The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-14
IMPORTANT TESTIMONY
in THE scioTo INVESTIGATION.
0ns wltn.. Swsau Pilot Keller MAS Drank aad
Three Swear liz WnSot-Gqaaliy Cosniet.
lag E'ldsaes ~ to The Couns and Pol.
tion Of the BeAtI-1he End Not Yet.

+. 2 : .=H o. 90 HHa . d 81 :. j.
lag E'Idspee ~ to The Couns and Pol.
tiOa Of the DcAts-1he Fad Not Jet.
When the daily session OF The Scioto inves.
tigution began yesterday, quito large crowd
Of spectators, principally steamboat men,
we're In the courtroom. Supervising lnspec.
tor Fehrenbatch was not present, having been
Obliged 10 leave the city the night before for
his home In Cincinnati. The lawyers were,
as usual rather late In arriving, and though
the adjournment the night before WAS to 0 4.
", II was considerably nfter 10 when the
proceedings were commenced.
MAJOR BrRr, oV NISGo,
was first called to the stand by Mr.. Cracraft,
OF couscl for PHO, Long lie saw tue Lomas
previous to the collision, as she passed his
house; on the river bank about 100 yards be.
low Mingo furnace. The Tomas whlstlcd be.
fore she got to bis house, which attracted his
attention. lie thought Of that time the boat
was about opposite the furnace. lie did not
notice the Scioto answer. The other boat
was pretty near The Ohio shore after she
passed the Witness house. lie could see very
plainly The first he knew Of the collision,
he wus told the Scioto had sunk, aud he LEFT
the house, where he was having some fire
works for the children, and ran down. Ills
wife had gone into the house for some light.
ers, and while she Was absent the bout wills
tied, and the boat passed after she had 70.
turned to the front gate with the paper
lighters. At the stage Of water that evening
the point OF the Island was about opposite
the furnace lie could not say how near the
Shore the boat was, but from the point at
which the Lomas first blew her whistle to
where the scioto sunk he should say It was
about 100 yards. Part OF II lie knew from
measurement. but the rest was guessing.
The spot where the Scioto sank was dry
last summer. and lie had walked be thought,
over the very spot dry shod. The boat was
probably 100 to 80 feet from shore.
rEED HOFFMAN,,
Of Steubenville, who was member Of n fish.
Ing party cumped near the scene Of the col.
lsion, told Of waiting for the SCioto 10 pass,
intending to get IN her waves In u skin. They
rowed ont toward the boat, which passed them
little piece above Devinney's ware house,
and he looked up the river, and remarked,
''There comes the other boat down. We will
row back ind get her waves" One OF his
companions remarked, "IIOw do you know
she is coming down the other siie?' Just
then the Lonlas blew one whistle, and HoiI.
man remarked that that was 10 keep to
the right. The Scioto shortly after blew two.
Tine men were then rowing over toward the
Ohio side, and Hoffman noticing the eros,
signals said, Il believe that is going TO be u
c0llisionW The Scioto was on the Virginia
side OF the river, but had her head pointed
toward the Ohio side, when the Tomas first
whistled, and the Lonias was coming down
somewhere near the furnace, maybe little
lower down, maybe further up. About ten
or fifteen seconds elapsed between the whistle
OF the Tomas and the answer OF tho Scioto.
At the time OF the colliding the descending
boat was heading toward the Virginia snort,
and the ascending boat was shaping for the
Ohio ideapparently. lie could not say how
far the point OF collision was from the shore,
but the water was seventeen or eighteen feet
deep. He heard the bells III the engine room
ring just before the accident, but did not
notice the working of either wheel.
In examination by Mr.. Cracruft he said
about the middle OF the river, but by the
| time the skiif got to her she was about one
third away from the Virginia shore. After
passing the Devinney warehouse she struck
oil toward the Ohio side. When she pointed
her bow in that direction he first heard the
LOmas whistle. lie was Mt the stern OF the
SciotO, in her waves, and had no difficulty in
seeing the Lonlas. lie had conversation
with Pilot Keller on Saturday evening, near
the wreck, and Keller asked him where he
was running on the evening Of the Fourth,
md he said he was running on the Virginia
shore. Keller said Il lnan might be mistaken
ON account OF the shadow OF the hills in the
river, and the witness responded that he did
III nj ~. ,tr,,. .,.t.
Keller said something about having orders to
land ut Dcyinncy's, and remarked, "Mv
Christian friend, was no. OH the Virginia
side that night" but went on TO say that It
made no difference anyhow, as the river men
would settle 1t among themselves.
Cross examined by Mr.. Doveuer, the wit.
ness said he thought the Scioto sank about as
far above his camp, which Is opposite the
Devinney warehouse, as from where he was
now sitting 10 the creek. He was asked In
vain 10 fix some distance in feet or yards,
and ct last one Of the Inspectors wanted to
know how long 1t would take hin to walk it.
why" said he, lust about us long as 1t
would take me 10 walk from here to the
creek" This caused considerable laughter
which was frequently renewed during the
rest Of the cross examination by the Witness
odd and original manner OF meeting Can't,
Doyener's sharp questioning.
The witness and his party had glnos.
reached the Ohio shore when the collision
occurred. The Scioto was further from shore
than the skill. lie did not think the Scioto
was straight with the shore when the boats
struck. Tho corner OF the Tomas went in
under the guards, md into the hull, and
then the boat swung around down stream,
Mr.: Doyener asked II some OF the party 10
which Hoffman belonged had not had u fuss
,hF Il k,,r T.
and he replied that Walter App, who was in
the skin with lin on the night in question.
had. -
Would n good pilot have had any trouble
taking u boat up the Virginia shore that
night ?" asked Mr.. Gray.
81 think not"
would the Tomas have had uny difficulty
in going down on that side?' Mr.. Doyenrr
asked. 80.
mo, Sir"
The witness was then excused, and
THOMAS MCCORMICK,
who keeps saloon at Moundsviile, was nut
on the stand. lie said he saw Pilot Keller
In Moundsyille on the Fourth. lie caue In.
to Witness place about All hour after the
Sci0to landed, md went Gu into the back
room, without McCormick's seeing him. He
however, heard conversation between
man who works for him and the party who
was with Mr. Keller. The former, Mr..
White, said Keller had better not drink any
more, but had better go down To the boat
and lie down. Keller replied that he in.
tended to do that, and shortly went out. To
this time witness did not know who Keller
was, and he asked White, and was told that
he was the pilot OF the Scioto, Dave Keller.
The witness chided Mr.. White for allowing
him to drink ut all, because rs he was going
out Mccormick was under the impression
that the man was under the influence of ii. |
quor. He did not stugger, bu, the witnesses
best Judgment was that he was under the in. |
iluonce OF liquor, and he told his barkecper
that he did wrong to give him uny liquor. as
he had enough already for man in his !
business.
In his cross-eSamination the witness nd. |
mitted that he had no acquaintance with |
Keller. He identified Keller rs the same
man he had taken for Keller that day. He |
was under the impression that Keller Ind on
n brown suit and straw hat. From his OK.
perience anu observation OF drinking men
he should think n man In Kcllcr's apparent
cau ,tnp r.l,n h.,a Il