The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-23
TRYING TO FIX THE BLAME.
INTERROGATION INTO THE SINKING
OF THE CITsKILL.

-Four witnessss Swear That the Catskin BLEW
her whistle FIRST and -Four That the st.
Johns YbistIed Rirst-Inspeotors Petrie ana
barrett Are to Report In = week or 90.
Eight witnesses were examined yesterday By
Capt. Peter G. Petrio and Thomas II. Barrett
OF. .tho local Board OF Inspectors Of Steam Yes
sels at an inquiry held In the Federal building
TO ascertain who was responsible fur the col
nsion between tho steamboats, St. Johns and
Catskin In which the latter was sunk and two
women and a boy wore drowned of Fifty
eighth street, North River, on the night VI Sept.
In. Capt. Petrie at the conclusion Of the hear
ing said that he and Mr.. Barrett would sub
NIT their report to Supervising Inspector star
buck In about q wook.
Albert Turner, pilot;of tho Catskill. was nrst
called
~ was at the wheel when the collision took
place" ho said 1--WE were going mp the mid.
die Of tho river. When I saw the St Johns I
blsw two whistles, and abe answered contrary
with one whistle. Then I again blew two
whistles, and again received o ~one-whistle
reply"
o.-wcre you going at full speed when you
blew tho whistloi A.-Yes, but I rang to slow
down when I heard the contrary whistles.
Odd you change your ooursei A-No.
Odd you not think thore was danger Of Q
oolisioni A.-No.
Q.-what did you blow tho whistles fort A.
TO make him go to starboard. There would
have been no collision then.
Pilot Turner went on to say that about fvo
minutes elapsed from the time he first saw the
st. Johns before the collision occurred. He
gave alarm whistles after he heard tho con.
-Q.-Did the st, Johns blow any alarmsi A.
Yes, about the time we came together.
Q.-Were you the first to blow q whistle whom
the two boats came In sight OF each otherf A.
Capt Jacob L. Bralsted of the st. Johns next
when I first saw the Catskill,' ho stated.
my boat, was heading down tho centre Of the
river. blew one blast on my. whistle and re-
-.Q.-which boat blew It's whistle frsti A.
Tho st. Johns. / blew once, and then when I
saw danger Of q collision 1 blew alarm whistles
,,Q.I,About how long a time elapsed from the
s D,STihg 9.@ Q. Saf h nlf' a m minuto. until tho COLI
o.yvDid you hear a reply to your whistlei
.o.-Dld you SEQ any lights on the catskili
Al saw several. but they were very dim.
Pilot weatherwaE Of tho St. Johns testified
were then about . quarter Of a mile apart. ''~'
when our hrst whistle was blown the boats
were about 1000 feet apart. We changed our
course two or three points after tho first
Capt; Lafayette Relyea of the tug 8. L oros.
The Catskin's whistle was the first I.heard."
Pilot George NJ. Muster of the tug 5. l.
Crosby said that the Catskin blew the first
Timothy Hulsaver. pilot OF the New York
Central tug No. &. and Thomas NJ. Stokes,
said that the st. Johns blew her whistle first,
TO which tho Catskin responded with two
This closed the testimony, in the course of
which four men swore that the Catskill blew
the first whistle, while four others swore that
together with the contradictions as to the
distance between. the steamboats, when they
before they colided, and several other dis
crepancies in the evidence, constitute the pug
solve before they can decide who Is to blame.