The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-06

INTO the causes Which led to the WreckiuQ of
the steamship City Of Columbus off Gay Head,
Martha's Vineyard, January 18th, by which
81 iives-were lost, begun this ing before
Messrs Burnham and Savage, constituting the
board OF inspectors of steam vessels for the
Boston district The examination OF witnesses
was conducted in q catechetical form by the
inspectors. The witnesses were all sworn.
The first witness examined was Capt. s. E.
Wright of the unfortunate vessel Mr.. Burn
ham stated to Captain Wright. before begin
ming the examination, that there were no alle-
cations of misconduct or neglect but the pre-
sumption was that judging from the charac-
ter of the wreck, there must have been such
misconduct or neglect.
In response to the interrogations of Inspector
Savage, Captain Wright stated that he was so
years old, had followed tie sea since he was
13 years old, had held license as master since
1869, and had commanded five different ships,
all Of them belonging to the Boston and Sa-
yannah Steamship Company. He left Boston
on the City of Columbus at $3.50 on the after
noon of January 18th, took the vessel by the
usual course to and around Cape Cod to Cross
Rips. From there steered west by north half
north to Nobski Light until its bore north
west half west s'We were at Tarpaulin
Cove" said the captain, fwhen I gave the
order to steer southwest by west and gave di-
rections to the second mate to steer west
southwest when Tarpaulin Cove bore west by
north. Then / went below. [ don't know
whether second mate gave the man at wheel
this order or not. was sitting on the floor in
my room with my back against the heater and
with my head In the pilot house when heard
a call to port. 1t was the starboard watch or
more properly the captains watch. The sec
ond mate shares this watch. I left the second
mate in charge of the deck when [ went be-
low. had bow watchman on the lookout.
When heard the cry of port, sprang up and
cried hard port thinking We were running
down vessel. / could not see any vessel but
saw a buoy two and half points off the port
bow, 150 or 200 yards distant. I think the ves-
sci struck within twenty seconds after gave
the order shard port i did not signal the
engineer before the vessel struck. Were run
ming at the usual speed, After she struck /
| signalled the engineer to reverse and back the
ship. The ship went back full length and
then went ahead at full speed TO turn her head
off. In q minute / reversed and backed her
again when found it of no use. Engineer
Morrison came to the port door and said cap
tain, there's water in her. / then ordered the
quartermaster to leave the wheel, and direct
ed the mate to get the boats ready. The ves-
sci grounded hard and filled through her
matches and after compartments. The after
hatch was burst open, allowing the water to
fill her. The vessel then listed to port, giving
the sea full sweep over her. 1 was in the
water to my armpits. went into the cabin
and aroused the passengers, ordering them to
put on life preservers. There is USUALLY a
Watehman in the cabin to look out for FIRE. I
don't know whether he was there after the
ship struck The bulkheads of the ship were
tight as far as / know. / knew the second
mate, Harding, for three years. He sailed
with me over year. l employed the officers
of the ship. Mr.. Harding was 27 years old
He had had experience on this course before I
shipped him. The Columbus had six boats
and boat drills about every time we made the
port Of Savannah. The mates had charge of
| the drills. The ship filled forward from holes
in her bottom. She filled aft, judge, from
the after hatch, which must have been washed
off. God only knows how the ship came to
strike. The tide was slack at high water
| There is about two and half feet of tide at
| Gay Head. The wind was blowing fresh and
the ship was making about ten knots against
| it. AThe Sims average speed " as twelve knots
| we were not exceeding our average speed
1t is not usual for me to make close shore to
| Gay Head. always give it, good respectable
| berth. gave it always mile berth in sum-
mer and farther in winter. There is good
| channel there of four miles. I don't think
anything could be saved by making a close
shave of Gay Head. | do not recollect any
| thing peculiar connected with the trip of No
| duct. don't remember that the bow watch
man reported to me on that trip that he made
call out to the pilot house and received no
response. nor do remember of having had a
| bow Watchman named Ames. Any one in the
| pilot house could easily have heard call from
the lookout. reprimanded Mate Harding
| once before the occasion spoke of for trif-
| ling offence, still had the greatest confidence
| in him. The ship moved with the action of
| the sea after the engines stopped. We were
| four rl1ilas frnu1 NnhSKl I,iUht uban I
| the order to the second mate to steer south
| west by west. told him to change the
| course to west southwest when off Tarpaulin
| Cove SO as to clear Naushow Point. / gave
| this order before left the pilot house. II the
vessel had continued on the southwest by west
| course from where it was ordered, she would
| have cleared Gay Head by two miles, and if
| the course had been changed off Tarpaulin
| Cove to west-Southwest as ordered she would
| have gone three and quarter miles off Gay
| Head. A vessel like the Columbus would not
| be safe in less than five or six fathoms of
water. do not know whether Mr., Harding
| had license as pilot. tolk him to get one
| but don't know whether he did SO. | would
| not have hesitated to sign his application for a
! license had he asked me, as he was a compe-
/ tent man. Do not know that Mr.. Harding ever
/ had license.
Second Assistant Engineer Collins was next
! called and testified that | was on watch till
midnight on Jan, 17th, when went to my
room. Was asleep in my room when the ship
| struck; the shock woke me, and I hurried be-
| low to the engine room, and helped reverse
| her, and then returned to my room and finish
/ ed dressing. Don't know how far the vessel
| backed. The engine was reversed about half
4 minute, when the next order was to 90
ahead, and then to stop. L returned TO the en-
| CINE room after dressing, and the engine was
/ not working then. left the engine room with
the chief engineer when the vess6ls heeled over
| and the water rushed in. The ship wrested
| and wrenched badly. The steam gauge showed
/ 70 pounds. ] saw the main steam pipe bend
1 when the vessel heeled over. Engineer Morri-
1 son and I came on deck together. went to
1 my room again, and got two pairs of pants and
| made for the main rigging on the starbosr /
| side. Water was rushing over the ship.
saw the main matches burst off before took to
the rigging. The ship was then listed to port,
1 nearly on her beam ends, and her rails We ra
| under water The sea was breaking over her,
and the matches were forced up apparently
| from force below decks. Did not attempt to
clear away any boats; did not try to get on the
raft; it was washed away before could make
| an attempt to reach it. Some of the boats
| were hanging by the tackles on the port side,
| and some were swinging from one daVit.
1 left the wreck at half past eleven in the
| morning. was on the main cross trees until
taken off. Saw steamer pass us, and swung
| my cap for twenty minutes to attract her atten-
ton. Have known Mr. Harding for a year;
| he was of temperate habits Do not know
whether he was on board the ship the night
| before sailing or not; did not see him that
night. After the ship went ON to her beam
ends l do not think any one could have
moved over the deck from forward to aft. l
was stationed to No. boat of which the chief
engineer had command; did not make any at
tempt to get No. boat cleared away, and did
not see any attempt made. Do not remember
when the last boat drill was had; think it must
have been a month ago when the last drill was
held in Savannah; never helped in the drill
myself. 1t was about four o'clock when I took
to the rigging; the main rigging was thick
with people; did not see any ore in the fore
rigging after daylight. Witness spoke of the
joy expressed by passengers in the rigging
when steamer passed by and of their snbse-
quent despair when no notice was taken ol
them. Saw the chief engineer; ne was on the
life raft with the mate, second mate, third as
sistant engineer, pantry man and waiter.
Adjourned till 10 o'clock tomorrow forenoon
Lawyers Charged with Land Frauds.
FARGO. Oak, Feb. Sit is understood or