The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-03
TEE EVIDENCE.
49, ~
Examining Witnesses Of the
Jennie Gilchrist Accident.
The Officers of that Graft Tell
Their Experiences. :
f3T
No Effort Made to Launch a
Small Skiff.

This morning the inquest into the cause
of the death of w Wendt, one of the vic
| Tins of the Jennie Gilchrist disaster last
Thursday night, was commenced at the Of
flee of Justice Halves. The investigation
attracted number of spectators who
manifested their interest in the proceed
ings. -d
The coroner stated to the Jury that ow-
ing TO the absence of Dora Dorrance, the
first witness would be the fireman jos
Heph FL. Mass. This witness occupied the
entire morning and by the critical ques-
tioning, the full details of the dreadful and
fatal calamity were brought forth. The
coroner is evidently determined to make
the inquest the most careful examination
possible under the circumstances. The
most important fact elucidated was that
the life boat Of the Jennie Gilchrist was
not used at all in the accident and so far
as n-be learned no effort was made to
launch that boat. 1855
THE TESTIMONY. ~s
of Joseph II. Moss wasas follows: Il am 20
years of age; occupation, laborer; reside Mt
Princeton, Scott county, Iowa. I have
been employed as fireman on the Jennie
Gilchrist since the 25th of October, 1881.
I had before that time occasionally been
working on river boats. / was on the Gil
christ at the time of the accident to that
craft. / have seen several licenses hang
ing up in the cabin of that boat, but never
read them. I can not tell how much
steam the Gilchrist was allowed to carry;
have seen the certificates of Dana Dorrence
as pilot, and Patrick W. Names, as en-
gineer. They hang, think, in the aft end
of the cabin. There were two standing
berths for the crew and cots for the bal
ance of the crew, and some for the passen-
gers if any were required. The Gilchrist
generally left Princeton about $50 a. M,
landing at Cordoya and other points down
to Rock Island We never broke any por-
ton of the machinery during the time l
was on board until the night of 3, the4zacci-
dent The boat usually reached Rock
Island from 10 to 12 o'clock. but On Thurs
day, Oct, 9th, we did not reach Rock Island
until 80 or 2 p. N. The delay was caused
by the boat taking on $50 barrels of lime
on barge at COrdova, and also 100 bar
rels of lime at Princeton, and another for
barrels at Port Byron. am of the opin-
ion that one barge was landed in Daven
port and one in Rock Island. A portion
of the fiTe-rake was broken and On our ar
rival at Davenport went to blacksmith
and had the rake repaired, and consequent
~ knew nothing about the landing of the
cargo. went to sleep in the afternoon
and was aroused at z p. m. for supper. At
that time the boat was at the wharf in
Rock Island After supper / went to bed
and was not aroused until the boat pas sed
through the bridge, when heard voices.
think Smalley, a colored man, was among
others, crying ''Get out, you fellows, the
wheel is going to strike something"
raised up on my berth and looking out
saw the lights on the bridge. Just as i
jumped up the boat struck the bridge, Cd
reening the vessel to port, and think the
boilers went overheard when the boat
struck