The Portland daily press., 1899-05-17

pines of the steamer. The materials used
were of the hest, and the engine was
ample, Judging from engines built for
other steamers.
MIR. George G. Johnson, who has been
on the Portland steamboat line since 1858,
nearly all of that time as an engineer.
stated that in his opinion the boilers
and engines of the Portland were all
right The boat had 1900 horse power,
and the boilers supplied this readily. The
Portland was good sea boat, and could
go to windward when other boats could
not. The side wheels had nothing to do
with vessels seaworthiness. Witness
had been from New York to New Orleans
on boats from this same line, when they
had ridden out thirty-six hours gale
off Hattaras.
Mr. William Davis, of Portland. for
fifty yeaIs ship worker, and foreman in
the construction of six steamers. superin.
tended the construction Of the Portland !.
as agent for the company He considered
the plans, specifications and materials of
the boat all right.
In the afternoon
THE TESTIMONY BECAME MORE
INTERESTING
as many sea captains and others wers
allied to testify as to the conditions at
the time Captain Blanchard sailed out of
Boston on the memorable evening of No
venl ber 26. The testimony was in the ma :
turs of a vindication of the Judgment and
reputation of the dead captain, from the
lips of the men most familiar with the
conditions of sea and sky that night
The first witness of the afternoon was
Mr.. j. +. Liscomb, the manager OF the
steamboat company. Mr.. Liscomb, who
had been called at the end OF the fore
noon proceedings, related what he did on
the afternoon of November &. previous to
the sailing Of the Portland from Boston.
At 4.30 p. NJ. that day he called up
gent Williams of the Boston office and
asked him to have Captain Blanchard
come to the telephone. The latter being
up town MIR. Liscomb told MIR. Williams
that the captain of the Bay State in
tended to wait for the weather bureau re-
ports at 9 D. M, before sailing. Witness
expressed to MIR. Williams the opinion
that it would be better for Captain
Blanchard to wait to hear that report be-
fore sailing. Witness expressly said that
he requested Mr. Williams to say to Cap
tain Blanchard that ne should call up
Captain Dennison at 10 p. M. and then
decide about the storm. But later wit
ness requested Mr.. Williams TO have Cap
tain Blanchard call up Captain Denni-
son as soon as the former should return.
Witness said he first knew that the
Portland had sailed at 9.l5 that night,
upon his arrival in Boston.
with whom, under the management
of the company, did the responsibility for
sailing rest?' was asked.
with the captain" the witness re-
piled.
Were ever any positive instructions
given to captains as to when to leave
port"
NO."
Judge Webb-"To go further, were pos
itive instructions not to sail, ever given?
The witness replied that the whole re-
sponsibility of sailing was left with the
captain.
Captain Aurelus NJ. Miles of Hancock,
Me-, IA sailor for twenty five yems and
master for twelve years on towboats and
steamboats,. was next called. He now
commands a large ocean tug, the. Mars.
of $50 tons. On November 26 last he was
ON a voyage from Norfolk to Boston, and
on that particular day was at Nantucket
shoals, four miles n. ". of Handkerchief
lighfship, taking in tow the bargss Della
ware aud Daniel /. 1enney. From 10 a.
m TO q y. IN. he was between Round
! Shoal ,lightship and. Cape Cod light.
being at the latter point about p m.
1t was stormy. light wind, h. >. b
In the opinion of the witness thers was
nothing at that time to indicate such a
storm as came, and nothing to 'ietsr the
captain Of boat like the Portland from