Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-11-06
Weather Probabilities
ACCIDENT DUE TO FOG.

The verdict of the CORNERS jury
vbich met at the morgue Of the Distric
of OoIumb a ye' ter az t, determine tht
responsibility FIR The collision between
the Norfolk 81 amer Washington ant
the le.rj STA oer Lsckswanna Tuesday
morning, when Sa nuel 8fla ken va
killed almost it stsnIlJ aid Two womer
and a child a rowlS escaped q simi'a
fate, VA IS follow:
as lmuel b lsnken csme t. his deatl
on boar1 tht steam Lsck awsna 10 ht
Potion a; riv,r, near Crest orc Point, d.
O., at TAO a. ~, on November 3, as @
result o. rup ures Of the iniestines and
liver. Said inju,i 8, or rIPlures, were
ithetsd by f,ng or de ;hed debris az
a result OF collision at tie a'oremen-
toned point between the Norfolk and
Washington st ner Washington AID
the trry boat Lscl aWsnns. We be-
lisye the illi,ij ID WIS caused principally
by the heavy flg which suddenly envel-
opsd both boa 5. We do not, however,
feel ttat the ca ia as took the proper pre-
cautions to prevent the collision, which
they shold have t4keD."
The verdict IVES rendered a. 6 O'Clock
yestsr az evening.
Capt Phillips, of the Washington. was
The frat witness. He said his boat left
Norfolk on Monday night at z O'Clock
and reached Alexandra at 7:43 O'Clock
Tuesday morning. Ga the way to Wash
ington he heard boat whistle and cav
the Gamer Trenton ahead Of him. AT
aba. time he could see 800 feet in front
of the Washingt)n's bow.
Witoess tad the fog ''set In thick
and saddep," after the Trenton passed
him. When he nesrsd Four Mile Run
he heard the LsckaWanns's whistle, and
though the ferry boat was lea 'ing the
steel plant pier g. Giesboro Point. He
tald he hal been on the river thirty
years, and ia compliance with the law
sounded his whistle every hslf-minute.
"Wben heard the two blasts OF the
whistle could see only $50 feet ahead, !"
raid Ospt. Phillips. 81 slowed down
fret and then brought the Washington
10 a stop. While we we're drifting the
La;ka wanna doomed up before rs and
the boats came together. The Lacka-
wanna vas moving when she struck Us.
Had been travelling at full speed, the
Washington would have cut clean
through the Laska Tanra."
Ospt. Kendrick said the weather was
clear when be landed at the steel plaat
pier. "About 6ve-eights of 9 mile below
the steel plan we rau into fog bank"
said the witaess. eat the same time we
entered the fog 1 heard the Washing
tons whistle. The channel Is about
800 feet wide at the second black buoy,
where the accident occurred.
~ was going at nine miles an hour
before heard the Washington's whistle
but slowed down and then shut of all
steam"
Capt. Kendrick ia d he was unable to
tell the speed OF the vessels at the time
of the accident.
Members of the crews OF both vessels
corrobo ated their captains stories.
Several passengers, among them Miss
Fa 1nie Smith, of this city, testified, but
their evidence threw no light on the dis
aster.
United States S Steamboat Inspectors
White and Wright we're present at the
inquest. Inspectors will hold their H.
vesigslion November Is, either In the
Custom.house in G Georgetown or 10 the
office OF the Norfolk and Washington
Steamboat Company.