The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-26

The witness saw Keller frequently on the
day OF the excursion, and II never occurred
10 him that he was intoxicated or had been
drinking. The Lomas came down the river
very fast, Indeed. Mr.. Burgess thought The
Lomas was entirely out OF her water; that the
scioto was entitled 10 the Ohio shore. He
had boated on the river for about II years
He calculated the speed the boat WAS making
by taking the timO between the places WHERE
he knew the distance. a,.lis'hf&N,
William Harrington, Of kensington, Ohio
was next sworn. He was an excunionist on
the Scioto from Wellsville to Wheeling and
return. He was on the lower deck when the
Tomas whistled, but did not SEQ her until
after she had sunk the Scloto. He thought
1t was fully three minutes between the l.o
mas whistle and tho Sciolo's response. he
was on the hurricane roof several times that
day, aud saw two ladies In tho pilot house
One Of them he saw ut the wheel. He sup
posed this woman to 10 the pilots wife, as
she seenied 10 be very familiar with the work
ings OF the wheel. He was little surprised
and uneasy at first, but thought perhaps she
had been on 30 often That she knew as much
about 1t as the pilot This was
QUITE A SMART LITTLE SPELL BEFORE Tiik coLLI
sIoS. s..i!s "a n
Upon Resembling, after the usual tedious
walt, the counsel for Long called Robert
Sellers 10 the stand. Mr.. Sellers Is citizen
OF East Liverpool, n cooper, aged 49, He
was leader Of the string band which fur.
nished the music on tho scloto on the
Fourth. About six o'clock In the evening
he was sitting between the pilot house and
the rear OF the texas, and looking up into the
house he saw lady turning the wheel. The
pilot was then standing ut the right OF the
wheel. but not touching It so far as be could
sec. He remarked that that was no place for
a woman, with SO many lives at stake on the
boat. The woman still had hold of the
wheel when tho witness left. n
William Bagley, boy OF fourteen years,
was the next witness. He testified that he
saw tho pilot turn his back to the wheel in
the pilot house, and was talking To the ladies'.
The boat took a shear. and ran In pretty
near to the willows. The lad had notion
to call out to the pilot and tell him, bnt Just
then he saw, and taking hold OF the wheel,
pulled the boat out again.
On bis cross examination Mr. Dorener
asked the boy II there was not large board
on the front OF the pilot house which pre-.
the head OF the pilot. He replied that he
could sec that tho pilots back was turned,
and could see the ladies standing at the back
OF the pilot house. He did not remember
whether this was before the boat got TO
Welisburg or inter. lie told his father
since the accident about the boat starting
toward the shore. aud his father said that
was "a sheer" He had told that gentleman
[pointing to Mr.. Cracaft.] about this since.
Moses McCann, engineer OF the Lomas was
recalled, and testified that Capt. Thomas had
said In the engine room OF the Tomas after
the collision, referring to the pilot OF the
Scioto, oh, bad he answered the whistle and
kept his course, the thing would not have
happened!" 5is 81, ~
Mr.. Dovener offered IT,,
THE AFFIDAVIT OF MRS. COLUMBUS STEWART,
but Mr.. Cracraft objected to It's consideration,
saying that II her testimony was to be taken
he desired the privilege Of crosse1aming her.
FINALLY Mr.. Dovener said all right; he would
bring the lady herself. Mr.. Cracraft retorted:
That's the way to do 1t, and we'll meet you
at Philippi when you do bring her" "Yes y
again said Dorener, land you'll Just ret an.
other Philippi when YOU do meet us. y 81 !,
After some further spatting the counsel for
Keller put Mr.. c. G. Thomas, son OF Capt.
Thad Thomas, OH the stand He lives at
Darlington, and was the regular pilot OF the
Scioto In her trade. He WIS on the ill.fated
vessel on the Fourth, and spent most OF bis
time in the pilot.house. lie testified that
when he first saw the Lomas she was coming
around the Mingo point. and the Scioto was
rounding the Cross creek bar, md about one
third OF the way out from tue Ohio shore. He
was within three feet Of Keller ut
the time, and the latter remarked, ~ wonder
why that boat don't whistle! !" and aiterYard.
Amt she ever going 10 whistler" Just
then the Tomas, which was quite close, and
coming in direct line for the Scioto, blew
one blast. Keller responded Just us soon as
is customary with two blasts; be thought that
less than 500 yards then. interviewed between
the boats; The distance was go short that he
considered 1t dangerous; could not say that
be had thought whether there would have
been any danger in the Scioto's answering
with one whistle and taking the course so in.
dictated. The manner in which the Tomas
struck, the Scioto showed that there would
have been room TO have passed to her right,
but at the time he could not Judge. The
Scioto was running straight up the shore, and
the iomas quartering very much toward the
virginia shore. The way shcswung round after
she bad struck looked as II she were tramped
hard down ther rudders tnrned clear around
suddenly After Keller blew his two whistles
ne reached up and rang both backing bells.
Just after the Captain came up over the front
md said, "Daye, Back her!" Dave responded,
"She Is backing" l.,s5s t-s9l'5 =
The Roadway OF the Scioto must have been
almost checked, but not entirely. The Lo-
mas appeared to be making ten or twelve
miles M hour, and when she struck her
Roadway could not have been checked much
SIZE APPEARED TO CONE INTO TIE scIoro VERY
- FAST. a.
There was no one touched the vince! after
the boat left Wellsburg; before that lady
bad hold Of the wheel. The Scioto kept the
Ohio shore after the boat left the Wheeling
ice breakers TO Wellsburg. The lady who had
charge OF the wheel had II probably ten or
fifteen minutes, during which time Thomas
had one hand on the wheel. md sometimes
both. Keller was not at all intoxicated that
day; witness did not see him drink anything.
and did not smell whisky on his breath. Kel.
Ter was perfectly cool during the sin king, and
when the Captain shouted to stop backing
and Try to make the shore, the witness 70.
ticed that he promptly rang the stopping
bell and then ut once 60 come ahead.
Had the Lonias whistled twice instead OF
once, there would have been no difficulty In
her passing to the Virginia side; that was the
side she ought TO have taken; md had not
the l.omass rudders been tsamped down
hard she would not have struck thc scioto.
but aoated past her on the Ohio side, a : i =
Mr.. Cracraltsubjected this witness to long
and bard cross.examination, but deyeloped
nothing new. interesting or important. Tbe
witness said the young lady who was steering
for awhile wns named Darlington, and she
lived at East Liverpool. Mary Hsrden, OF
Wheeling, had not her hand on the wheel on
the excursion TO his knowledge. = ~" :;
The witness was temporarily excused, and
Miss Mary Mumford, OF East Liverpool, was
called 10 the stand, and examined by Mr..
Cracraft She was on the Scioto when il
sank, and when she first heard the whistle of
the boat she was on tho guards at the stern OF
the boat, and she Just had time 10 run Tor.
ward to the front door OF the cabin when Inc
boats struck. Tha water came up almost in.
stantly; she waded to the balustrade of the
guards, and was helped up to the hurricane
deck. She did not think the headway OF HE
Scioto had been checked when she was struck.
She started several times TO 70 into the pilot
house, but there were 2! ';' 80 :
woxESwrrH WHOM SIZE DID nor CARE TO Asso.
CIATr u Z. AZ !: /;
there, and she did not enter. She did not
sec any whisky drank onthe boat, but most