Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-28
IS FALSE AND ABSURD.
DO Long Charges Regarding Captain Nc
Gloley of This City.


ing the facts in connection with
any incident growing out of the
rivaly between the local packets dur
ing the season. The Times has al.
ways been prejudiced against Capt.
Streckfus' boats, but never has so
rank species of fragrant and out
rageous injustice appeared than in
the following:
about 1 CLOCK yesterday afternoon
as the rival packets touched at Ca
manche after an exciting race down
from Clinton. The Long was in the
advance, having well landed and
dropped her staging before the> Wi
mona reach her stern. Pilot Otis
Mckinley, of the Weyerhauser &
Denkmann company, was at the
helm of the larger boat. They were
having a merry race down from Clin-
ton. and in the hope of beating the
Long, and giving himself the advan-
tage in tn. run over the rapids,
Pilot Mckinley deliberately poked
the nose OF the Winona against the
little "a ket. He had intention
of Gripping. but only Of
grounding her in such man
ner as to render it difficult
for her to pull off, thereby giving
the larger boat ample time to get
well in the lead. Unfortunately. in
stead of a mere push the two boz ats
came together with an impact that
was suspiciously like the blow of u
battering ram. Instead of a shove
it was head end drive which
knocked the wheel of the Long into
the semblance of a collapsed card
house. Both circles of the Longs
wheel were broken. several "buck-
cts" or paddles were shattered,
and the boat completely beached.
The passengers on the little
boat we're panic stricken. The
Long was knocked high and dry to
the length of her forecastle on the
shore, so that it was only with the
assistance OF the Winona that she
was again fioated. In trying to pull
the crippled packet off the beach the
hawsers were broken, and only after
tying to the Winona was she pulled
into the water. Her wheel was tried
and with the few remaining paddles
she bravely started for Lyons, which
she reached at about the time the
Boardman landed at that point.
Pilot Mckinley acknowledged that
the collision was due to his desire to
beach the Long, but beyond apollo
gies and the usual courtesies of the
river in extending transportation to
the passengers the master of the
Winona made no overtures for the
payment of damages, which, includ-
ing the loss of time. ETC., will aggre-
gate 800. Some of the passengers
took ship aboard the Winona. but
the majority of them went to Albany
on the crippled boat and took the
train for this city and Rock Island
An Absurd Fabrication.
No stronger proof of the falsity of
the statement made by the Times
could be sought than the absurd dec
laration that Capt. Mckinley ac-
knowledged having deliberately col
lided with the Long If there had
been any intention on the captain s
part to damage the Long, he would
not have been go foolish as to admit
it. as the penalty is too severe in
such cases for reputable river men
to take any chance, much less ad-
init it. Capt. Mckinley made
the trip to Clinton Friday as
an accommodation to Capt.
Streckfus who remained in the
city. He was on only one day, and
no matter what may be the feelings
between Capt. Streckfus and Capt
Long he does not share them, and all
that know him will pronounce the al
legation against him a prevarication
without waiting for his explanation.
Capt. Mckinley was Sc. N this morn
ing. however, and was indignant at
the account OF the Camanche acct
dent. 1.-The facts are," he said. "the
Long backed out and got into posi-
ZION where. try as might-and did
try could not possibly avoid strik-
ing her. The assertion that / ran
into her is an unmitigated, lie and
Capt Long knows it. l prize my
reputation as pilot. too highly to
indulge in any controversy with
men OF vicious type. and
would not endanger the lives of
people by taking chances in a COLI
sion, however slight. 1t is only men
OF vindicti7e natures w1o make
trouble on the river, and
the charge against me is a
lie all the way through. As far as
courteous treatment is concerned |
not only offered to bring the Longs
passengers on down. but at all land
ings had word given out that the
Long was disabled and her passeu-
gers would be brought to Rock ISL
and or to Davenport, free. Ibid this
"a a matter of common courtesy.
The Longs damages. as far as that
is concerned, could have been re-
paired in an hours time by any
steamboatman that knew his bust
ness. sufficiently to have enabled the
boat to come on to Rock Island. !
am not in this river war, and they
had better be careful how they
charge me with small work for am
not IN that kind Of business. The
blame for the Camanche accident was
due entirely to the LONG,