Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-05

boat actually started moving backward
He was not noticing whether she was
going back as the boats came together.
He knew that the engines of his boat
were backing.
Before he stopped his engine the boat
was going from six to eight miles an
hour. In the two and a half minutes
from the time he stopped and started
should have been checked.
The fog when he left Alexandra was
not thick enough to make navigation haz-
ardous. He could see from a square to
two squares away In reply to Mr.. Berry
Capt. Phillips said he did everything that
could be done to avoid the collision.
Capt. Kendrick on Stand.
Capt Harry H. Kendrick master of the
steamer Lackawanna. was next called.
He said he had been in charge of the
Lackawanna since September 8. 1908. On
the morning of the collision he left Wash
ington with his boat at 7:31 o'clock and
landed at the steel plant. The weather
was clear at the steel plant. but ran into
a fog bank about five-eighths of a mile
below the steel plant. AS soon as 1t got
thick he began sounding his fog whistle.
Witness was aware the Washington
was not in her dock when the Lacka-
wanna left Washington.
He heard the Washington blowing her
fog whistle just as the Lackawanna went
into the fog bank. He heard no fog
whistles blown before he entered the fog.
The Lackawanrfa was at the steel plant
wharf at 7:44 o'clock: 1t takes from
thirty-flve to forty minutes to run to
Alexandria. The boat had aboard about
twenty-five passengers after leaving the
steel plant.
The Lackawanna met the Washington
at black buoy below the steel plant. A
photograph Of the river showing the
-, <I,o nit
This buoy is known as the second black
buoy below the steel plant. The channel
at this point is about 600 feet wide. The
I.ackawanna was about 100 feet below the
buoy On the right side Of the channel
when the boats came together.
The course from the steel plant was
diagonally across the channel. and the
Lackawanna was on this course when
they struck.
Before the ferryboat slowed down in
the fog It was going about nine miles an
hour. The engine of the Lackawanna
was stopped when the boats came to-
gether.
Capt. Kendrick made out the whistle
of the Washington nearly ahead after the
Lackawanna entered the fog. but did not
hear ii until then.
He was $50 feet from the channel bank
on the Virginia side when the boats came
together. The witness said the Wash
ington was between his boat and the Vir-
&lnla size, ana Sne SITuCh INC AdChA-
wanna on that side.
Phillips Testimony Contradicted.
This testimony fatty contradicted that
Of Capt. Phillips.
The movements Of the Lackawanna and
the Washington were described by Capt
Kendrick using penrack and paperweight
to represent the boats. Capt. Kendrich
also explained the movements of his
boat using standard chart for the pur'
pose.
When witness saw the Washington Il
was not over two hundred feet away and
coming through the fog. The force Of the
collision cut the wheel and shaft away
from the Lackawanna and dropped 1t into
the river. In the opinion of the witness
the spot where this was dropped was
where the accident occurred.
Witness knew of the location of the
wheel and shaft from the fact that there
was a light on it the night following
the collision. After the collision. and as
| the boat was not sinking. Capt. Kendricl
and his crew cleared away the wreckagt
from the walking beam SO he could work
his boat ashore with one wheel.
Witness could not tell how fast his boat
was going nor could he tell the speed Of
the Washington at the time the boat.
struck.
At the conclusion of Capt. Kendrick'.
testimony a recess was taken until three
o. clock