New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-06-29
NOR7HFZELD INQUIRY BEGUN
CONFLICTING TESTIMONY AS TO THE
POSITIONS AND CONDUCT OF
THE TWO BOATS.

CAPTAINS Petre and Barnett of the Board OF
Steamboat inspectors. began yesterday the in
vestigation into the sinking of the Staten Island
ferry boat Mortified Captain Johnston OF the
Northfeld the first witness said that o'clock
on the night of the accident without inquiring If
the coast clear. he rang one bell to so ahead,
and the Mortified left the slip Whitehail-st. He
could from the first pilot house if boats
were coming around the Battery. and he left the
pilot house in charge of quartermaster AL Liss
and starter forward When about half way
between the two pilot houses he saw the Mauch
Chunk The quartermaster blew two whistles, and
the Mauch Chunk answered with two whistles
The captain said he blew two more whistles and
put the wheel hard to port trying to avert a COL
lision. The Mauch Chunk about thousand
feet away when he first her. She struck the
Mortified with a crash and sent her up the river.
Captain Griffin of the Mauch Chunk testified that
the night Of the accident when the Mauch
Chunk was about and a half lengths from her
slip. coming from Jersey City. his attention was
drawn to the Mortified by her blowing two
whistles. He did not answer the Northheld's
whistles, but blew the alarm whistle several times
and signalled the engineer to back at full speed
The Mauch Chunk making about eleven miles
hour at the time, and the tide at the flood
The Mauch Chunk carried forward and her
bow under the Northfeld's starboard side
but she continued backing until she was clear of
the Mortified, and then went into the slip without
giving assistance to the Mortified
Thomas s. Johnson. quartermaster of the Mauch
Chunk, corroborated Captain Griffin and said that
when he the Mortified she was not out of
her dock.
The wheelman on the Northield said that when
he the Mauch Chunk there were at least two
boat lengths between the stern of the Mortified
and the slip. He testified that the Mortified was
going at full speed when she struck. Michael
Boyan, the engineer of the Northheld, testified
that 1t about a minute and half from the
time he left the ferry bridge until the collision
The boat would go about one hundred and sew
enty-fve feet in that time.
Emanuel Johnson, OF Tompknsville, passenger
the Mortified. said that the boat was about a
hundred yards slip when the collision took
place. The Mauch Chunk, according to johnson,
should have made the turn to go into her slip be-
fore she struck the Mortified. John c. Smith, OF
the speed of the Mouch Chunk not slackened
and that he heard her answer the Northfeid's
whistles F. T. Van Poet. of No. II State-st,
asauqua both testified that the Mortified was
about hundred feet outside of her slip when the
answered the Northfleld's whistles.
The investigation will be continued today;
filed "A petition in the clerks office of the United
States District Court for the limitation OF dam
terer Of the ferryboat NorthfeId on Claims arts
ing of the collision of the Northheld with the
MauCh Chunk. II is asserted that the interest OF
already suits have been begun and claims for
damages made largely In excess of interest In the
boat II is further alleged that the fauit TOT tue
collision rests wholly with the Mauch CHUNK
The petition asks that an appratsement OF the
amount Of equity held by the company in the
wrecked boat be made and the company agrees TO
pay whatever sum Is determined upon TO the court
The court r. also asked to grant restraining order
brought. and bringing Of others. until the que5-
ton OF the liability Of the company Is determined