The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-12

ary for all down stream bouts 10 keep In the
bend, and the ascending bolts to keep TO the
point. 10 this case the point was the Ohio
Shore The Lomas had no. blown any whis.
tie within 900 yards above the bend He had
heard no whistle above the bend, and had
the Lomas made tho required signal there
the danger would have & been avert.
ed. The night was rather chilly, md
most ofitle passengers were In the cabin AT
least scarcely any: werc on tho hurricane
deck. The boat was on al even keel, and
Obeycd the wheel promptly. The engineer
Obeyed the bells 10 stop and back promptly,
and NIL headway had been checked at the
time OF tho collision. The name OF the other
lady spoken OF before as M occupant OF the
Mrs. Mary Harding, OF Wheeling. No one,
Mr. Keller Mid. interiercd In any way with
the steering Of the boat or the blowing OF the
whistle. lie was not ut all intoxicated, hay.
ing Ind but one drink that day, and that at
,Tom McCormlck's, ut Moundsville. IIo had
not left tho Ohio shore after leaving Wells.
burg except TO round out into the river ut the
bar below the mouth Of Indian Gross creek.
When the Tomas struck the SCloto, the for.
mer was pointed nj an angle mp stream and
toward the Ohio shore, and the pilo. OF the
l.0mas had told the witness that the ruddcr
became uncomfortable and had backed his
stern toward shore instead OF up stream.
Mr., Cracraft then took the witness and
cross examined him ut some length without
developing much that was now, or interest
Ing. The witness was asked why when he
came within 500 yards OF the other
boat, he had not stopped his boat and blown
tile danger sisnal.S lIo said, under the cir.
ctinistanccS, not one pilot In, q thousand
would do So lfewas asked II Mary Harding
had not, either by accidentor mischievously,
rang one Of the whistles, and the witnesssaid
that she did not touch It. lie had blown the
two whistles the second he had heard the
first blast from the Tomas. Mr. Cracraft
wanted to know II the iacts were Us repre-
scented, how tho Tomas struck In the position
md from the quarter tshe did, 10 which
Keller responded, '"Jnst by a naturalIncce
Of awkwardness. The witness said he had
been In the saloon busincss from 4 pril 10
July 3, but bad made several trims In that
time. Mr. Cracrait asked II he had not taken
four straight drinks In McCormick's, and lie
said he had not. lie had applied TO Mr..
Gamble, OF Moundsyilie, for some whisky,
but It was for another party. lie had not
stopped nj Fountains saloon In Moundsyilie
had not gotten flask OF liquor at McCor.
mick'si had not made the remark that he was
the pilot OF the Scioto, und unsettled IN
his mind; had no. said he would 20 down 10
the boat and sleep or his drunk; had not gone
into saloon at Wheeling, and was not off the
boat here. --y ~
coRRoEoEArivs EVIDENCE.
Mr.. VIM. J. Abraham was next put on the
stand. lie lives at Newport, Ky, and Is q
,,,oS to al lnt Of stn,
the head OF Cox,s Rifle to the head OF Mingo
Island, the Ohio shore has been the proper
side for ascending boats ever since boats
navigated the Ohio. The down stream boat
must keep the middle Of the river or the
bend. Being asked what he would have done
II he had been on the Scioto under the cir
euins.anccs recitel, he said he would have
kept the Ohio side, und whistled for the
descending boat 10 get out OF the road. 1Iud
the down stream boat been IN her right place,
one-third distance from tile West Virginia
shore, the collision could not have happened.
Cyrus Iiggs, engineer OF the Scioto, testi-
fed that Immediately after he heard tho
Scioto signal for passing another boat, both
engines were stopped in accordance with a
signal from the pilot, and ut once the back
ing signal was given and he Obeyed it, and
thought the head wny Of the boat had been
fully checked before the boats collided. The
engines were backing when the boats came
IN contact. Four or five revolutions OF the
wheel, going up streum. will check the boats
Roadway sufficiently TO land without shock
lie thought that after the collision both en-
gine bells had rung to 60 ahead, but 1t was
impossible. This was done with view to
getting to shore. 2i.fS3ss -.
John B. Cook. who was in the pilot house
with Keller ut the time OF the accident, was
next put on the stand. He said there had
not been more than six persons in the pilot
house ut any one time. lie noticed that the
Tomas was nearer to the West Virginia shore
than the Ohio. The Lonias blew one whistle,
and Keller answered with two, to which the
Tomas also responded with two whistles.
Capt. Thomas came up over the forecastle By
means OF the jack stall, after the last whistle
had sounded, and said ~ back her, when
Keller said she was already backing. Mr..
Cook had seen 10 signs Of intoxicatou on the
pilot, and there was no liquor drank In the
pilot house willie the witness was there. As
soon us the pilot had blown the second blast
he rang his bell what for the witness only
knew from learsay. There was no one
touched any OF the whistle or bell ropes but
the pilot. The woman Harding boarded the
boat ut Wheeling on the up trip. He did not
know her. lie had drank some that day, but
not with Keller, and did not see him drink
any. Mary Harding was not near the treadle
at any time near the accident, nor had she ut
any time had hold Of the wheel while he was
present. -. T.,