The New York herald., 1878-02-09

| OF the insurance inspectors, ana mere wefe
| besides other minor repairs "When the ship left my
yard" said the witness. she was In perfect order;
we have done nothing TO her rail; We also put 10 part
OF new stem the OF these repairs; all Of this
work done to the satisfaction Of the insurance n
Joseph Rooney, shipwright, testified 10 substant-
ally ths facts as the previous witness
December and January last. He declared her to have
been in perfectly sound and seawortny condition
ths ses sao ns~ was rsScea In good substantial
manner, the rudder casing seams we're caulked
and witness declared that the outer and inner
sternposts perfectly sound; the check
pieces of the stern bearing were reiastened,
new holes bored and new bolts put in; the
them and put eye bolts In tho deck 10 which to
them; top saes, well as tho bottom sides, were
seen ana and knew that sho s
fecty sound and in good condition alter the repairs
then madc witness had been shipwrght for twenty
The investigation will be resumed At ten O'Clock
this morning.
THE INVESTIGATION IN PHILADELPHIA-IM-
PoRTANT TESTIMONY BEFORE INSPECTOR
HAND-cAPTA1N ANKERs ACCUSED OF A TA-
TAI BLuNDER.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb 8. 1878.
There can bc no further doubt ,nat the Metropolis
was an unssawor.hy old hulk; that she consd-
cred by Inspector and that in defiance of the
quest Of tho underwriters inspector she carried much
heavier cargo than she should havo done.
Important testimony on this point was heard this
afternoon by United States Inspectors Merslem and
Hand when they resumed their official inquiry into
tho condition OF the Metropolis when she went
on her fatal voyage
A WEAK SHIP.
Tho witnesc Of tue day was Captain Thomas q.
Monroe, surveyor aud inspector for the Board Of
Marine Underwriters In his deposition he
declared that he knew the condition OF tho ship. hav
ne examined her in official capacity the ed OF
January. He d:-"I examined the lower mold and
found the bottom very much out Of line; she
was hogged up or sprung amidships for three ieet
caused by strain from outside. said to the Cap
tain that would be very bad to put 400 OF iron
on such . bottom. 1t she got In q sea-wny with
such weight on her she would be ligely
to spring and open the scarps in the keel.
She was diagonally strapped In the lower hold
between the kneos fore and at-an evidence of weak
ness Between decks found she was strengthened
with five or six stringers fore and att and also iron
d,agonals braced between the knees, also found
an iron extending nearly the length Of the vesse
This was another sign OF weakness.
recommended that portion OF the railroad IRON
should be put in the between uecks, and advised the
captain not take 400 tons, which he promised
he would not do. The sssvedore now testi6es that
were TO allow the ship twelve tons OF coal per day
for twenty days ana 200 tons OF railroad
chairs together with their stores the captain intro
duced me TO Mr. Lunt, the Of tho vessel. and
questioned him various matters; ha told me that
he had been repairing the vessel ever since he had
own ed her and he judged he had spent 500 600 on
her; remarked that there was not much to show fol
thai money.
Having a desire to see the vessel after she was
loaded went alongside on the 2Sth of January, the
day before she sailed and examined her draught she
half feet aft; don't think she would have been
overloaded II she had been good vessel; our
Board, after my report concluded TO rate her AK,
which is fourth class grade; we have Eve classes
the hth class Is equal to condemnation SO
to examine the vossol's timoers; they were
covered and there were no air-streaks, as is
usual wooden ships to give air the and
ing,to our grading are AL. AlH, AZ, A21S and As
The Metropolis was Of the fourth, A2h:
vessel OF the nth Mr.. Lunt told inc that Mr.
Dennis the Vice President Of tho ATLANTIC Insurance
Company Of New York, considered the Metropolis q
good risk, and had insured the hull and the amount
OF the charter party.
~ should judge the valuo OF that boat In tho mar
ket would not be over $4,000; that means every
thing, as she stands at Willow street wharf"
'Why do you put this low valuation on herT
'On OF her indications OF weakness and do
cay; have been twenty-five years surveyor and in-
spect0r for the Board OF Underwrters, and have
some knowledge or the quality OF old vessels; WAS =
shipmaster for eighteen years."
"Dd you consider the Metropolis seaworthy with
the loud she had on herr"
eyes, for certain reasons, because have no right
to say otherwise"
"What are your reasons?"
sBocauso II trusts himself In q vessel his
opinion takes precedence Of mine; he goes and |
was unsoaworshy; still I think It very
much out OF order, and there was great
or ship on such voyage ms an The sseerase pas
sengers the want of prudence the part of the
ana DO e S o 'S
fauit, because they were unacquainted with ships;
yet they might have takcn OF tner own captains
that for instance from tue Philadelphia and Read
ing Coal and Iron Company's boats-and had tho al.
vantage OF his judgments"
sEAwoRrHY.
ri would like to have an answer, Captain, ," said
Inspector Hand ''whelher you did sidcr that
sci seaworthy, With 500 tons OF cargo herr"
81 did not, and expressed myself to Board "
''Do you tnink her sesworthy without any cargo ~
"rhat cannot say; II man risks ns'l,ie in her,
ia my opinion, she might possibly have been sea-
worthy do not think she could have reached Para,
II she had ordinary weather; draw this opinion
cargo; when visited her the day before sailing |
could not see any difference in her condition by the
THE CAPTAINS CONDUCT
Mr.. james Poland, the quartcrmastcr OF the Me-
tropos. made an Important statement TO the HERALD
correspondent this afternoon. which goes to prove
that Captain Ankcrs statement to the prcss in
New York, that no considered the Metropolis
entirely seaworthy, and that she was not over
loaded, Is not borne out by the facts Mr.. Poland
declares that he Is ready TO testify that IN conversa-
t,cn with him the day after they sailed
and the day before tho wreck captain Ankcrs
virtualy admitted that the ship was not
thoroughly sound and that she loaded too
| deep ior such voyage as she was updcrtakin q.
Another point not In tho Captains avoris that,
cording TO the Quartermastcr's statement he showed
bad navigation, anu probably was the cause
OF all Tho loss oil iie by the loss
| oi his reckoning fatal miscalculation
| of his whereabouts. Az noon on Wednesday Mr..
Poland declares Captain Ankers took observati on
| with clear sky. This should have shown MIN his
exact position. soon afterward the storm begau and
when during the night 1t was found that the ship waa
laborng that she could not weather II the Captain
| declded to make for the breakwater at Cape Henry
| and ordered Poiand, VINO was the steers
| man duty, to take course which
| he (thc Captan) declared would bring them ihcrc
Instead OF TINS being tho tnoy found themselves
| at day yhght on Currtuck Beach, some sixty miles be
low the cape, aud The light, Instead Of being Cap'
| Henry, was Currituck light