The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1878-02-12
Ghe Bulletia,
TILE METROPOLIS.
How ehe was Made Ready for tiea and
Passed the Inspection


New York Herald, s.h.
ont by one the facts with regard 10 the
steamer Metropolis condition are comlngto
light. The Herald reporter, while convers.
Ing with longshoremen and shipbuiiders
yesterday, found that the facts Of the case
we're widely known. Among others he
met with Mr.. William Morrow, an old ship
wright who has worked rs master mechaic
on the Black Warrior, Catswba, MO. Rob
erts' steamships and nearly all the New
Jersey coast schOoners and steamboats, ply
ing on the Hudson for many years back.
Mr.. Morrow Faid, ayes, know all
about IL. The Metropolis was one Of the
rottenest tubs that ever left the city OF
New York"
When asked how he accounted Tor the
statements Of those connected with the
vessel, he said :-"Capt Anker, Of the steam
er Metropolis; Joseph Rooney, shipwright;
James r. Larry, Surveyor to Lioyds Of
London. and Mr.. PoilIon, pronounced her
. ia -OOl anu
LETT the port Of New York Tor Philadeil hia.
If Mr., Poillon had examined the steamer
him:elf and had brace and bit with him
and bored into her timbers he would have
found out her true condition. AS for Mr..
Capt AnLer he knew nothing about the
vessel. Mr.. Rooney says that they saw her
timber5 and they we're all sound
GLOW 60 you know they were in such
bad condition. asked the reporter,
"Wel, in the spring OF 1873, either IN
February or March, | was employed TO re-
pair the vessel. She was then unseawOrthy
aud her owners wanted her liked W SO as
TO pass the inspection. The work was
done at night 10 escape obsery alton. The
vessel was lylrg at the loot of Canal street.
found her timbers in very bad condition.
Her butts bad all started both forward and
amtd,hp,, port and starboArd. To .asten
them We had 10 take of piece of the out
side planking about two and q halt inches
| square and then fasten the butts with bolts
| TO her side. The bolts were driven in half
an inch or 50 below the surface Of her sides
and then the heads OF the bolts were COW
+ered with square pieces OF wood the size
Of the pieces taken out, 80 that the heads
[ Of the bolts could not be seen. Then IL
was painted over, SO that the work could
not be detected. bored right through
the outside plank and found her timbers
rot ten--so rotten, In fact, that could push
the auger right through Into the ceiling
inside. had to let in the heads OF the
| bolts on the outside and cover them with
| square plug Of wood and then do the
same on the inside. The vessel was lowed
around on a Sunday night after she had
been thus repaired TO the sectional dock
I between the foot Of Pike and Rutgers
the bolts did not hold We'll and by the
time she got to her new wharf good
many OF them had started again and the
work had 10 be done over. The inspect
ors, never could have detected the work it
was done so neatly
Reporter--IIas not the yeses' been re-
paired since then:
| Mr.. Motrow-Mr, PolllOn ssys She has
been repaired and was in good coalition;
but he alse says that there has not been
new timber put into her. The timbers
were rotten then and they wouldn't get
any better by growing older, would they?
They must haYe grown strong since 1873,
II Mr.. Poillon's statement is true.
Reporter Gould not the vessel be re-
paired so IS to make her seawoIthyg
MIR. Morrow-The only way she could
have been made seaworthy would have
been to take her TO pieces aud put in new
tlmbers. Her keel may have been good.
| did not examine that, but new timbers
were certainly needed to make her sea-
worthy, The parts examined were all
above light watermark. AS it was she
was not BIT to go outside oil Sandy Hook.
Reporter-Haye you any evidence of
her condition besides your own testimony;
Mr.. Morrow-l can get any quantity OF
men who knew about it. The testimony
that has been published is all one sided. If
the insurance companies want testimony
1t will be easy for them to md it. The
Metropolis was the most miserable tub |
ever came acr oss in my life.
Reporter-Who were her owners at the
time you worked on her.
Mr. Morrow-Lunt Il Co, the same own
ers as now.
Reporter-Tby didn't you inform the
authorities of the deception that was being
| practiced on them at the timer
Mr.. Morrow--Well, would have trhown
up the job and informed the insurance
companies OF the vessels true condition, II
1t had been my own work. But was EN-
ployed by another man, and was acting I'M
DER his orders. He hired me to do the job.
His name was John Smith, and he has
since died.