The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-16
ENGINES OF
THE PETERS
WERE ALONE
Engineer Ran to Them
Just Before the Col
lisiOn.
CZARINA BLEW FIRST BLAST
HER HEAD AND SIDE LIGHTS
WERE BURNING.
First Officer Kits Positive Witness
The River Boats Signals Were
Confusing.

The official investigation into the Pc
ters-CZarina disaster was resumed yester-
day morning before Inspectors of Hulls
and Boilers Bolles and BuIger. The ex-
animation of the first witness, ]. H.
Deare, assistant engineer of the Peters,
brought out the interesting fact that
there was no one at the throttle at the
critical moment when her bells rang to
stop and back. Deare testified that he
was in charge and the engines were alone
at the time. He was standing in the
door of the engine room and Immediately
went to them on the run. After the COLI
sion he did not leave the engine room
until the water came up to his knees. He
thought if the Peters was going full
speed ahead she could be stopped and
start going astern in q minute and half.
William Bell, a laborer on Angel Island,
| heard two whistles and then another. He
saw headlight but did not know which
vessel carried it.
John Crowley, night Waterman of the
Peters, said that he was on the lookout
for passing vessels and saw the Czarina
ahead before the whistles blew but did
not report the circumstance, thinking the
men in the pilot house, having a better
view, would see her also.
A. w. DenniSSon, steward of the Peters,
testified in regard to the efforts made to
save the passengers, and that they were
nearly all provided with life preseryers.
Peters with some nautical knowledge,
said he was standing on the right side Of
the freight deck and he first saw e red
light dead ahead. The Peters had not FIN
ished giving two signals when the Gar
ina gave one and he thought 1t peculiar
Between the two whistles he saw the
starboard of the Peters he saw both
lights, but did not look for a headlight.
Chief Engineer Gustav Holtz of the
Czarina said his vessel blew one whistle
Peters latter blew
two and the Czarina again answered with
one. His steamer was stopped, reversed
but her Roadway was not checked.
At the afternoon session May Beckett,
a Salvation Army lasSie, who was a pas
senger on the Peters, said that she heard
only one set of signals, two from the Pc
tiers and one from the approaching
steamer.
Edward Kits, first officer of the Gar
ina, made good witness and the most
rigid cross examination failed to shake
his positive testimony. He testified as to
the whistles, saying that the Czarina be-
gan with one blast The wheel was shift
ed to port and the CZarina swung to star
board but how much he could not tell.
Captain Seaman did not order it changed.
saw the side lights of the Peters and so
reported to his captain. According to the
standing rule on the Czarina, when an
other vessel is approaching, he looked at
his own side lights and headlight and saw
that they were burning and IN their prop
er places.
In reply 10 a question Dy II. D. SOECpIdl
of the California Navigation Company
he denied in the most emphatic terms
that the headlight was not burning at the
time, but had been lowered, lighted and
hoisted again in place after the Peters
was sighted.
Corcoran desired TO prove that kits
was in charge of the Czarlna and that he
did not have a license to navigate the
waters of the bay, but this contention
was set at rest when the record was pro-
duced, and Inspector Bolles said that
Kits license entitled him to act as chief
mate in any waters on any vessel.
Furthermore, IN reply to a direct ques-
ton Kits said that Captain Seaman was
in charge of the Czarina from the time
she left Vallejo.
Kits heard no order given by Captain
Seaman to put the wheel to starboard
after it was put TO port. but it was held
in the latter position until the order to
go full speed astern, which came about a
minute before the collision. Before this
the port bow of the CZarina and the star
board bow Of the Peters were each on the
open sea.
G. F. Raye, first officer of the Peters,
was at supper when the collision occurred
and testified as to the taking off of the
passengers. He thought the reason why
the six Cinnamon had been drowned was
that the flow of water which went art
carried them off their feet.
Captain Holdswofth of the Peters was
recalled and said he only saw the head
| light of the CZarina when the crash came
and that the Peters holds steady on her
| course and readily answers her helm.
The investigation will be concluded to-
I ~.