The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-07
THEY TESTIFY.
The Gilchrist Disaster and
the Minute Details.
Whisky offered the Crew on
That Night.

IhIs morning the examination or VIII
nesses in the Jennie Gilchrist disaster wal
continued by the eoroner's jury. The ties
timony of Captains Scott and Girdon, gov
eminent inspectors of steamboats, related
to the inspection of the craft last April, a
| which time she was found to be in gOoc
condition. The testimony of colored
deck hand named Small, shows that some
effort was made to save the crew, but little
or none at all to rescue the passengers.
Small also states that he was offered wills
key on the night of the accident, but hav-
ing Sworn OFF, he refused to take what
the temperance folks call poison.
The first witness was
CAPTAIN JOHN II. SCOTT,
United States inspector of steamboilers fol
the district, testified that he inspected the
boilers and engines of the steamer Jennie
Gilchrist at LIE Claire, Iowa, on the 18th
of April 1881. In 1879 l condemned two
boilers and new ones were substituted.
The pressure allowed was allowed 1876
pounds. Last spring was the first they
were allowed to carry passengers. They
made an application in 1880 but were re-
fused because they were not provided with
the proper appliances. The boat was IL
censed to carry 25 passengers. She was
licensed as a daylight passenger steamer.
We believed the boat to be in No. condi.
ton throughout. In boat licensed for a
daylight run it is customary to continue
the voyage day or night until the reach
their destination.
CAPTAIN GEOEGE W. GIRDoN,
United States inspector, testified that the
GilcArist was built at LIE Claire, Iowa, in
1877, is of 74.48-100 tons measurement,
was deeked and fully repaired in the spring
of 1881. We insdected her on the 10Th of
April, 1881. At that time j. G. Senter
was master and FL. W. Gilchrist s. Co.,
owners, of Rapids City. She was provid-
ed with wire tiller ropes, wire bell pulls,
return sound pipes, - buckets, / water
barrel, 100 feet of hose, 1 anchor, 8 axes,
good wooden life boat with oars, Is cork
life preservers, IS wood floats. She had
steel boilers made in 1879 They were 81
inches in diameter and 20 feet in length
3-16 inches in thickness and 40 900 pounds
tensile strength.
JAMES SMALL,
colored deck hand ON the steamer testi-
fed that the crew number IA persons. He
made FIVE round trips on the boat before
the accident occurred. He heard the bows
grumbling about supper on the night of the
accident He got supper at o'clock and
Ulu not fC1uSC 10 WORK. JOQn dllCUIISt
offered him some whiskeY, but he refused
as he did not use liquor. 1t was pint
bottle, He didn't think that any of the
crew was drunk. Did not think tina t
HERS the mate was drunk. After the en-
CINE stopped, Hires came around on the
starboard side of the boat with a lantern,
he said to get the crew on the barge.
Hires said something about everybody
getting on the barge but there was consid-
cradle noise. The witness got on the
barge.
Small testified that he was one of the
first men to get on the barge, and he
thought that if anybody got on ahead of
him they must have been in big hurry, as
the witness made for the barge with all
speed. He did not hear anybody say any
thing about saving the lady passengers.
The witness cut the rope and let the barge
go, when it f1oated down. She struck the
boat and several persons were taken on
board. The rope was not cut until after
the bridge had been passed. He did not
hear any cries from the women. He saw
William Wendt and wife Jump into the
river They attempted to reach the barge,
but fell into the river. AT late hour the
jury adjourned until this afternoon,
THIS AFTERNOON.
The first witness called this afternoon
was W. G. Shelton. of Port Byron, who
was passenger on the Gilchrist on the
night of the accident. When he boarded
the steamer at Rock Island he saw a negro
drinking out of bottle. and after doing
SO the negro handed the bottle back to
John Gilchrist. He saw two of the colored
men take drink from the bottle after the
boat had started After the accident to
the cam rod, the witness went into the
cabin and informed the passengers of the
accident and the danger of a collision with
the bridge. He also informed the pilot of
what had happened, and told him that
there was danger of drifting against the
bridge. There were two men in the pilot
house with him. The pilot shouted out:
For Gods sake why don't you do some
thing2" but the witness could not tell what
party the pilot was addressing. The wit
ness went down stairs and got onto the
barge Robert" Witness did not hear the
mate or anybody else direct the passengers
to get on the barge. He heard the women
calling for help.
At the conclusion of this witness test
mony, James Small was again placed on
the stand, and at a late hour was still I'M
dergoing close examination.