The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-04
This morning the testimony was continued


This morning the testimony was continued
as given in full below:
1t was the duty Of the clerk to collect
the fare and keep an account OF the mum
Der of passengers. know of no law com
pelling the owners of steamers to provide
berths or supply meals. The cabin was
probably 12 by 20 feet, and there were
probably 10 or Is chairs for the accommo
dation of ladies. The male passengers
went anywhere on the boat they desired to
go. .c.s5
On Thursday, the 9th, / came on board
at 1890 d. M. and went to the wheel and
and assumed the command. She had
fiat boat and barge in tow. We 4anded
at Rock, Island at 3 p. m. We discharged
our freight. We left Davenport for Rock
Island at 6 or halfpast o'clock, and took
No. 8 in tow and dropped down to the
landing. We rolled about 400 barrels and
$50 of slaves. This occupied about
8 hours. / had supper at 9 o'clock,
aud think that some of the officers and
men had supper, and that there was some
dissatisfaction expressed to the cook about
supper being so late, they thinking he was
responsible. No one asked for any whis-
key and I did not see any whiskey given
to the deck hands by John Gilchrist or
any one else. L had no talk about the
crew having whiskey. L had not drank
anything myself during the day. We
started from Rock Island, blew the bridge
below the ferry landing. Before reaching
the draw rang a bell to slow her down
and called the mate upon the deck and in
auired about the tow We proceeded
through the draw at full speed. We ran
up o little distance on the island side to
the eddy and then Kept awayin the chan
mel intending to land at McCesh 81 bona
hues which rs situated about half n mile
above Davenport. We reached about two
thirds up to where the old bridge and about
half way between the two shores when the
wheel stopped. l asked what was the
matter and received no satisfactory answer.
think [ heard some one from the engine
room say that she would be all right in o
half moment; heard nothing further from
the engineer or engine room until she
struck the bridge, Did not know from the
time the wheel stopped until she struck
the bridge what accident had occurred to
the machinery and only learned from the
engineer on the barge floating down the
river that the camn rod had broken down.
After the wheel stopped put helm to star
board headed for the eddy next to the Is
land with the hope of getting there, but
the Roadway had ceased and
the boat was drifting with the current
The bow was pointing toward the Island
and the stern down river. Finding that
the engine did not go ahead, l blew for the
bridge to open; did not leave the wheel
until stern of boat was within 25 feet Of
the bridge. I went out OF the pilot house
and down the stairway into the forecastle,
and while there, the mate caught me by
the arm and said For Gods sake, get into
the barge" pointing to the port barge, or
the Robert" L did not get on the barge
st that time but remained on board until
the stern half had passed through, and then
stepped upon the barge. think the mate
and some of the colored men were on the
barge when / reached it. | did not leave
the wheel, and could not do so, as my duty
was there; but when ] did abandon the
wheel, there was then no hope of saving
the vessel. When reached the forecastle
looked to see If the vessel was going to
strike the bridge pier. Icould not see that
from the pilot house. l did not give any
orders concerning the passengers, to the
mate. watchman or any OF the crew, being
unable to reach them from the wheel house,
by the speaking tube. When the mate
spoke to me / did not speak to him about
the passengers as | was considering about
the safety OF the barges for the purpose of
rescuing passengers and crew. The night
was Qafk, anu was unlDle 10 see out u
few feet from me; did not know whether
the passengers were on board the boat or
the barges. / think it was the watchman's
duty, if he had orders, to have taken care
Of the passengers; and the engineer, the
injury or accident having happened to his
department, should have given him the
alarm by sending him word. "a
am certain / received no message from
the engineer informing me that the cam
rod had broken. l gave no orders to get
the anchor out from beside the boiler, and
did not think anything about using it. l
could not have given any order from the
wheel house, as there was no one on watch
there at that time. / think it was about
1920 o'clock when we struck the bridge.
did not recognize W. Wendt, of Cordova,
as among the passengers. John Zuber, of
Port Byron, and John McCabe, of
LeClaire, were with me in the pilot house.
Zuber came in before we passed the bridge.
McCabe came in later. / mentioned to
Zuber and McCabe that there was danger
of our geing on the bridge, and they left
and went down stairs.
At this point the jury adjourned until
this afternoon.