The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-18

through. After these repairs were made
the new boilers were put in place"
"How thick was the cement on the
floorT'
s'From an inch to an inch and a half I'M
der the brick"
do you have charge of the ballasting?"
eyes, the order comes from the general
agent to me, and I see that it is put in.
WAS any ballast put in the Colima be-
fore she sailed?"
yes. there were 100 tons put in the after
hold, and there was already from 20 to IS
tons in herr
"Why was that ballast put in?''
because of the light run of cargo COM
ing back, the coffee season being closed"
"Do you know if there were any sails on
that ship?"
''To the best of my knowledge there
were fore and aftsails for both masts. The
mates report shows that she had all the
necessary canvas"
How much coal was on the ship?'
My receipts call for sos tons.''
"Would the coal run from the upper
bunker into the lower one2''
"Yes. sir; considerable of it would It
is the practice on the ships to keep these
lower bunkers as near full as possible
WAS there drag on the ship?''
eyes sir; l remember seeing it on her
last inspection"
Had you any talk with the captain be-
fore the ship sailed2 Did he object to
going out in herP"
NO, sir; I never heard anything of the
kind, and | was with the captain until
within five minutes Of sailing"
"How much lumber was there on the
upper deck?"
"Well, I should say there was from
thirty-fve to forty tons, but that was not
as much as I have seen the same vessel
take away. The lumber was not up to the
top of the rail.
where were the life preservers slowed
in the steerage?"
Between the crossbeams overhead. She
had $50 of them, all told"
Were they accessible? ?"
eyes, sir; they were. She also had
eight lifeboats, and they were thoroughly
equipped. The six amidship-boats were
dashed in their checks as in all seagoing
ships, and the two after-boats were swung
out ready to lower at moments notice.
"Were there any liferafts? '
yes sir; tWo-16 feet each"
At this point j. McMorrow broke in and
said:
II should like to ask if I could reach
those life..preseryers in the Storage with
Yes, you could reach Them" answered
HawXhurst.
We'll, l was there and tried it, and
could not"
''WeIl, so was /. Can't you reach seven
feet? AS far as / can recollect, the dis
lance from the deck to the beams is about
seven feet"
Il was there with my two sisters, and I
had an interest in examining those life
preservers. When the steward was taking
my sisters along he said he couldn't get
them in that way because of the cattle on
the deck. There was only one way in and
out of that steerage, and when the lumber
shifted over the opening my sisters and
the other passengers were caught like rats
in trap. l say again that those life
preservers could not be reached by any
body, unless they had something to
stand on"
"Well, could reach them without any
trouble" said Hawxhurst, and that ended
the discussion.
az have twice been to the Mail Company
and asked them to change the spelling Of
my sisters names on the passenger-Iist,
but they refuse to do it," said McMorrow
afterward. ssThey were on their way to
New York to meet my brother, and on the
list they are down as McMurry. If their
bodies are washed up no one would know
who they are"
The inquiry will go on to-day at 1p.M.