Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-07
w AS IT A RACE?


CONTINUED from First Pdqe)
dangerous when they came closely together.
and this WAS confirmed when the boats struck
CAPT. OWENS RECALLED
Capt. Owens was then recalled aud gave some
technical points in regard to the course. He
was asked when the vessels went along side by
side and the Wakefield had to stop on the vir-
ginia side, why he did not slow down and lie,
the Randall pass. He said that he did this
when he found there was danger but up TO that
time he thought the Randall had space to pass.
In reply to = question, he said that when the
Randall came into his course it not his
place to slow down. He admitted that it would
have been better to have slowed down.
CAPT. COOPER MAKES SOME REMARKS
Capt. Cooper said that his duty was to slow
down and report the captain of the Randall to
the inspectors for crowding him. He had nc
right to imperil the lives Of his passengers by
racing. Capt. Cooper spoke at some length,
and said that instead Of slowing up he kept on
be became party in the race, and in that be
was wrong.
Capt Owens, in reply to further questions,
said he stopped to avoid a collision. He was
told that II he had done his duty farther up by
slowing down that the collision would have
been avoided
Capt. Cooper told him that he had no RICH
>-A6ASh VIC pdeccuStIe ON SUCH y ptulCg
There were about fifty passengers on the Wake
held and between three and four hundred on
the Randall. Many of the latter were women
ana children. who were very timid on water.
He said that both captains. be knew, were COM
potent men, but they evidently forgot their duty
on this occasion.
Capt Cooper was quite sincere in his re-
marks and did not follow the strict lines Of ex-
animation OF witnesses, as he mingled comment
with his questions
Resuming the Questioning, Capt Owens said
that he did not feel the shock OF the collision
and said that neither boat showed a scratch.
Capt. Cooper said that it seemed to him a
pretty reckless piece Of navigation after he
elected from the witness the admission that If
he had not slowed up there would have been
coiiision and that the boats kept along side by
side for some distance.
IN REGARD TO THE SIGNALS
Capt. NOVEL; Of the Randall asked q question
in regard to the signals and said that Capt
Owens did not give the danger signal. The
three whistles from the Wakefield were one as an
answer to his signal and then two more. Capt
NOVEL; said that he always blew four short
whistles for a danger signal
Capt. Owens said that might have been Can't
Novels idea Of the signal given, but it was not
his.
ENGINEER PiSpER.
The next witness was CHESTER Pinder. the
engineer of the Wakefield, who said that the
pressure of steam at the time was thirty-eight
pounds He was allowed to carry forty
pounds. He admitted that he was doing ali he
could to make speed at the time.
MR.. ROBERT CRANE.
Robert Crane Of Baltimore testified that he
WAS passenger on the Randall and gave an ac-
count Of the affair. which did not differ from
the other accounts. except that he saw no dan
and l<o Frs<
due to sensationallsts. Mrs lancaster he
said. tainted, but it was not until afterward,
when some one telling q story
about such affairs, and then, the witness
said, she seemed to realize that she had been in
peril and tainted. He testified that when the
Wakefield came out from the wharf he was on
the lookout for a race. He was fond of racing.
but in this case he said that there was no dam
ger. He said that he could not swear posi-
lively that the boats struck. Certainly, he did
not feel the shock. He knew Capt NorveIl
when he was in charge of the Armenia.
class man. He believed that the whole trouble
arose from the sensational accounts in the
newspapers. The boats, he said, except for the
instant they drew together, were not near
enough to allow the passengers on the two boats
to talk together.
He spoke of having asked the captain il there
was any danger, but explained that it was
merely q casual remark he did not see any
danger himself. He volunteered the state
ment that there was nothing in this investi-
cation.
Capt Cooper remarked that opinions seemed
to differ. 1t seemed to him for a man who was
fond of racing that it was strange he should ask
If there was any danger.
The witness again protested that he per-
sonally did not believe there was any danger.
and the court smiled at the apparent contra
dictiou.
Mr. OLIVER T. BEAUMONT.
Another Randall passenger was Mr.. Oliver T.
Beaumont, who was also q member Of the
committee on arrangements. He said he was
mechanical engineer and naturally paid atten-
ton to the engine At the time of the boats
coming together he stood in the door
OF the engine room and noticed
that she was carrying thirty-nine pounds. He
did not see that the Randall was in :reasing her
speed then or any time during the trip. He
noticed that the license allowed City pounds
The main excitement on board was the passen-
gers waving their handkerchief and
guying each other. He could not see
that the Randall increased her speed
or that she was racing. He did not know what
the Wakefield WAS doing. 1t appeared to him
that II there was any crowding it was done by
the Wakefield. The jar Of the coming together
was not more than when the vessel touches the
wharf.
He acknowledged that his information about
marine engines was limited
Mr. J. ". REED
Mr.. ]. W. Reed Of this city. said he was
carpenter and builder. and on this occasion he
was passenger on the Wakefield. He said the
two vessels ran side 10y side, but he saw no ex-
element or racing. He was near enough
to the Randall to speak to Mr.
Piling, q friend of his. who was on the Randall
The witness said that it did not seem to him that
the two boats ran too close together. He
observed no excitement on the Randall and did
not consider there was any danger He did
not believe there was any collision. He felt no
shock.
Mr.. C. W. wALcorr.
The next witness was C. W. walcott, a
resident Of Colonial Beach. He was a pas
senger on the Wakefield. He testified to the
position Of the two vessels, which did not
differ from that given BY the preceding wit
within two feet of the Wakefield, but at no
time closer. He was interested because il was
like boat race. He could not say that it was
a race The boats did not change their posi-
ton for about four miles. neither gaining on
the other. He was amused by the passengers
Guying each other. He did not think there was
a particle OF danger. The Randall was not
nearer than forty feet when she passed the
Wakefield.
MIR. IRVING WRIGHT.
Irving Wright Of this city gave an account of
the affair from his position ON board the
Wakefield as a passenger. He did not think
hat