The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-20

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changed her course and was on the larboald.
Scioto did not take tile Vest Virginia shore,
and the Captain told him that II was always
expected TINT the down boat should keep
the bend and the up boat The point n ssII
Yes that's according 10 an old custom,
isn't it?n said Mr.. Cracrafi. b
es and according TO law, too.
.Gan'you show Inc nnyla TO that eiltcl?''
al can.n -!}, 2s5. IN 3. ~ iyli
II wish you would.n Y. ti.@
Captain Thomas pulled n well thumbed
pamphlet out OF his pocket, and read from
he rules for the government OF pilots rs fol.
lows: \. : Rg'7sa .Sl
"Whea q steamer Is ascendlngand running
close on bar or shore, the pilot shallin no
case attesip. 10 cross the river when d de.
scending boat shall be so near that It would
be possible for q collision 10 ensue there
from. sst2 Pr Il.
In the further course Of his cross examina.
ton, the Captain said that after the Scloto's
cross signal, and the Ioinas's answer, he
thought the pilot Of the l.onas did all III bis
power to avert disaster, but so poor
WIS Ills Judgement and so uDskillful
his handling that he could not do no.
lilo thought the Tomas delayed signaling
until she was dangerously close, and TINT tho
Sciot0 could not have crossed with safety In
tho distance given. The SciOt0 had right
TO suppose the LoInas would take the Virgin.
IL side. and the witness did not think com.
petent pilot could be found who would testi.
fy 10 the contrary. EF
Pending the Captains further examination
the commission adjourned.
TIE CROSS ExANlNArlOS
OF Capt. Thomas was continued ut the inter.
noon session, Mr.. Cmcraft doing the ques.
ttoning. The question was asked how long
the custom OF the ascending steamer keeping
10 the point and the descending one TO the
band had been IN vogue, and the Captain
said at least ever since 1858. Mr.. CrIcraft
asked II this was not conlraycned by Rule !,
which gave 10 the descending steamer the
right otway, md the witness admitted that
It did In certain circumstances. lie was
asked 10 give some OF these exceptions, und
cited Rule 1, read by him in the forenoon,
us covering one exception. Another would
be In case the ascending boat should flank OH
the pilot, or become difficult to control; the
ascending boat would be justified in crossing
the signal OF the descending one In case the
latter signalled for tue side toward which
tho other was steering.
The Scioto could BIZ stopped with three or
four revolutions Of her wheel going up stream
ut the speed she was that night Her head.
way was not completely checked, but nearly
40; all was done that was possible TO check
her speed, md the Captain did not think
that this had been done on the Lonnas. II
the Lolnas had started 10 backing with oil her
steam-1G0 pOunds-SOnle time before, her
Roadway would have been checked. But il
this had been done, the witness wanted to
know how the Scioto could b. forced side.
ways against the head OF the LomRs hard
enough to stave in her side. The very nature
OF tue injury received by the Scioto showed
beyond doubt that the Tomas was under
good Roadway. Had she been nearly stop
ped, and the Scioto In motion, instead Of the
former ~
CRASHING THROUGH TIE SIDE
OF the latter, the latter would have glanced
across the head Of the former and torn her
guards OIL Besides this the Captain was sat
islied by watching objects OH the shore that
the Scioto was almost checked. lie was also
convinced that the Tomas came OIL rapidly.
The effect Of the blow showed conclusiveiy
that both Of these impressions were correct.
The SciOto WIS, however, low boat, aud
was struck under the guards. The I.olnas
went under the guards three feet from the
stem, where the guards were higher, and the
break was clean cut at the front. lie did
not think the Scioto was pointed toward the
West Virginia shore, but II she had been the
Tomas would only have struck her more
squarely and gone in harder. The upper
part of the break or where the Lonlas first
went in, Was, as lie said before, clean cut,
and the Tomas did not run back more than
the natural angular collrsc from the direc.
lion in which she collided; the rough break
aft was made by the Lomas In swinging down
stream in backing out. This impression was
not derived solely from the nature Of the
break, but from the way in which the boats
struck and the l.onas aftcrward backed, the
idea being confirmed by the character OF tho
injury the Scioto showed when raised. Capt.
Thomas would have sieered the Scioto Just
as Keller did, keeping the Ohio side because
That was the custom with pilots, and because
by doing so n slower current would have
been encountered Mt the stage of water that
night. There was room for tile Tomas to
pass on the Ohio side when she first sigDalled,
The Captain could not say what he would
have done had he been ut the Scioto's wheel,
but he thought he would have stopped his
boat. There was less than one minute to
consider the best course 10 pursue. Every
thing was IN favor OF the LOniass taking the
West Virginia side; space, the current,
custom, all said TO take that course. He
thought both pilots wanted to do what was
right, but ~
ERRED IN JUDGMENT.
There was no reason 10 believe that the
fomas would take the Ohio side. The Scioto
might have gone to the shore and stopped;
she could not have run safely within lOJ
fcet OF the shore. He was asked il he could
assign my good reason for Pilot Kcllers
crossing the signal of the Lomas. Mr.. DO.
veneer objected that this Ind been answered
by the witness in the forenoon when he had
quoted Rule 1. The counsel for the other
side argued that the circumstances us detailed
by the Captain did not come under the rule
quoted. The question was allowed, and the
witness said he supposed Pilot Keller acted In
accordance with Kule 4 and the custom of
Keeping to the point side in ascending the
river. lie thought the greatest danger that
night arose from the fact that the LOnas did
not whistle Mt the required distance, 500
yards. lie thought, however, that it was
more dangerous ~ have acted In accordance
with Rule than it would have been 10 have
ignored it. II =
A good deal OF time was devoted 10 dis.
cussion OF the proper construction OF Rule 1.
Mr.. Cracrait was inclined think ii WINS only
OH his own motion that tile ascending pilot
WINS not permitted 10 cross. The witness
maintained that IN case a descending steamer
should blow for him 10 cross. and In his
Judgment he could not safely do so, the rule
would forbid him attempting to do so.
The language OF the rule, he thought, was
plain: "m no case, shall he attempt etc.
The Captain WIS under the impression,
though he was not positive, that the pilot OF
the Scioto had blown the alarm signul, sever.
al sharp, short blasts. lie thought Keller
had answered the I.omus's signal before he
noticed that that boat had changed her
course. lie was positive that Keller had
stopped his boat as soon as he could; he did
not think the pilot OF the Tomas had done SO.
II was the duty of both pilots 10 stop their
boa's. The Captain thought it would have
been safer 10 have answered the Iomas's one
blast with one, instead of two. Had Keller
seen the Tomas bearing for the Ohio side
after whis,ling for that side, he would moi
have been justified in crossing the signal.
But Keller could not tell until the Lomas
first Sirnnllnl vrhnt aI,o to.l