The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

Summons Issued for Crew OF Tug.
Norfolk, Va, June 15.-COlOnel John
w. CAST. the supervising inspector of
steam vessels of this district, with nis
ley, arrived at the scene Of the finding
of the Minnesotas S launch just as the
shattered craft was being raised from
its resting place at the bottom of
Hampton Roads by the huge naval
derrick
Colonel CAST boarded the derrick
and with the members of the naval
board of inquiry, which was alreadJ
on the scene, made an inspection OF
the launch. After a careful examiCa
tion it was found that the launch,
while bound from exposition grounds
to the battleship Connecticut off Old
Point, had run into steel haWser
such as are used in towing the
gigantic car floats used by the raS-
roads.
1t was found that the brass PROV OF
the launch showed signs Of havln.
struck the haWser, which then passed
under the keel Of the tiny craft. When
the cable struck that part of the keel
near the propeller 1t came in contact
with the condenser pipes which were
torn away and the shock threw the
launch over on it's StarDOard side which
was crushed in and the tiny craft was
hurled to the bottom of Hampton
Roads and became the tomb of its
eleven occupants.
Parts of the hull of the launch was
cable, but the steamboat inspectors
and the members of the naval board
d inquiry expressed the unanimous
opinion that the ill-fated vessel was
, not struck by a barge or tug, but
had collided with the cable between
the tug and car float. The supervis-
ing Inspector has issued a summons
for the members of the crew of the
big New York. Philadelphia and Nor
folk tug Crisfield and a barge which
the tug had in tow to testify at an IN
vestisation which will be held by the
steamboat inspection service in this
city at date to be announced in a
day or two.
1t was learned that the inspectors
believed that it was probably the Girls
field hawser that the launch collided
with and to settle this point the cyi-
dence of the two crews will be taken
AS a heavy squall was blowing early
Tuesday morning when the launch
was lost. it is the opinion of navigat-
ors here that the crew of the launch
may have seen the tugs lights and not
paid attention to the towing lights
which she carried and had not looked
for the tow. To prove this theory l.
is shown that the launch attempted TO
pass directly aStern of the towboat.
Whether or not the victims OF the
disaster exchanged signals with he
tug will not be known until the Nv: =
denoe of the Cristfield's crew is heard
at the hearing whether or not the
launch carried the necessary lights as
prescribed by the navigation laws IS
also a question that may be answered
away on its last voyage from the e;l-
position pier on the eyentful night.
The investigation yesterday mornins
agreed that the launch was. lost oy
collision with a steel hawser as stated
above and all the facts in the case Were
wired to Washington by Supervising
Inspector Oast this afternoon.
l-r- h1hs&tat shrdlu cmfwyp vbgkq1i
With graDnel aud searchlight. Rea.
Admiral Emery has resumed the
search for the bodies of the midshlp-
men and seamen who lost their lives
IN the battleshiD Minnesota's launch
last Monday night
Officers and men of the Atlantic
fleet were terribly disappointed this
morning when the wrecked iaunc!
was raised by floating derrick and
only the body Of one man, Fireman G
w. Westfan. was found beneath The
crushed canopy frame. The diver tat