Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-26

handle boat as i never was pllOs- !.
To Grey--The reason know the speed OF
the Scioto, was that we timed her from the
time we left Moundsville to every town
that we knew abe distance to. The Tomas
appeared to be little nearer the Ohio
shore than the Scioto was, just before the
accident or when they signailed.
SAW THE WOMAN STERLING.
VIM. Harrington, of Kensington, saw Two
or three women in the pilot house and one
whom he supposed was the pilots vile,
had hold of the wheel She worked II from
one side to the other and no one helpa.
her or paid attention to her. BE could not
say how long this was Ivefore the boats
struck. he had beer. standing on the hur-
ricane roof ut tie time.
The court then took a recess until l
o'clock. -F- 80
Afternoon session.
The adjournment was until o'clock, but
It was two before the counsel appeared and
fifteen minutes later before witness was
called. The Tomas side expected to finish,
but the absence OF an important witness
prevented.
ROBERT SELLERS, -.
who is a cooper at East Liverpool, was the
opening witness. He had brought the band
on board the Scioto tor the excursion. His
testimony was as follows: | was playing
most of the time and was only out during
intervals. At 6 o'clock in the evening, or
near there, was between the pilot house
and the rear of the hurricane deck, and saw
some ladies in the pilot house with one OF
them turning the wheel. Can't say how
long they were there. The pilot appeared
TO be standing at the right of the wheel,
and / did not see him touch the wheel.
The woman was a stranger. Ny partner
said to me, THAT wasn't the place for a
woman to be, with so many lives at stake
below" i.
Mr.. Cracraft had brought out this testi-
mony, and Captain Dovener conducted the
cross examination. The witness was not
positive the pilot had not hold OF the
wheel. He could not fix the time OF this,
as he had no time piece. All he knew was
that it was after dark when the accident
took place.
WHAT BOY SAID.
William Bagley, boy of IA years testi-
fed to having been on the Scioto and had
seen pilot Keller in the house. Keller
turned away from the wheel and talked to
some ladies' The boat made a sheer and
nearly ran into the willows. l. was going
TO halloo at him, when he. turned around
again and steered her out. was on the
hurricane deck, forward OF the pilot
house." -
Capt. Doyener endeavored to show that q
board at the front of the pilot house would
conceal man from the position the wit.
ness occupied, but the boy stoutly main
tanned he could see Keller's back turned
and could see portion of the wheel. The
ladies were standing in the rear of the pilot
house. The witness could not tell at what
point on the river this steering occurred.
The boy explained that his father had told
him what "sheering' meant. He had been
told his testimony would be important.
Capt. Dovener pushed the witness closely,
but he made no deviation from his first tes-
timony.
CAPT. THOMAS EXCLAMATION
Moses Mccain was recalled and asked il
he heard Capt. Thomas make any remark
in the engine room. He said, to the engi-
neer, think: 'Oh. had he answered the
whistle and they kept their course, ii
wouldn't have happened This was in the
engine room of the Tomas, after the COLI
sion. He was changing his shoes. The re-
mark had not been addressed to any one in
particular, but just to those who were about
him, trying to comfort him"
The proceedings halted here, as a witness
was absent and Capt. Doyener wanted to
introduce an affidavit of Mrs. Columbus
Stewart Mr.. Cracraft objected, demanding
the right to cross.question her. She is
sick, it was explained, whereupon Mr..
Cracraft said she was we'll enough to run
around and talk to the neighbors. She
was in the pilot house at the time OF the
collision, and he wanted to prove that
Keller had introduced her to his wife.
This was denied in the affidavit, but Mr.
Cracraft said Capt Bradley would testify
that he heard her say so, though she after
ward retracted it. Over this point, quite
an acrimonious debate ensued between the
lawyers, and wound up with the rejection
of the affidavit. Capt. Dovener said he
would produce the woman, and Cracraft
said they would meet at Philippi. The
other said Beware :" and the crowd muir
INJURED AHA ~
CAPT. THOMAS SONS TESTIMONY.
Clinton G. Thomas, son of Capt. Thad.
Thomas, who lives near Darlington, and
has been master and pilot of the Scioto,
was introduced by the Scioto's side. He
detailed the story OF the collision, IN his
own way. He was on the Scioto and first
saw the Tomas coming around Mingo Is
land. I'VE were just above Cross Creek
bar and one-third of the way from the Ohio
shore. l was in the pilot house with kel-
Ter who said 81 wonder why that fellow
don't whistle? Amt he never going to
whistle!" At that time We were very close.
As he spoke the Tomas blew one whistle
and he responded with two. The boats
were coming in direct line and the Tomas
was about the same distance from the shore
as We were. There was no hardness on the
part of Keller to answer the signal, the
usual time being allowed. l thought
less than 500 yards were between
the boats when the Tomas blew.
They were dangerously close when the sig
nal was given, but did not think of actual
danger. / was not alarmed, in the least, and
saw no cause for a collision. It's hard to
tell what would have done, had l had the
wheel"
Capt Young asked whether the distance
was so short and the position Of the boats
such that it would have been dangerous to
have answered the one blast signal. Wit
ness replied that at the time he would have
thought yes, but since that he concluded
no. 1t appeared TO him, he said, that the
Lomas was cramped hard down, that is, /
crowded suddenly &c tha larhoa.Ii when !
she struck the Scioto. He heard the Lo.
mas give her second signal, but could not
say 'hsw many blasts. The witness did not
think collision was imminent, but saw
Keller ring the backing bells. He
supposed the Scioto had lost
headWay when she was struck. he
thought the Tomas had been coming down
at the rate of 10 or IL miles an hour and
did not notice any decrease of her speed
when the collision occurred. He had been
in the pilot house since the boat passed
Wellsburg and was positive no one but
Keller had touched the wheel after leaving
Wellsburg. There had been not over six
persons in the pilot house, and although a
woman had steered little, it was before
dark. Witness was steering at the time
and kept one hand on the wheel. The
young lady stood at the wheel about Is
minutes and did not touch either bell pull
or whistle treadle. In regard to Kellers
condition, witness had not seen him drink
and smelled nothing on his breath. He
was cool and collected and after the COLI
sion rang the bells just at the right time.
Mr.. Cracraft subjected this witness to q
long and severe cross-examination, stating
many hypothetical propositions and ask
ing what Thomas would have done under
such circumstances. In relation to the
Young woman at the wheel, Thomas said
she told him her name was Darlington and
she was from East Liverpool. Mr.. Cracraft
wanted to know il it was not Mrs. Harden,
of Wheeling, to which the witness respond
ed he did not know her but thouphti II was