The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-21
THE sc'ioro INVESTIGATIONS d, tlI,i,j;I

Inv AoitAVou 1erciVi VI tHe lsOCul lnrpeCs
tor' Investigation Of the scio,o disaster yes.
terday was occupied by the examination OF
Capt James Mcdonald, a well known river
man OF this city, employed by Gray's Iron
Line as master OF one OF their boats. His
testimony was that Of nm expert, and was
only valuable to either side for this reason.
He gave Ills aye US ", his residence Wheel.
Ing, and his occupation s5s
FOLLOWING THE RlyEa.n Plg
3 He Is a master aud pilot, and commenced
boating In 1913. lie said In response 10
questions by Mr.. Dovener, that he was well
acquainted with tue river between Wheeling
aud steubenyille. and knew the customary
and proper course OF boats between those
points. After leaving COx's RIFLE the Gus
tom Is for ascending boats to take the Ohio
shore, and descending boats always take the
Virginia shore, or tho channel which, Is be.
tween the Virginia shore and the middle OF
the river. In going up he would run from
W To 10 rods from the Ohio side. 1t has been
the custom since long before there were any
rules for the government OF pilots In exist.
ence for ascending boats 10 keep
the point side OF a curve In
the river descending boats rounding out In
the bend. Capt Mcdonald said he had
crossed the signal many times this season,
and expected every time 10 be allowed to
keep bis Side There Is nothing unusual
about cross signals, especially since the a.lOp-
ton Of the new rules. lie would, however,
do anything In his power TO save his boat,
and always did do what was best In his
judgment to avoid accidents. lie said he had
lived In Wheeling for iiity years, md knew
most OF the river men who live In this
vicinity. especially the pilots, but lie never
knew this man Long; did'nt think he ever
heard Of him before this collision; did not
know there was pilot Of that name. Might
have seen him n number OF times but never
knew him rs pilot.
The Captain continued that II he were as.
conding the river at the point where the
l.omas aud Scioto met, aud his boat were
within so or 100 yards OF the Ohio shore, and
descending boat should whistle for the Ohio
shore, he would blow his whistle for the
same shore-cross the signal-and keen his
water, II he believed that otherwise there
would be any danger Of q collision. The
oath he took US pilot was TO steer the boat
to the best Of his skill and judgement, and
that's what he would do. @'.fls 4
On bis cross examination the witness said
he would keep the Ohio shore whether the
river was high or low. If lie were 10 yards
from the Ohio shore he would be in his right
place. The descending bouts proper place is
on the Virginia shore and no place else, and
she has got no business any place else. No
good pilot would take the Ohio shore ut that
point. Had descending boat whistled for
| The Ohio side at n distance OF 800 yards, and
the ascending boat answered accordingly and
both boats steered for the right, there would
hnre been no collision.
A number Of hypothetical cases were nut
by the counsel for Long, and the witness
asked what he would do under certain cir.
cumstanCes. He generally demurred to the
hypothesis, and substituted circumstances OF
his own supposlng. His testimony was alto.
gcther In regard 10 custom, law, and the
proper course to pursue under certain hypo.
theticul cases. "-as
MICHAEL EDWARDS,
OF Moundsyile, was the first witness called
in the afternoon. He Is an employee OF the
| Webster Wagon Company. He testified tlint
he saw Keller, pilot Of the Scioto, on the
Fourth, and considered that he behaved him.
self very well so far US the witness saw. lie
had taken party OF excursioni.ts from the
hotel to the boat that day. and Keller was
among the party. There was nothing unu.
sual or unnatural about the conduct o!
Keller. One OF the excursionists had got
drunk, and was fined by the Mayor. Some
OF the, excursionists offered to pay the
line, but were not allowed. While
in the vehicle driven by Edwards, the latter
passed around bottle Of whisky, and asked
the passengers to drink, but Keller refused to
take any. Witness did not think Keller had
been drinking. When Edwards WAS asked to
bring his hack to McCormick's where he rot
the passengers, Johnnie White told him tha,
Keller was drinking Witness had talked to
Mr.. Dovener since coming 10 town, about
this matter. He had also told Mr.. Gray, oil
counsel for Long, that when Mccormick OF
| White had told him to take the crowd with
Keller 10 the boat they said II they did not nay
him Mccormick would. This was n fnct.
| White had also told him that Keller was
drunk, but witness did not think he was
| When the passengers got out OF the hack
they remarked that they had all taken q
drink but Keller.
FRANK BRIGHT.
Of Wellsvillc, was called by Longs counsel.
lie was one OF the excursiOns,s on the Sci.
OTTO till the collision. He testified that he
was druggist; that he got on the Scio,o al
David Keller prior to the excursion Of the
Fourth; did not see anything wrong
with him ut Moundsville; did mol
see him drink anything there; WIS no
in the pilot house Mt my time; wa.
about half way back in the engine room OF
the Scioto when the Lonas first siynalletl:
there were probably about fifty persons on
the deck at that time, more or less; he heard
n boat whistle one blast Us lie was going for.
ward on thelarboard guards The Scioto Iespon
ded with two whistles. The witness was born
md raised on the river bank, and has been
the steamboat agent OF Wellsvile for the las,
ten years. The Scioto answered in. between
one-half minute and one minute; the wit
ness thought the length Of time was up uu.
usual one, but had heard boats wait longer.
The scioto, ut this time, the witness thought,
was nearer the Virginia shore, though he
could not be positive. lie inst noticed tho
Tomas when she whistled, when she was 10
the left OF the other boat, and inclined TO.
ward the Ohio shore; could not say how far
the Lomas and Scio!o were apart then, He
did not hear my answer from the Tomas
after the Scloto's cross whistle, which alarmed
him, and he ran upstairs, and half way back
the right guards and into the cabin about the
| centre. The Tomas seemed to strike the
Scioto about where the stage plank goes over
the edge, nearly opposite the foot OF the stair
way. The scioto was then apparently straight
with the shore, aud the Lomas between her
md the Ohio shore, with her stem quarter
ing toward the shore aud up stream. Il was
about n minute, from the Scioto's cross
signal till the boats struck. At the cross
signal tho witness was about the coal.box,
going forward with glass OF lemonade in his
hands, which he was taking TO his wife, who
was In the cabin. lie had not gone ten feet
in the cabin door when the boats struck. Had
not noticed any bells ringing in the engine
room; thought he would have noticed them
u any had been rung Distress signals were
blown while the Scioto was settling, bu, not
before. Did not think the Scioto's headway
had hecn checked any. He saw the force Of
the current plainly US he was helping his
wife through the skylight upon tho hurri.
cane roof. lie also noticed that as passcn.
gers jumped of they were borne swiftly
down stream. lie went back into Tie cabin
and went into every sateroom on the boat.
breaking open some OF the doors with n table
lcaf. He was induced to 60 down by The
screams OF women and children. Nyheli Tho
Scioto passed Devinney's warehouse She was
about the middle OF the river; she was nearer
the Virginia side when the Tomas
| fret ,rktettnl ftn, r,