The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-06
ALL OF THE EVIDENCE IN
TIE ST. NICHOLAS INVEsTIGA-
TON CLOSED.

But Are Unable to Tell How Soon
They VIII Render q Decision-Ihe
"Kxpert" Testimony on the Bridge
signaIs-Rngineer Craig Says That
he Was at BIS Post When the Bells
Rang Capt Boulineau Not as Famil-
lar With Navigation Rules as Re
Might Be-Receiver Myers on the
Stand.
The investigation into the collision of the
steamer St Nicholas with the ST. Augustine
creek drawbTidge was concluded before the
board of United States steamboat inspectors
last night. Inspector Laird who presided
at theinvestigation, said that he was IN
able 10 say when the inspectors viii render
their decision. They took down in long
hand the direct ana redirect testimony, but
Inspector Laird said that they viii also go
over the cross examination when the
stenographer copies it from his notes.
There was no morning session Of the
board, ibut at 8 o'clock the examination Of
witnesses was resumed. The first witness
called was E. L. Krksey. mate Of the
steamer Swan. He said that he passed
through the ST. Augustine draw bridge on
the steamer Maggie Bell some four months
ago, when she was running between Sayan-
nah and Darien. When the bridge was
open there was one red light on the west
side and one in the center. He went through
at 9 o'clock at night and again between 9
O'Clock and Hnidnight-about midnight the
red lights being in the same position early
and late at night.
BEEN THROUGH THE DRAW OFTEN.
Henry Houston, a colored pilot, WAS next
called. He said that he had been running
in Savannah waters "slnce the first year of
freedom and had been twelve years
pilot. the last two years running from
from Charleston to Florida ports. and had
gone through the bridge on the Maggie
Bell, the David Clark and the steam yacht
Riva. All last summer he ran on the sloop
Maj. Tilton with watermeloas The cross
tides had never given him any trouble
at the bridge, and he said that
all pilots who know the creek
ought to go through without trouble. He
was asked how far on a starlight night he
could see whether the bridge is closed or
open, and he replied that mile distant he
could see the lights and could tell if the
bridge was closed He thought that there
ought TO be no trouble to see OF starlight
night, as the lights reflect on the water and
objects loom up in the darkness When the
bridge is closed be said that red light is
fixed on each end Of the draw If the lights
are east and west as he approached the
bridge, he slowed down. aud if the lights
remained long in that position he would
stop boat even if a master of the
vessel ordered it ahead. He would
run the master out of the pilot house
under such circumstances he said. When
the lights stand north and south he knew
that the bridge was open. He said that he
can tell when within 300 or 300 yards of the
h~sA
whether the draw Is open or closed. II he
saw white light waved to him from the
bridge he would think something was wrong
and stop the boat.
OUGHT TO BE NO TROUBLE.
There is plenty of room and good water
in the creek, he said, and any boat that has
steamsought to be able to back and keep
out OF the bridge, or if the tide is too strong
the boat would have to go to one bank or
the other. He explained 3that the bridge
can be seen upon entering tho creek, as the
pilot house is higher than the bridge, and il
the bridge is open, one red light behind the
other can be seen from the point or elbow
as the boat enters the creek
On cI'OSsexamina ti0n by Mr. Richards
Houston said that he was on pile driver
anchored at the bridge night and a dav
last December, and the David Clark came
through. He helped the bridge-tender turn
brldge-tender assigned as the reason that
the st. Nicholas had struck the
bridge, Houston said that he paid
particular attention to the position in which
the lights were set When they w re hung
out one was on the east and one on the west
side of the draw, and when the bridge was
open one was to the north and the other to
the south. He said that he had passed tho
bridge at midnight and when the bridge
Nf1a 1ifr,+ Io,,
above the other He asked the bridge
tender about it. and the tender said:
we don't put them that way
now" and he gave ms n
reason for the change that it had been done
so that trains and boats could see the lights
and trains could come TO a stop when the
bridge is closed. He said that he had never
seen the lights hung out one above the other
but once, and he had never seea a red light
on the center of the draw or on the western
abutment when the bridge was open. The
reflection or shadow of the bridge, without
the aid of lights, would show, he said. on a
starlight night from the mouth OF the creek
whether the bridge is open or closed
SAYS he WAS AT HIS POST
s. A. Craig, the engineer of the st.
Nicholas on the night of the collision, was
recalled He denied that he was out Of the
engine room when the bells were rung. On
the contrary he said that he always makes
1t point to stand by bis engine when near
ing the bridge, as the boat has had so much
trouble with it. The pilot rang to stop and
back the boat and rang the Jingle bells
three times. He said he was on board the
steamer David Clark last FRIDAY
night when she went through
the bridge and the boat had to
wait fifteen minutes before the
draw was opened He made it a point to 90
out on deck before getting TO the bridge.
and he couldn't tell at a distance of two
lengths of the boat whether the draw was
open or closed. He took particular pains TO
note the position of the red lights when the
bridge was closed as the train passed. over.
and one of the lights was on the Savannah
end Of the track and not at the drawbridge
and the. other Light was in the
center of the drawbridge, and both
remained in that position, being in
the same position after the boat went
through as before going through. The
David Clark, the witness said, is $50 feet
long, so that at the distance of 300 feet he
could not distinguish whether the draw was
open or closed. The witness was closely in
terrogated, but he insisted that there was
no light on the Tybee side of the creek, and
that the position of the lights before and
after the boat passed through was the same.
Fred Lambert, a colored passenger. said
that he was within 4 feet of the stern of the
boat at the time of the collision, and was
knocked down, and the "hog brace" struck
nwxA -