Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-07-20
THE uARRAeAnsETT DISASTER
Testimony of the Captain Of the
Stonington.

ing boat to s,arboard The inspector then
read from the rules, showing that shor, and
! distinct blast was required.
We heard the Narragansett whistle and
supposed it heard ours. The Narrsgansett
was about point of the port bow when we
first heard her, and we changed our course
10 the west about two points. We ran not
more than half minute on the west course
before altering to northwest. When we
heard the Narragansett's two whistles she
was three or four points on our port bow No
doubt in my mind she heard NV general fog
whistle.
If she had answered with two whistles or
one short whistle, there would have been
evidence that she heard us. We left Ston-
ington at 9.35 2. NJ. lie gave the course of
the steamer. from leaving New York till the
collision, at ll.S5, New York time Our
usual running time from Stonington to New
York. dock to dock. is S and l.
At the time we first heard the whistle of
the Narragansett, was about tour minutes
after We made the City of Boston. and
passed her. l interpreted the Narragansetts
whistle to mean that she was to pass to the
starboard. ! knew it was about time to
meet the eastern-bound boats. and was using
extra caution.
The captain then repeated substantially his
testimony of Saturday. as TO his action after
the collision, and stated also, that he ordered
the whistle blown for aid, and the call was
responded to by the City of New York, which
he Immediately despatched to the relief of the
Narragansett.
he also ordered rockets discharged. but
thinks they were not seen, owing to the fog.
Some of the freight was thrown overheard
in order to tighten the steamer. When he
discovered water was making in the flood
gate was opened in the bnlkhead. The boats
were probably lowered in ten minutes after
the collision. They were manned bv deck
hands The chief officer remained on board
all the time, and was forward most of the time
directing affairs. The Stonington was
officered and manned as follows: Captain,
first and second officers, pilot, wheelsman.
Is deck boys. freight clerk, passenger clerk,
cashier, steward chief engineer. first assist
ant engineer, two oilers, four fircmen, three
coal passers The number of walters do
not know. Nearly all the deck hands were
good sailors; both mates and watchmen,
wheelsman and pilot, were capable of taking
charge of the small boat. There was but
one pilot aboard this season. There had
previously been two.
The change was made, | suppose, to save
expense. l do not consider that there was a
necessity for more than one, as the master
was also pilot. took the steamer out of
Stonington as far as the Hammocks and from
New Y ork to Sands Point. know of no other
steamer running through the Sound that
carries only one pilot. The usual custom
has been to carry two. From my experience
the duties of pilot are more special than those
of engineer. | attribute the collision to a
mistake AS to the Narragansett whistles. !
considered her fog whistle a signal to turn to
the right and as made in answer to my whis-
tie. don't remember hearing the Narragan-
sett give three blasts of the whistle two or
three minutes before collision. If they had
given such a whistle there is no reason why
| should not have heard it.
| heard her blow two blasts Just Il minute
before the collision, but don't remember that
she blew two whistles more than once. We
were going, | think, about . E,iles an hour ut
the time of the collision, and had slowed
down on meeting the City of Boston, but had
afterwards hooked on. 1t would take one
half-minute for one man to put the wheel
hard to port or starboard.
don't know that two men could do it any
quicker; don't know the exact number of pas
sengers on the Stonington the night of the
collision, but think there were about 300.
None of my officers reported to me how many
of the Narragansctt's passengers they picked
up. | believe we landed about forty of the
passengers at Stonington.
The Stonington is allowed to carry about $50
passengers. l forget the exact number. No
complaint was made about the boat leaking
on the night of the collision.
Joseph Silver, wheelman of the Stoning-
ton the next witness, said the course given
him from Hammocks to Bartletts was west I
south, and thence to Cornfield west south.
| keep no lookout; steer simply by compass.
The boat steers hard and takes about min
ute to heave wheel over from port to star
board cannot do it alone when going full
speed, but can hold her alone when the wheel
is hard down. Up to Cornfeld had been
blowing the whistle twice a minute. The
first whistle we raised after passing Cornheld.
Saw the Narragansett point on point and half
on port bow; were running west by south.
The second time heard her whistle it was two
points port bow; then held her up to north
west.
If 900 passengers came aboard that night,
they would probably have been taken; should
expect to get my discharge the next day, if l
did not take them; never had instructions TO
take a limited number, nor orders to take
more than allowed by the certificate, but am
put there to take all who come on board;
never had instructions as to running the boat
in bad weather, but acted on my own discre-
iipH. never nave NetI lDlu l WDuIu De us
charged for refusing TO take more passengers
than the limit. and don't know of any cap
tains discharged for this.
The pilot told me he never heard two whis-
ties or three whistles from the Narragansett.
We were running from w to NV when first
saw the Narragansett light. When / saw the
light gave three whistles and the pilot rang
four bells. This was about half minute |
should think before the collision; don't think
we should have avoided a collision if re had
another man at the wheel. After the collision
remained in the pilot house. The pilot and
captain did not appear to be excited If
there were more than four bells rung before
the collision did not hear them.
We slowed down when we first heard one
whistle of the Narragansett. The captain as
pilot always assisted me at the wheel in thick
weather.
Abram Coon. bow watchman of the Nara
gansett. had been employed seven years on
the company's boat. When we raised the
Stonington a point and half, blew two
whistle three times, with such intervals that
they could easily be distinguished, then blew
threw whistles. Never heard any whistle
from the Stonington until after we reported
light. and then only one long fog blast. Said
to pilot she is coming into us and ~ithin a
minute and half after ! first her she
struck us. We had been blowing a single
L.. in he