Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-28
COAST CULLINGS.
The Inquiry Into the Ches.
ter Disaster.
WHO MADE THE FATAL BLUNDER
Better Accommodation for Overland
Tourists Hot Weather Cur
tails the Vintage.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.l

SAN Francisco, August 27.-Two in.
vestigations of the circumstances attend.
ing the recent steamer collision on the
bay were in progress here to-day-one
before the Naval Board appointed by the
British Consul, and the other before the
United States local inspectors of steam
vessels. Coroner Stanton will commence
Investigation Wednesday.
Captain Metcalf, of the Oceanic, testi-
fed in substance as follows before the
Naval Court: On the morning of the
22d at Z 80 O'Clock we reached the pilot
grounds and took Pilot Louis Meyer on
board. We steered for the north shore.
Soon after crossing the bar We came
within 800 yards Of sailing vessel. We
asked them if the weather was good in
side, to which they replied eyes" All
this time our whistle was blowing and
the engines were running slowly.
A few minutes after passing Point
Diablo we heard whistles blowing on our
starboard; these were answered and
when opposite Lime Point l saw a
steamer approaching to the starboard.
I called to Pilot Meyer, who Immediately
put the helm hard-a- starboard and at the
same time, giving two whistles which
were answered by the City of Chester,
the steamer began to swing around to
port and l saw that collision was un-
avoidable. Our engines were stopped
Immediately. We struck the vessel
pretty we'll forward. 1 Immediately
ordered the boats lowered and life buoys
heaved overheard. AS near as 1 could
tell the City of Chester sank in about six
minutes.
Captain Metcalf said that after cross
ing the bar the weather was more or
less dense, but lightened at times 80 they
could see fully halt mile. The Cap
tain submitted letter from one OF the
Oceanic's passengers commencing the
action of the Captain and crew. He
stated that all in his power was done to
prevent collision.
First Officer Tillson, OF the Oceanic,
testified that the amount of foam against
the Chester's bow indicated that she was
travelling at rapid rate. When asked
whether, if eac1 vesse, had complied
with the signal OF two whistles, there
could have been collision, he replied,
"There could not"
Captain Wallace's statement, which he
made on the day after the disaster, was
read at length, and the Captain, in re-
sponse TO inquiries, said the Oceanic was
fully five hundred feet from his steamer
when first sighted. The whistles were
kept going at intervals of less than a
minute after striking the fog bank, and
the signals of the Oceanic were answer
cd promptly. The Chester COM
menced TO back water before
the Oceanic struck her. 1t was not
over two minutes from the time the
Oceanic was sighted until she struck the
later before the Chester went down. The
hearing the Oceanic's whistles, and the
Chester went down with her helm in
that position. Flood tides, however,
caused her to pay off against the helm.
Chas. McCallum, first officer OF the
Chester, testified that there was strong
flood tide running which he noticed
when the steamer passed out into the
stream. The Chester had stopped at the
time of the collision. The Oceanic was
coming ahead pretty fast. Witness be-
lieved that sixteen persons were
drowned.
Chief Engineer Cookson. of the Ches-
ter, testiefid that he received one bell to
slow down and another to back water.
The engines backed until they felt the
shock, when they received bell to stop.
They were stopped when the steamer
sank.
Officer John Lundline corroborated
many details of the previous testimony.
He was confident that the Chester's en-
gines were backing at the time of the
collision.