The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-12-28

The following decision on the Cot
ton Valley disaster was rendered
ednesday morning by the Local
Inspectors:
OFFICE U. s. BOARD OF LocAL/
Inspectors of Steam Vessels. :
New Orleans, La, Dec, 1S, 1873. !
Decision in the case of collision
between the steamers Cotton Valley
and Charles Morgan.
We have carefully studied the tes-
timony given in the case, and find
the Cotton Valley ascending and the
Charles Morgan descending the river
on the morning of the lst inst, at
about i o'clock, it being very dark,
the wind blowing hard and raining
heavy, at a place about two miles
below Donaldsonville, near Bringier's
Point, where a collision occurred,
whereby the Cotton Valley was sunk
and three lives lost. We find the
Charles Morgan IN her proper place
in the river for a descending steamer,
fully differed as the law requires,
both pilots in the pilot-house at the
time, as also the captain, where he
had gone to keep out of the hard
rain then falling, the first mate on
watch and at his post; the steamer
backing before aud at the time Of the
collision, and everything done by
her officers to avoid a collision, and
afterwards to rescue the people of
the Inflated steamer. We find that
the Cotton Valley was not in her
proper place for an ascending steam
cr, that her captain had not been on
watch since IL o'clock of the night of
the collision; that her first mate
had not been on watch since imme-
diate|y after leaving this city till
abont ! o'clock in the morning Of the
collision - both Of which we deem
gross neglect of duty, especially on
such night.
Mr.. Swain, the pilot on watch on
the Cotton Valley, was evidently mis-
taken in his position in the liuer, as
the testimony shows that the collision
occurred in or near the middle of the
river. When he stood out to turn
Blinger's Point (Which was a star-
board poinD, the night being very
dark and the wind blowing off the
Starboard shore, he missed his calcu.
lation and we find him out of his
place. We also find that the Cotton
Valleys engines were not stopped
until her bow had PASSED across the
bow Of the Charles Morgan, nor were
they backed at all.
We believe that if either the cap
tain or the first mate of the Cotton
Valley had been on watch aud at his
post the collision would not have
occurred.
We see no evidence on the part of
the officers of the Cotton Valley
where tho licensed officers did any>
thing to save to the lives of the cab
III on deck passengers, either through
Supplying them with life preservers
or even suggesting their use, and es-
i',ciAlIy was one poor unfortunate la
dy allowed to drown with only a
simple invitation to jump overheard,
whereas, had she q lite.prescrver on,
she wonld doubtless have Hoated I'M
til she could have been rescued by
the yawl of the Chas. Morgan.
The act of Capt. Kounz, in allow
ing only his wife and two children
and Mrs. Sandford in life boat that
was capable of carrying fifteen per-
sons, is reprehensible iu the extreme
Capt. Kounz is also responsible fol
the deck of his vessel being in charge
of the second mate, an officer not re
quired to be licensed, who was in
charge of tie deck from 6 o'clock, P
NJ. to A NJ, most unusal watch.
We have therefore, this day, il
accordance with sections 4439 anl
444O of the Revised Statutes, for in
attention to duty, revoked tho Ii
censes of M. H. Kouns and w. A
Duke, respectively master and mate
of the Inflated Cotton Valley, an,
suspended the license of A. G.. Swain
the pilot on watch of the Cotton
Valley, for a period of thirty day
hereof, in accordance with section
ALSO of the revised Statutes, for un
skillful management, inattention t.
duty, and neglect and We hereby OK
onorate the licensed officers of tn
steamer Charles Morgan from al
blame.
G.. B. JOHNSON,