The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-03

| Inc lufJher explanation may be made
that the creek runs nearly north and south,
| so that 1t will DO more readily seen what
| one OF the witnesses meant when he said
that boats approaching when the draw is
| open would be i'll range with the lights and
see but one, and would know the bridge was
| open, but if the red lights were both visible
then 1t was plain to be seen that the draw
was closed.
Samuel T. Miller, a colored passenger,
testified that the boat blew its whistle to the
bridge just before turning into the mouth
OF the creek, and when she got into the
| creek he saw the bridge man waving his
! light. When within 800 yards of the bridge
he heard the bridge man hallooing and told
| Capt. Boullneau that the bridge was not
| open He could see that it was closed, but
the captain paid no attention to him, and
when within 400 feet Of the bridge he again
called out TO the captain; Don't you hear
| the man halloo that the bridge is not OPEN
| The captain made no reply aud Miller
| thought he knew his business, When within
fifteen feet of the bridge he again
called out to the captain that the
boat was going into the bridge, and he
answered back you had better by "a -
sight get Off that forward deck Miller
asked Capt Usina afterward what kind of
a way that was, trying to kill them all aud
| Capt. Usina replied that he had nothing to
| do with it, as ne was not in the pilot house,
but down stairs, and that he was only
purser of the boat Miller said that it was
IA starlight night and the bridge was distin-
gulshable for 300 or 400 yards. He didn't
hear any bells at all.
A DECK HAND ON THE STAND.
Joseph Williams, a colored deck hand was
in the pilot house. When the steamer
struck across the mouth of the creek com
| Ing out Of the South channel, Capt Bou-
nneau told him to blow three whistles for
the bridge, which he did. The boat had
grounded on the bank, and when she came
off they slowed down going in the direction
of the bridge. Williams saw but one dim
red light on the bridge, and when within
300 yards of the bridge he saw the watch
man wave dim red light. and thought he
was waving the train back, and that the
draw was open. When within 30 or 40 feet
of the bridge Capt Bonlineau saw the bridge
was closed and said, that beats --.n He
stopped the boat and turned the engine
back and Williams ran out of the pilor
house, lie did not see white lighj. The
night was dark but he distinguished dim
red light ON the bridge being moved by the
night Waterman. When within 30 or 40
feet Of the bridge Capt. Boulineau rang
three bells to stop and back and
then rang the Jingle" bell. Will
Jams said that if Miller
had called out to the captain 800 wards
from the bridge, as Miller had stated he,
Williams, would have heard it. He did not
see the captain drinking and he believed he
was sober, as he did not act like drunken
man. The bridge, Williams added, is
dangerous to pass through at night A
strong current sets in across the creek
going toward the bridge lie didn't dis
cover that the bridge was closed until
within 30 or 40 feet of it.
Thomas Washington, a colored passenger
was next called, and he corroboraUed the
statements Of other passengers with refer
ence to the position of the lights on the
bridge. He said that he discovered that
the bridge was closed at a distance of 400
yards, and he saw the man waving the white
light.
CONDUCTOR HARRIS STATEMENT
s. D. Harris, conductor of tine train.
testified substantially as he did al the coro-
ner's inquest, except that he qualified the
statement that the engineer OF the train
had told him on the night of the accident
that he saw the boat collide with the
bridge. MIR. Harris said that his conversa-
ton on the boat that night was with Capt.
Usina only, and not with Capt Boulineau
all the requests being made by Capt Usina,
who seemed to be in charge, and to whom
Capt. BOulineau referred him.
J jerry Burns, a colOred passenger, testified
that he saw two red lights on the bridge as
the boat made the turn in the bend to come
, into the creek, and saw a man on the bridge,
going eastward, waving white light.
, L. f. Breen, an engineer, said that on
drawbridges on the East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia road and the Florida Railwa
and Navigation bridge tenders dis lay red
: lights and signal with white lights The
red lights are placed on the ends OF the
} bridges on the abutments, and when they
are in place, a white light taken to the
, center indicates that the bridge is open, and
for the boat to come ahead.
Richard Butler, one of the church com.
mittee having the excursion in charge said
: before the boat got into the creek it ran
aground, but came off aud Stacked up a
little. He saw three lights on the bridge
after the boat started again. One was a
white light IN the middle of the bridge and
there was red light at each end When
about one-half mile from the bridge. the
boat whistled. Butler could then see
a man on the bridge waving q white
, light, and heard the hallooing until
J the bridge was reached. Some one
, went to the captain and told him that the
} bridge was not open, and the captain said:
, 81 have discovered the bridge is not open,
but 1T is too late now" Butler said the boat
was running full speed when it struck the
bridge, and that the bridge-tender sent for
the conductor of the train, WAC came aboard
and called for the captain, and Capt Bou-
lineau took him 10 Capt Usina. Butler.
, himself, went to Capt. Usina and said:
"This is - of a wsv to kill people UP
this way and Capt. Usina answered: II