The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-12

clnnatt, is also present NJ Tie investigation,
and while no. acting rs q member Of the
Board, does what he can 10 facilitate the In.
vestigation and to make It rs thorough and
searching us possible. The report OF tie
local Inspectors Is required 10 be made 10
him, and either pilot hus the right to appeal
from the decision Of tho Board TO the super.
visng Inspector. II was through the insir,l.
mentality OF Mr.. Fehrenba.ch that
IsIlIuE INVESTIGATION WAS COMMENCED
yesterday instead OF tomorrow, ms It was first
announced. After the attorneys and inter.
csted parties, and several OF the witnesses,
had gathered n, the Local Inspectors office
Yesterday, the investigation was adjourned
To Thursday, but when Mr.. Fehicnbatch was
informed OF this he objected, and emphatic.
ally ordered that the investigation proceed
at once. lie said he wanted, tho public
wanted, and the Government wanted 10
know who was to blame for this terrible dis.
as,er, and lie, for one, proposed 10 do nll IN
his power to secure q speedy, searching and
impartial Investigation The order OF ad.
jonrnment was then revoked, and the party
adjourned to the court room. Z
Pilot Keller, OF the Scioto, II represented
at the sessions OF tie Board by Messrs. b. b.
Doyencr and ". =. Hubbard. who are also
counsel for the Wheeling, Farkcrsburg &c
Cincinnati Transportation Company, while
Pilot Long, OF the John Lomas and Capt. In.
glehright, owner OF the Tomas, have for
| their counsel J. Cal Gray, OF Martins Ferry,
and Messrs. Cfaeralt and Ferguson, OF tliis
city Mr.. John Walton Is Recorder for the
Court, and Al Rheinstroni, s'enOgrapher.
| The investigation consumed the entire day
| frn,,, n u with tl,u nrpnntt inn
OF an hour and n half recess for dinner, and
the testimony Is only fairly begun.
Plpor KELLrR's STATEMENT.
Pio. David c. Keller, who was steering
the Scioto ut the time Of the disaster, was the
iitst witness called, all haying first been
sworn. He testified that he WIS by occupa.
, tionn master and pilot ofstcam vessels27 years
old. resided in Wheeling, and was on the
ion with the Tomas. lie first boarded the
bout ut Wheeling, leaving the wharf on the
third OF July, and went TO Wellsyillc, where
he lay tho night Of the third. The next
morning at about o'clock he went TO East
Liverpool, where the boat took on some OF
the excursonists. Leaving there they ca,nu
back down. to. Wel!sville, and aiterwa.I
landed at New Cumberland, where Mr.. Co.
lumbus Stewart and wife got aboard Mr.,
Stewart is son OF well known Pittsburgh
pilot, and himself an experienced river man,
engaged in floating brick boats. AtSteuben.
vile another landing was made, and the
next ut Wheeling At this poiat Mr. Keller
asked Captain Thomas to permit him to re.
main here until the return OF the boat, but
the Captain preferred that lie should 20 on
down. He gave the wheel to Clint Thomas,
regular pilot Of the boat in her trade from
Wheeling to Matamoras, who steered the
bout 10 Moundsville, but there surrendered
the boat to Keller again, and he made The
landing. lie also backed out from tho land.
Ing In leaving Moundsrille, when Thomas
resumed charge until the boat reached
| Wheeling, where Keller 0sain landed her,
and took her and retained charge Of her for
the rest OF the trip up, making tile first landing
at Wellsburg, crossing from the Ohio shore to
do So and returning. to within 200 or $50
feet oil the shore uponresuming the upward
trip. A. Gross creek he took the channel,
but shortly returned to within about the
same distance rs before Of the Ohio shore,
and followed the shore at about that dis
lance. A short distance had been thus
passed when Keller saw descending steam.
er, as he thought, about the middle Of the
river, and carrying no red signal burning OH
her chimney. lie did not notice whether
sue Hau Ereeu, oIe'j inis vas between
anu cioch, Heaiiy uiI n. ny fouid sec the
slesliooa y. coiii'msi uiu fe,ialScd on tne lb-
sehce .. me psssS Sr,. .s'Slins. as sue up.
pFoachtI' ~ iSinanh ~ 70 tIoso II! me pilot
mouse. %onaet n a.,at man ~ never gong
10 whisne he y se..,pg mighty close to
ine: ne 3uastu 'ni oaael ooas was then n 43o
500 yards since he first saw her, This re.
mark was made In presence OF Clinton
ino'has, =. v. oookv,. anu mr.; stewart and
@iie, wii1 were IN tne ptlot MOUSE. There
WIS Us aho.net lauy W .ne piiot mouse.
| tMs s1Ltehifn. .Snuseu s9tnewhat OF m
eplsoue z Mr. poSehc. askeu heiier 10 state
VINO 3tn's swoilam.Nas uut ny ueciiHeo. Mr..
Ctactatt save nG !,! 'ra. IN iilk examination
OF - ne Sthle "l"t'S He "oua Insist mat ne
teti me name OF une woman, which the wit
ness. declared nc %ouiu not no, as 1t was un-
necessary;
Ailer .he remark luo!ea ABOUT the other
ooats%nisiic, s.ie pi E, one p!'si' anu heller
replied with Two. Inc descending boat was
tneh po,hWd tor pnIht ~ bend IN the
onio snore, psioM 'iif lIaanu: anu was nearest
Inn. sLotci pom nis pIomshs Two whistles
the other ooat answered "ith Two almost in.
MS ne'i ior 'ne ensinsel 70 sup ms boat, ana
men NJ once 10 pack on poth engines. lie
Scioto engines stopped whiie the other boat
was ahswerins wy TWO Whistles, thestarooaFd
engine stopping INST, ana us soon us they
were stopped heItet iet loose tie wheel and
rang ootn backing oeiis III once. Capt Thad
Ihomas came up on tne 1901 ever the Tore
castle, eiihlplnE inc ,aeK stai. ana SAID,
Dave PACK hef!G ana heller replied that he
was bacSins r.,.
Inspector I" ~, I,son mSeH why heller had
not answered lhe one WHISTLE; md he said
that the ooats were SO close that he knew
that II ne nhue,'ook 20 give her the side
she wnislieq ior tnc ooai would have caught
MN eithes iotsa,u or III. o. me wheel house.
ana cut nm III Two, III "hlca case the loss OF
HE would nave oseh greater than 1t was. lie
knew Una, y was MS GWty 70 answer, but he
could hot cross u, 'he uislanee gwen him.
From tue ~ uh'e H. stne descending boat Inst
hn,,om Il was from three IN Nv. n,;u, Vn 'nt ".
The iar,hcsL A, the time tho Sciolo was
| struck she was parable! 10 the Ohio shore mr.
almost SO, and from 200 to $50 loet, from
shore as near as he could Judge. :.
In answer TO question 6y Mr. Fchren.
batch, Mr.. Keller said when he tirst saw The
Tomas she had passed Mingo towhead and
w,u haln,v the mint nj Tho Shnra 80 IL, ~