The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-09-28
A DECISION At LAST

A DECISION At Last
In tho Sc,oio Disaster Carc-ItclIer's
Papers I!cvoked by the Local Inspect.
ors-Thry Fall 10 Agree In Rcgart 10
Long.
Below Is The full text Of the decision Of the
Board Of local Inspectors In regard TO the
causes and responsibility OF the disaster 10
the scioto, occasoued by the collision with
the John 1ouas on the night Of July 1. Had
the decision been rendered two months ago
II would have produced sensation. To-day
lis appearance will not awake any very ex.
traordinnry interest. The result has been
predicted for some days by many who were
posted, or reclaimed to be. II Is rather disap.
pointing alter the time spent In the inyeStl.
CATION:
WHEELING. ". Va, September %, 1882.
John Fthrenbateh, Superri,iuy Iaseetor cf
Steam Ie'eb, Srenth EairIet, Cmeinnati,
Ohio r
sln:-We have this day revoked the license
Of David q. Keller rs u first, class pilot OF
steam vessels, for a violation OF tho rules
and regulations for the government Of pilots
on rivers lowing into the Gulf OF Mexico
the steamer SciUto when she collided with the
John lonias. The Bourd falls to agree Us 10
tic ilnding In the case OF u. J. Long, pilot OF
the John Tomas. While the Inspector Of
Boilers holds him equally responsible, the
Inspector OF liulls claims lie Is guiltless. q
The collision occurred on the evening OF
tho lth OF July last, between the hours OF y
and 0 o'clock, on the Ohio River, opposite or
near Minso Junction, Ohio. The scioto In
command Of Captain T. s. Thomas, OF Clar.
ington, Ohio, was ascending, and the John
LoIas, with Captain Levi ". inglebrght, OF
Martins Ferry, Ohio, was descending. Both
vessels at the time were running under ex.
cursion permits, and were freighted exclu.
sively with passengers. The Scio.o va, built
at lrOnton, Ohio, In 1875; has side wheels; Is
sharp modelled, and measures 10 IS tons bur.
den. In her construction special reference
was bud to her speed. She Is perhaps the
fastest vessel OF her class on the Upper Ohio,
and Is valued at 5000. Recently she was
purchased by Captain q. Ii. Booth, Of this
city, representing the Wheeling, rurkersburs
& Cincinnati Transportation Company, and
placed In local trade between this port and
Matamoras, Ohio. ..
On the day preceding the Fourth. Captain
Thomas applied for aud secured froul this
board, Ter complyingwith the provisionsg gov.
| erning the sHnie, u permit to carry three hun.
dred t5OU passengers, exclusive OF the mum.
berauth0rlzsd by the certificate ofinspectiOn
and limited In route between East Liverpool,
Ohio, and Ctesap's Grove West Virgiuiu
On the morning Of the Fourth she reach East
Liverpool. anu after taking OH board u
nnj orty oil the excursionists, started for
MOundsyille, West Virginia, her destination,
landing ut points intermediate for the &C.
comm0daliOn OF those wishing 10 avail them.
selves ofthe OCCASION. Upunlil the collision
the voyage was ide without any occurrence
worthy of special mention. 1t was the
Satioh'sanuiversary and restraint seemed to
be at Il discount. IL was lively day oil
board, too gala for SO sud an ending TO the
annoyance and discontinue of the more
orderly disposed not few OF the excursion.
lists INDUCED too freely In in,oxicants, having
procured individual supplies before embark
ing, condition of things which Captain
Thomas was powerless IL control, anu for
which he cannot be held responsible, In
justice 10 all, it should be said thut nothing
but the most harmless beverages were dis.
pensed oil the boat. .
The John Tomas was built at Brownsville,
Pa, In 1851, Is stern wheel with model bow
anu t0Tingooat forecastle. She measures 10
tong burden, is Of but medium speed, aud is
valued at s. 900. In point OF sta,lnChness she
excels most vessels Of her class bhe was pur.
chased but short time since by Captain In.
glebright Il Co., and at once entered the
Wheeling and Martins Ferry trade. On the
50th day Of June, permit wasgranted her to
carry one hundred and lily (l5Ol passengers
between SteubenYille, Ohio, and Cresap S
only on so much OF the limit Us lays between
Martins Ferry and Steubenrille, a distance
OF 81 miles. Leaving the former point OIL the
morning Of the 4th, she proceeded to Steu.
benyile and returned in the evening" was
homeward bound when the collision occur
rcd. liussing for the present, since we do not
wholly asrte on the gauge ar panses that lpll
to the disaster, It is only necessary 10 here say
that the pilot OF the John Lonas selected the
side on which be intended to pass with one
blast OF the steam whistle, which was con.
,estel by the pilot OF the scioto by crossing
tie 81, sang Sa glh iEs hl9sis, Here the zig.
that both boats were backing at the
!, time, Inc Roadway OF neither being fully
checked. Sucn was :hs nosition Of each at
the time, that the larbosrd corner Of the guard
OF the I.Omas struck the SciOto immediate.
ly under her larb0ard guard, and about five
feet from the stem. After striking tile stern
OF the Tomas tlanked toward the Ohio shore,
crushing in, as she rounded, the side OF the
Scioto Is or 80 feet in length, very short
space oil which only WAS down TO the knuckle.
Tine Tomas Is now buried in the side Of the
SciOto, the entire width Of her forecastle is
comparatively uninjured, Whilp the Scjoto is
rapidly taking water and is in Q sinking con-
ditiOn. The scene is represented Us one oil
Undesirable confusion; all efforts by cooler
heads 10 allay the excitement were useless,
and 10 add 10 Its intensity the alarm OF fire
spread, While yot the liomas is In reach sue.
cor Is afforded, and after permitting d. many
to board as he thought safe, Captain Ingle.
bright, to prevent his own boat from swamp.
ing, OF which there was great danger, con.
cluled best to back away, land bis own pas
senGers and return, which he did, Although
for this he was by some censured, We think i
moments reelection will show that ts have
remained longer might under the circum
stances have had o result doubly disastrous
In this we think he Displayed good judgment,
In a moment or two alter THO Lomas
bottom OF the river in about fourteen feet
OF water with her cabin space hplf sub.
merged. While going down, passengers were
! leaping from the guards aud hurricane roof
into the rive. leaving those on deck who fail.
ed 10 gain access 10 the Lomas struggling In
the water.
In the meantime the Tomas was engaged
in rescuing all within reach, and after
making four trips succeeded in landing safely
all who remained on and were clineing ia
the seloto. In addition to this skitIs and ali
other liie-saviDg appliances available were
brought into speedy requisition by the hun
dreds who locked 10 the scene, and all the
|, aid possible was rendered. s7'a q
For several succeeding days search for The
missing WAS made. with varied success. Bodic:
were found md identified as victims having
drited thirty or more miles from the scene
From the most reliable information we have
been able to obtain, hfty-eight lives were lost
all by drowning. save two or three, who after
. reaching shore, persisted from exhaustion,
, For the purpose OF determining where the
.. responsibility rested, we notified the pilot.
Of our purpose to at once proceed with the In,
vestigalion, and suspended the license Of both
pending the same. The magnitude OF the
disaster clothed the event with more than or.