Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-05
Capt. Phillips of the Washing
ton on Stand.
HIS STORY OF, COLLISION
Thirty Years a Shipmaster and His
First Accident.
HE WAS MAKING HALF SPEED
Heard Lackawanna's Whistle and
Turned Boat Aside and Stop
ped Engines.

The inquest into the death of Samuel
Belanken, killed in the collision between
the Norfolk liner Washington and the
ferry steamer Lackawanna on the river
near the Firth-Sterling steel plant Tues
day morning last, was opened at the
morgue this morning by DR.. j. Ramsay
hewitt. District coroner
The following constitute the jury hear
ing the case:
George E. Emmons. real estate dealer.
G. r. Keen, tailor, 1910 F street north
west.
H. c. Holther painter and decorator.
1904 F street northwest.
Esau L. Johnson, Hotel Johnson
J. o. Veihmeyer, stoneyard, 1870 Ohio
avenue.
]. L. Jackson. Jackson Bros, furniture,
7th street northwest.
Leon Tobriner, as counsel. represented
the family Of Samuel Belanken: r.. F.
Downing and G. A. Berry appeared for
Capt. Henry Kendrick Of the steamer
Lackawanna and Capt Frank Phillips Of
the steamer Washington, and Assistant
District Attorney F. s. Perry represented
the District at the hearing.
The Norfolk and Washington COM
pany, owner Of the colliding boats, was
IlOt represented 1OTTldlly, dltNOuSN JOHN
Callahan, general manager of the line.
was an interested spectator of the pro-
ceedfngs throughout the greater part Of
the day.
Capt Charles w. Wright and Capt Ed
ward White. the steamboat inspectors for
this district. were also present, and will
probably be put on the stand to give the
law governing the movements of steam
boats in thick or foggy weather.
The hearing attracted a large throng to
xhn LxynrN In tnA tHrrN Yncf
room was filled. Numbers of spectators
| were forced to stand to witness the pro-
ceedings
In all thirteen witnesses are summoned
to appear before the coroner. This num-
her will be increased. 1t is probable that
the hearing will extend one or two days.
The inquest opened shortly after IL
| o'clock. when the coroner took his seat.
After viewing the body of Belanken at
the norgue the jury was taken by Morgue
Master Schoenberg to the ferry wharf to
y, look at the wreck of the ferry steamer.
and to the. Norfolk and Washington line
pier to view the crushed bow Of the
steamer Washington.
Capt. Phillips Testifies.
Capt. Frank Phillips. master Of the
Norfolk boat Washington. was the first
| witness called. Capt. Phillips stated that
he had been master of steamboats, for
about thirty years.
His steamer left Alexandra at 7:43
o'clock and proceeded toward Washing
| ton. on his regular course. He heard the
whistle of a steamer and stopped his en-
CINE. and the steamer Trenton passed.
When he left Alexandria he could see
ahead about 800 feet. Soon after leaving
Alexandria the fog shut in thick. -,
After passing the Trenton the captain
heard another whistle, seemingly dead
| ahead, and he put his wheel to port. He
stopped his boat.
Within a few seconds the Lackawanna
doomed up. The boats came together.
Capt. Phillips at once called his crew to
quarters. lowered the boats and picked
man was also picked up, but he died as
he was being taken in the boat.
The two boats came together a little to
| the westward Of the center Of the channel.
His steamer struck the Lackawanna on
| the starboard side.
| In reply to the Question of the coroner.
Capt Phillips stated that the marks and
damage to his steamer on the starboard
side was caused by the wreckage from the
steamer scraping him. The accident took
place near the second black buoy below
the steel plant. where the river is several
| hundred feet wide.
There was ample room for the boats to
pass. There was ample water for both
| steamers to run close to the black buoy,
where there is about twenty feet of
water
His steamer is supposed to arrive in
| Washington at o'clock. but that morn
| ing his Boat was about an hour late.
The first officer James Marmaduke. and
Howard Eskridge were in the pilot house
with him at the time of the accident. The
captain is in charge Of the boat.
Capt. Phillips stated that the course of
| his boat carries him up the middle of
| the channel. He tried to make up no
time that morning, as he was running in
| a fog. !.
| The regulations call for half speed and
| the sounding Of the whistle at intervals
| OF half minute.
His First Accident.
| Capt. Phillips said he is fifty-five years
of age and that this is the first collision
| he has ever been in.
| On the morning of the collision he blew
his whistle regularly between Alexandria
and Washington.
| He heard the whistle of the Lacka-
wanna as, he supposed. she was leaving
| the steel plant wharf. He heard her
| blow twice after leaving the wharf. The
| blasts were about minute apart.
| A picture was here shown Capt. Phil
lips showing the black buoy and wreck
| age supposed to be the wheel of the Lack
| awanna lying in the water He recognized
! 1t as being correct
At the coroners inquest Capt. Phillips,
using a paper weight and a pen holder
to represent the two boats. showed how
| the boats came together in mid-channel.
| He again stated that the marks on his
| starboard side were caused by wreck
| age from the ferry steamer scraping
| along
| Had I struck the Lackawanna at full
speed instead of slowed down. my boat
would have cut clean through her." the
captain stated to the jury.
| Capt. Phillips accounted for his boat
anchoring to the westward of the wreck
way. The anchor of his steamer fell
| from her bow and anchored her as she
was backing
The collision came within minute
after he heard the last blast of the
| Lackawanna, and when 1t lightened up
| his boat, he found. was lying a little to
| the eastward of the center Of the chan
| mel.
Engines Were Backed.
Capt. Phillips said he expected to pass
the Lackawanna, but where he would
pass her he could not tell When he
heard the whistle of the Lackawanna the
first time he stopped his engines and
| they had been stopped about two and a
half minutes before the steamers came
| together.
| A lookout was on duty at the time of
| the accident but the witness stated, he
depended but little upon him. The look
| out that morning was colored deck
| hand. A licensed man is not required
| in this capacity. This man had often
| served as lookout.
Just before the accident Capt. Marina
duke. when he heard the whistle of the
| Iackawanna said to the witness: