Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-20

What is the condition of the hull of this
boat?'
AT PRESENT. asked witness
Yes" said the coroner
It's very bad"
Witness gave it as his opinion that prior
to the accident the hull of the tender was
seaworthy for the waters of this part of the
Fotomac If 1t had been properly manned
and had the necessary steering apparatus.
ned?'
One man could have run it,
He said he had been in a boat where one
man managed the machinery and steered
the boat with a rudder. Witness read sew
erai sections of the laws and regulations
regarding the movements of vessels and
the lights they are to carry.
should boat of the kind which you in
spected this morning have carried a light
after dark?' the witness was asked
Undoubtedly she should was his an
swer.
Witness said he understood that the bu-
reau of navigation had issued a circular
containing rules to govern just such boats
There is no exception to the rule which
requires the carrying of lights between
sunset and sunrise except in case of row.
boats. and there are rules governing them.
Juror Walker wanted to know where
lights would be placed on such a boat. anG
he said on either side Towing vessels. he
said are required to have two, white lights,
one above the other. on the stern end.
Mr.. Taylor asked If 1t were necessary for
the naphtha launch to have lights If the
stern of the boat were under the bowsprit
of the sailing vessel and practically covered
by the latter.
The witness said he knew of no exception
being made under the law.
Il will say said the inspector. that 1t
was an unskillful way to tow a vessel"
Royal E. Burnham's Evidence.
Royal E. Burnham, 1903 street southeast.
testified that he was we'll acquainted with
Edward c. Lee and was in the tender of the
Mist with him Sunday night The witness,
who was still suffering from the nervous
shock. testified that he got in the tender
somewhere near GiesbOro Point. He got
In the tender at the request of Lee. who
wanted him to sit in the stern of the tender
to weight it in order that the wheel would
work better in the water. Witness eX-
planned how the tender was fastened to the
Mist and said the bowSprit of the sailing
yacht about covered the tender.
This, he said. made the combina ton,
to all intents and purposes. one boat
The distance between the bow of the
Mist and the stern of the tender was about
one foot or eighteen inches. He said that
the bow line of the tender fastened to
the bowsprit of the Mist. The boats had
passed the lower arsenal point when the
men on the Mist told them a steamboat
was coming. Witness then let out the
line enough to put the boats about five
or six feet apart. He did this because he
anticipated the sweils from the steamer
might affect the tender. The steamer
passed all right, the witness stated, and
he then proceeded to rearrange the ropes
as they had been fastened before. He
did shorten the line. This was rendered
necessary because there was steering
apparatus to the tender and the sailboat
had to be depended upon to do the steer
ing.
Witness said mis- friends on the sailing
laI fn In
more steamers coming up the river. and
he again let out the towline The steamer
Pentz. he stated. passed between the yacht
and the wall, and the sea made by 1t was
very heavy Witness grabbed hold of the
bobstay of the yacht and, called to Lee
to shut off the steam. but why he did not
witness could not say. The towline was
broken when the Pentz passed. When
witness saw the steamer Randall he
shouted to people aboard to stop, but the
boat did not stop. Witness swan to the
yacht and was saved Mr.. Bright. he said
then jumped overheard and tried to save
Lee.
When witness realized the danger he
called to Lee to jump. Witness said the
er CINE of the tender kept going and he
had no means of steering the boat after the
tow line snapped There was an oar in the
boat, the witness stated, and 1t had been
used for steering. Witness said he knew
nothing about running an engine. but Lee
did. He knew the boat before the motor
put in il. 1t was new last summer and
the motor was put in it a week or ten
days before the accident occurred. Witness
said he is a member of the Capital Yacht
Club and the yacht is the clubs property.
He understo od that the tender was own
ed by the Bright Brothers. Witness was
unable 10 give any idea to the distance
between the PentZ and Randall
Lights on the Mist.
In response to questions propounded by
Juror Raymond, the witness said there
were running lights on the Mist red light
on the port side and a green light on the
starboard side. There were no lights DIS
played on the tender.
Did the steamers blow their whistles?'
the coroner asked.
81 didn't hear any was the response Of
witness.
He thought the Randall was about forty
feet from the tender when he first saw the
steamer. The tender was then goins d.
lectly toward the steamer. and the acct
cent. he thought, occurred about ZD leet
from the sea wall. Witness said the Pentz
was going at a good speed when it passed
within about fifty feet of the tender. The
steamer Randall. he said. seemed to be
going at full speed. He said the tender
was entirely seaworthy and had been used
successfully with an oar used for steering
purposes.
In response to a question by Capt. Ran
dali the witness said that the occupants
OF the tender had no control over the
steering of the boat and depended wholly
upon the steering of the Mist.
Edward A. Cumberland.
Edward A. Cumberland. boat builder, at
the foot of 9th street. said that he had
charge of putting the engine in the tender
week before last. The boat. he said, was
brought to his place yesterday and was
viewed by the jury this morning. Witness
| saio there a three-quarter-inch roEe
| attached to the boat painter. Asked
| what kind of boat it was witness sand
| he would call 1t 'dinkey." Witness said
| he had received an order for a rudder, and
| until the rudder was ready an oar was TO
| have been used for steering purposes There
| was no provision made for carrying lights.
| Witness said he had known the owners of
| the boat about two years and knew they
| were capable of running boats properly. lie
| knew nothing of Mr.. Lees ability in the
| beat line. The boat. he said was painted
| light and shows up at night about the pres
ent color of the Potomac water
George n. Bright.
George II. Bright. 1926 Clifton street. ;es-
titled that he in charge of the yacht
| Mist Sunday night. There were five men In
the party.
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