The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-17
THE sCIoro INyEs r1 q. III l,,l5
Saturdays FroceetiinsS Void of Special
....L.L " J Inherent or I'm narfnnre . IL u

OhtuFuNy l'FOceeulhEN SOiu Oh special
ilYle, Interest or Importance. =
The session OF the Board OF Local Inspec.
tors, now engaged in investigating the scloto
disaster, was short and unintcreslipg satur.
day. Tho only witness on the stand was
Joseph Hoffman, the regular pilot OF tho
John Lomas, aud he wns examined and cross
examined and re.cxamlned I'LL noon, when
the Board adjourned until 0 a. NJ. to-day.
Mr.. Doyener ilrst asked: Surprising two
boats meeting on tho river, Is Il customary
for the ascending boat, when going IN tho
Ohio shere, near point or bend In the river
to turn out7 :.
Answer-No sir, but Il should obey signals.
When The Lonas answered two blasts she
gave the right TO the scloto.
Here Dovener read rule |, controlling nj.
lots. nhd asked tho witness whether tho ne.
cending boat should have answered the Lo.
mas signal, giving the following ilustra.
tion: "supposing the Scioto was coming I'M
the Ohio shore and the Tomas was coming
down tho middle OF the river should the
Scioto be acting out the law.
Answer-The way understand the law, It
Is the duty OF the ascending boat to stop i'm.
I'll signals arc agreed to. The Inv allows the
descending boat to lsk for any side she
wishes. She would have to stop In any case
oil possibility OF collision. We left
stcubenvillc between shutdown and dark, II
was about dark whcE We arrived opposite
Mingo. could not say whether tho Lomos
had both signals on her stacks first saw
the scioto, 1t was her signals saw Of course.
Question-What position should boat ap.
preaching hive to DO IN that you could see
nothing but the green light
Answer-She would have 10 be quaricrng
actoss the river. A boat would have to lay
nearly square across the river to keep the as.
ccnding boat from seeing the other signal
light, this would throw the head Of Tho dc.
scei'dinlg boat toward the Virginia shore.
Question-Wonld not YOU have crossed
signals for the Ohio shore when You could
see nothing but the green light Of the de.
sccnding boat?
Answer would give my boat the signals
according TO law, aud then II thought there
was any danger would whistle au nlurm
and stop, but would not cross Signals. al.
ways do ms think right about answering
signals mud follow ont the law. At request
OF Dovener the witness drew diagram Of the
Two bonts meeting, the ascending boat hug.
sing the Ohio shore and the position the
descending boat would have to be In (p.oyi.
ded both signal lights were liz 10 only show
the green light (Which Is on the right hand
side OF the vessel looking toward the head, !
In the best Judgment OF the witness the
Two bOlts were from 400 10 800 feet upurt
when the Lomas blew the second signal, two
blasts. He thought they had plenty OF room
to avoid collision. lie considered Mr.,
Tonga competent pilot, but he knew moth.
Ing about his knowledge Of the river from
Wheeling to Steubenvillc. lie had found
BY catechIsing him that he was more familiar
with the rules than witness himself, and has
often seen him steer boats, and wns satisfied
that he was u lnnn OF good judgment and IA
good handler" Witness took tie wheel lust
after tho collision, and before the boats SeIe
separated, and then he yelled down
he trumpet and asked the en-.
gineer, Mccain, II he was backing, and he
told him he WIS and had been
oil along. Then the boat pulled loose, and
some person below lallooed up that the
Tomas was not sinking. but was all right.
Then he rang astopping bell.
During the redirect examination Of this
witness u squabblo arose between the law.
yers in regard to the form OF question: and
Mr.. Gray took 0ccusiOnt TO say he thought
tle part of the examination conducted by
the lawyers was all farce anyhow, an opi.i.
ion in which the spectators heartily con.
CURED,