The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-02
TO PLACE THE BLAME.
INSPECTORS INVESTIGATING THE
DRAW BRIDGE DISASTER.

Nicholas Approach to the Bridge
The Location of the Lights and the
Signals for "Open" and CLOSED" as
Seen by Those on Board the Steamer
The Investigation to be Continued
To-Day.
The investigation into the cause OF the
collision Of the steamer ST. Nicholas with
the st. Augustine creek draw bridge was
begun before United States Inspectors Of
Steamboats, Laird and Headman yesterday
morning. Receiver II. Myers, Supt Cobb
and Capt p. G. Purse, Of the Tybee Rail
road Company, were present during the in
vestigation with their counsel, Hon. T. w.
Meldrim, and his court s;enographer,
Charles II. King. T. 2. Ravenel Esq, was
present with his stenographer, John Elem
ing, Jr., and r. r. Richards, Esq. counsel
for the steamboat company, taxing full
notes Of the testimony himself. Capts
Usina and Boulineau, Of the st. Nicholas
were present, and some twenty-five or
thirty colored men. The investigation was
held in the United States court room in the
custom house.
CAPT. BoULNEAU ON THE STAND.
The first witness examined was Capt
Frank c. Boulinsau who was at the wheel
at the time Of the accident. "a week ago last
Saturday night. Capt Boulineau sub
mitted his testimony chiefly in writing
which was in brief that the night was dark
and cloudy and when through the 'obstruc-
tons at the mouth of the south channel he
blew three whistles for the bridge, as is GUS
tomary. When the crossing was reached
at the mouth of the creek the tide was low
and the boat struck the middle ground, but
went clear He then slowed down and blew
three short whistles Two red lights were
set, one on either side OF the draw,
and when alongside the marsh on
the east side of the creek he saw a
white Ii hit on the west bank. He discov-
cred when within 800 feet of the bridge that
the draw was closed and rang three bells to
stop and back, and rang the Jingle to
back at full speed. Then he heard
the warning cry on the bridge. Capt
Usina ran TO the pilot house and told HIM
TO back her for all she was worth and
Boulineau replied that he was already doing
80, and rang the Jingle" bell again
800 FEET FROM THE BRIDGE.
On cross examination Capt. Boulineau
said that it was mistake in the taking Of
his test mony that he had said he was 300
yards from the bridge; he said 800 feet
"Ihe boat, he said. "was going at the rate
of only about five miles an hour when the
collision occurred-one bell was the rate
] suppose we were as far from the draw as
the Central railroad bank is from Draytou
street when | discovered the draw closed
did not see the white light waving
] saw motion as if some one was walking
with it from the west bank. | am sure
there was no white light waving" When the
cOlored man was on the bridge Capt
BOulineau said that he was backing the
boat away from it, and he heard the watch
man "halloo" after the boat was backing
He did not see the bridge tender wave
Light at all, and he was positive that no one
touched red light. He denied
that he had been drinking;
he might have taken about six beers
IN the city, he said, but he was not
that if he had run the boat into the marsh
she would have been lying at the bottom
now, and there would have been a greater
loss of life. A boat loaded at the bow, he
said, Is harder to manage, and almost every
body was in the bow of the boat There
was a background of trees, which prevented
good view of the bridge. 1t was about 9
o'clock, ebb tide, when the accident oc-
CURED, and it was a very dark night Capt.
Boulineau said that there was a freshet in
the creek, which increased the speed Of the
boat
THE ENGINEERS STATEMENT.
S. A. Craig, the engineer of the boat.
testified that he got the three bells signal to
stop, and the Jingle bell came immedi-
ately afterward. The speed of the boat
was about five or six miles an hour. He
thought his engines made about two revolu-
tons backward, requiring fifteen or twenty
seconds, and he reversed the engines
promptly after the signal was given him.
The ebo tide, he said, runs toward the
bridge, going in the direction the boat was
running.
Henry Bennett watchmanl of the st.
Nicholas, testified that he did not pay
much attention to the lights on the bridge.
He saw two red lights, one on each side.
When the signals were given he estimated
that the boat was from 80 to 800 feet
from the bridge or something near that dis
lance.
John Southmayd, the mate, testified that
the usual signals were given to let the
bridge tender know that tue boat was ap.
preaching. Three distinct whistles were
blown at the mouth of the creek, and the
boat was running slowly. Soutnmayd said
that be went amidships and hadn't been
there long when he heard the bells going
One bell was rung to stop, two tt
back, and Immediately the Jingle" bells
were rung. 1t was at the last quarter of the
ebb :. tide. He had seen trains xait
last winter while the bridge was shut to let
approaching steamboats, pass. He saw two
red lights on the bridge, and he said he had
been on boats before which passed through
the bridge when there was only one red
light on the bridge, and he had also passed
through it when two red lights were dis
played
CAPT. UsINA's STORY.
Capt. NJ. p. Usina, purser of the boat
made a statement that was about such a,
he gave the day after the collision at the
coroner's inquest. He did not pay much
attention to the lights, but saw two re-
lights, one on each side of the draw.
When he saw the bridge was closed he
ran to the pilot-house and told the captain
to reverse his engines, and the captains re
ply was that he had already done so. Not
having heard the signals he did not know
that the engines had been reversed unit
Capt Boulineau informed him. He said
that he would have known, if he had beer
navigating the boat, whether she was re.
versed or not.
Josh Bruyn testified to conversation
with Capt. Usina, in which the latter said
that while Boulineau was captain he was
under Usina's orders, and that while Usint
was acting only as purser he could discharge
any one on the boat, as he had full charge
of it.
Raymond Noble, the colored assistant
pilot, said that he had been pilot for tn
last six years and had been employed by
Capt Boulineau for that day. He saw thu
lights on the bridge and as the boat wa
nearing the bridge he was living on decl