The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-27
THE POSITION OF THE LIGHTS.
Bridgekeeper Jenkins Story OF the
ST Nicholas Collision.

St Nicholas Collision.
The examination Of witnesses in the St
Nicholas damage cases did not close yester-
day as expected. The missing witness for
the steamboat company could not be found,
although diligent search was made for
him through the city. The witness is q
young colored man named Joe Williams
formerly deck hand on the st. Nicholas.
The dbellants introduced testimony in
rebuttal yesterday of such a nature that il
Will require some time to hear from the
steamboat company, and the investigation
will necessarily be prolonged. Commits
sloner Christy expected to leave Savannah
to-day. but the present status of affairs will
prevent his going
The testimony put in rebuttal yesterday
was that of David Jenkins, the bridge
tender and his assistant, John Brown, both
OF whom were on the bridge the night the
st. Nicholas collided with it.
Jenkins, who testified at the coroner's in
quest, is an ignorant negro. and gave the
lawyers and stenographers a great deal Of
trouble. He appeared to have some ideas of
the collision and other incidents connected
with it, but he could not handle enough
English to express them intelligently. He
said that he was a rice field darby,
but he was raised in de house. u
His testimony in regard to the accident
was both amusing and important. He de-
MED that the coroner made mistake in
reporting him as saying that the colored
boy Brown took the red light fom the west
ern end of the draw TO wave the train down
before the collision. He said that he told
the boy to do so after the st. Nicholas
struck the bridge, and he so stated in his
examination before the local inspectors.
Jenkins gives an amusing account of the
.g~k i
the bridge. and he adds that it was one Of
the biggest nights he had ever Experienced. n
His direct statement of the collision was as
follows:
"When the St. Nicholas blew her three
blasts l came out of the camp with light
in my hand and started to go on the bridge,
but before going to the bridge l heard the
train blow.n
Where were you when you heard the
train blow2
II heard it blow before got on the
bridge"
Were you on the trestle"
Yes, going on the bridge. When I got
on the bridge the st. Nicholas came right
around the corner, and started to wave a
white light because the train was
coming. waved and hollered
and hollered and waved until the
st. Nicholas came up to the bridge, and
was on the bridge with the boy with a
white light in my hand. told the boy to
go and take the red light off the western
end of the draw and flag the train down.
As soon as he got the light in his hands he
threw it up to flag the train, and I heard
the train shut off. When she stopped I
told the boy to tell Mr.. Harris, the oonduc-
tor, to come to me, and he did so. When
Mr.. Harris came he called for boat and
went to the st. Nicholas. By that time
she had backed out on the eastern side of
the marsh"
jenkins testified that there was red light
on both ends of the draw.
At the conclusion of Jenkins testimony
John Brown, the assistant bridge tender,
was put on the stand. Brown is a very in
telligent colored boy, about 10 years of age,
and proves to be the cleverest
witness in his account Of the acct
dent that has yet been put on the
stand. He corroborated the statement of
jenkins as to the position of the lights on
the bridge, and told all about the collision
The examination will be resumed this
morning at 10 o'clock, when Supt. r. Z,
Cobb will be put on the stand.