Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-06-05
DROWNING OF THE RODMANS.

between 300 and 400 yards from where |
the collision occurred, and he saw the !
collision, When he first noticed the
boats they were about loo feet apart.
Witness was about 800 from the yacht
When he first noticed tho RoGmans
they were standing in their boat lie
did not know whether there were any
signals as he watched the yacht lie
heard the men cry out about II minute
after the collision, but did not hear
them before that time. Witness alleged
that, so far rs he could see, the Rod
mans were standing in their boat when
the collision occurred and they were
knocked out into the water. Accord
ing to his Judgment the yacht showed
the skill on its bow between 300 and
300 yards up the river, the skill APP
peared to he stuck there. He also said
the yacht ran quite u distance after
the skill slipped off He thought the
yacht was going about 10 miles an
hour when the skill Was struck, and
he did not notice any slowing down
before that time. Witness said the fish
ing boat was to the westward of the
ranges about half milo above Now
Castle. Tho net was on the Delaware
side When the yacht stopped and
lulNN Nv hhOhblt NlLlA'N9 Nblh' VIZ
yacht appeared to be quite u distance
to the westward Of the ranges After
tho collision witness and his brother,
who was with him, sailed to the scene
of the accident, reaching that point in
about 10 minutes. 1t required five
minutes to make sail The men from
the yacht got to the place first.
Francis Trumbull, brother of the
former witness, who also lives at
PENIS Grove, testified that he was in
the boat with his brother at the time.
He said he saw the collision. The
Rodmans were in their boat Mt the
time and went out about that time,
but witness was too far away to know
whether they jumped or were knocked
! out. He heard cries afterward. He
| thought the yacht was running about
20 miles an hour. She had been
| stopped abreast of New Castle. Wit
ness alleged that after the collision tho
| yacht carried the skin about 200 yards
when she slowed down. Witness thought
| he heard the crash, but could not have
| heard it if he had not been watching,
He alleged that both the skilf and
! yacht were about 200 fathoms west Of
the channel He did not notice that
| the yacht changed her course before
the collision The collision, he said,
occurred about half mile above New
| Castle.
John Rementer of New Castle test-
fed that he was on the wharf in that
city at the time of tho collision, which
occurred between l ana 2 o'clock in
the afternoon. Asked whether the
yacht was stopped off New Castle,
witness said such was not the case,
| ,,nnyla no La, III nI
how fast the boat was running. She
appeared to he going about 10 or lG
miles an hour The yacht, he said, was
between the east and west channels.
He alleged that she was out of the
channel, to the westward of the ranges,
The fishing boat was also to the west
ward of the channels, Witness did not
believe the yacht changed her course.
lie saw the fishing boat about 30 or 40
feet ahead of the yacht, hut did not
see the mon. He saw the yacht whom
she struck the skiif but could not
hear any sound. He could not tell
whether the fishermen wero in the boat
at the time. Capt. Platt told witness
tho fishermen had been drowned and
they went after the skiff and found u
net in it, which had been cut. lie
noticed that the paint had been cut
on the stem of the yacth five feet
up, Witness examined the skitf and
} found the gunwale and two boards
broken, remarking that she would
probably have been cut in two il
she had been cut amidships.
Joseph II. King, Jr,, also of New
Castle, said he did not see the collision,
but he went in the naphtha launch
| which went after the skilf. Ono of the
men in the yacht told him the fisher
} men had gone down and never came
up. a coat was found in the boat, anc
; also u net which was cut and was hang
: ing overheard.
i j. Harry Massey testified to finding
{ the body of Samuel Rodman neal
Z Hamburg Cove, where it had beer
washed up, and tuwed it to Delaware
City.
0 Lewis Rodman, a son of Samuel anC
o a brother of Harry, the drowned men
Q testified that he last saw his father OF
the morning of the 18th and hi
o brother the night before, and they boti
went fishing early in tho morning o
the 10Th. He next saw his father
! body at Delaware City, but did no
- see his brothers. body MT ALL
John Martin, who lives at the foo
Of Walnut street, this city, was on
trolley car going to New Castle an
/. saw the yacht, but did not kno,
n until he reached New Castle that tn
a skiif had been run down. 4ie was on
@ of the men who won't after the sliiIi
+ He said the captain told him the fish
. crmcn clinched and went overheard
It From the trolley car he thought tn
o boat was running about IL miles q
a hour.
q William II. Bradley of New Castl
Q said he was standing on the whar
i. there and saw the collision. About liy
It minutes he saw the skitf floating pas
# the boat. He and others went TO tn
" scene Of the collision in u napth
l. launch and the captain told them tina
n after the men went overheard the
came up and clinched and went dow
>. again. Two hats were thrown to thei
'. from launch. The boats appeared t
s. be about 200 fathoms from the chane
IN Peter GaMadden of New Castle test
o fed that he was in the naphtha launc
1t which went out from New Castle II
ii noticed that the bow of the yacht wa
r. scratched,
is George d. Lippincott. who was fish
m ing abreast of New Castle at the time
s. said he remarked when the yacl
in passed him that she was going so fas
o. that she appeared to be splitting tt
channel.
rs William Hanson did not see the acc
20 dent. He was three quarters of mi
@, below, fishing, at the time. He allege
Is that the yacht cut 20 fathoms out
re his net when she went down. Whe
s. she returned she was to the westwal
I'd of the ranges. When the yacht passt
i. him she appeared to be running Is
16 miles an hour, but he did not kno