
had they bsen blown; think the spain backed after
minutes later apparently st anchor; saw some OF
the Spain's boHts IN the water
rME or SPAN.
Michael Murphy, pilot OF the steamship SPAN,
said :-fhe time appointed Tor sailing wss
O'Clock. but IN consequences OF the toy we did
start until about halpsst nine; when We started out
could Jersey and wc proceeded on through the
shIppug At 92 spssdi wnen abreast OF Bedioe's the
toy shut again; ordercd the vessel to go slower,
down 10 dead slow nlt lhs iudcaions would show on
tue bridge tho log continued thick The thrd officer
went below and gave orders 10 turn the engine slow
IN "a back
the bridge about ten minutes, anu shortly alter
neHrd the CastctOn's whistles aud answered tw ice
the next vas the Castleton's walking beam,
lttls the sarboard bow, tIe clear over the bow
we '.hard aport a0d immediately the engines
stopped aud reversed FULL speed. aud tho thing
was tue collision previous 10 the collision called
the Castiston 70 ''hard aport" iuu speei;
sun nackng' aau ~e'e s,.a.'ns away our ooa.s
dragged lhe WOODWORK OH; Nv the time our boats
were lowered there were three tugs aionas,de the
Castisson did not ancnor my ship until the passen
gers we're taken or tue Castletun and she towed oil
then anchored; wc were blowing our whistle nj ali
times ut short intervals; there was man stationed
to blow the wnisties there wero two the
CHAINS at the leaA one ON eaca sie; We had proper
lookout In the eyos and chief siccr also tor.
ward: was prepsrisg to anchor whcn the boat came
IN our way; were dead slow, going about two
Knots coilded: wc made about SIX revolutions
back the bridge IL about one hundred and ny feet
from Toward when law tho Castieon sho WIS about
sovanty crhtv feet oil; my remark to the captain
of tho Cssslletou was to hard To port" MS hsm had
be done so he woud have gone clear OF US, ~ my
opinion $; nave been pot thirty-two years; tins Is
Captain Isaac n. Bum, master OF tho CastIston
then testified, repesttny the evidence gwen tho
previous DAY before he Coroner. .
ENGINEER or rnK CAsrLEToS.
j. n. TtIIlmAn, engineer OF the Castlct0n said:-W We
left New Brighton, running very -Iowly unit, got
tho buoy ut KobbIus Reel, ana there we stopped;
got ono boil 70 go ahead, tJ work BY hand; previously
got nnSIe De tnen got W." jingle belts alter re-
criyps ths Que; tola my nrsuan SEQ IL the fug
had ceurnd up; he said had; then got two b. lis
slow and one To stop; We ran that way about
mile, and got bell to 90 ahead wi'h the bar and
ntA hall mAQ lave
us possitle snd nook 90. anu Immediately Two
more quick succession to go ahead iul speed !;
ihad my hand ON the unhooSiug gear, and sup.
posed, from the manner In winch the bells
ruuy. that vessel wus approaching US; looked
forward and the vessel, ahd m 'de up my miEd 10
stop the eiss inos she struck; | supposed
that would strike US IN the wheel, anu that was
tho rolson made up NV mind 10 stop xnen we
struck; immediately opened tue furnace doors ana
raised the SAFETY valve went below 10 SEQ II the hull
damaged also TO see II the ports were closed;
then came on deck 10 yet the passengers over TO
right the boat; the snat rs twisted aud tho wheel Is
broken.
wh-cihvuso OF the CustIetou; W. lett Now Brighton
aad came along until we made the buoy at koobin's
Reef where ws csne to a dead stop; tue iog NJ the
time was very thick, and there she was put on her
course Tor New YorK, steering east BY compass; We
goine very slow; we would 30 httle ana then
iadgo we were halt way between Bedloe's
Island and Robbins Reef when we met
tho spain wmsn nnn -, sa. .n ns ,,a Spa,a
NJ nj she Came pretty near us heard quite naIIoo
ing aboard the spain before che hit us; when saw
her she was heading for our port forward gangway ;
the captain rang Two bcIs 10 ahead aad then t"o
jingies 10 go as last as possible, and we hove our
wheel 70 starooard TO keep stern away from tho
steamship; we we're struck aft tne wheel the quaran
tiue boat came a0ngsfds and took our pas
ssngsrs on 10 New York; two tugs .owsd
us of to tho city; the SPAN Lard on;
heard Whales In the direction from which the Spain
was coming; she was blowing her Whistles; heard
two whistles Juxt before saw the Spain Tue Cap.
tam remarked that t sounded ike steamship
whistle; just before blowing our whistles at
Intervals; wo were using every precaution; hoard
shouting ON the spain, but could not distinguish
What was Said
The other Witnesses examined, who were passengers
on the ierryboat, were Mr.. G. Il. Mcigs, Mr.. Is. s.
Beck with, Mr.. X Quar-. Mr.. b. X whittemore; Mr.
W. X Souter and Mr. Thomas M Nichols.
The mouy wil await the result OF the Coroner
investigation aud Will then be forwarded 10 Washing