The Washington herald., 1914-02-12
LAYS Wreck TO
RIVAL SKIPPER
Capt. Johnson, Of the Lost
Monroe, Testi6es at Trial
of Capt. Berry.
STRUCK AT FULL SPEED
Nantucket Was Flowing Through
Fog at Terrific Rate. He Declares.
Many Witnesses Ready.

Phllauelphia, Pa, FEB. 1.-THE trial oi
Capt. Oswald Berry, commander Of tho
Merchants and Miners steamship Nan.
tucket, which rammed and sunk the Old
Dominion liner Monroe, began today, and
details of the tragedy were presented tc
the United States Board of Steamship
Examiners. The examiners are Capts r.
A. Sargent and d. NJ Howard. They viii
act under the rules Of such trials as
Judge. jury and prosecuting attorney.
Scores OF witnesses were present to
testify. including many of the passenger
and crews of both ships. According to
steamboat inspectors here so many con-
fficting stories have been told by the
Monroe's Passengers that 1t probably will
take three weeks to sift out the truth.
Inspector General Uhler. of the Steam
boat Inspection Service: Assistant Secre-
tary Sweet, Of the Department Of Com
merce, and Commissioner Chamberlain.
Of the Bureau Of Navigation, are assist
ing the local board and taking notes of
the Testimony preparatory to framing
new rules for safeguarding coasting
trafflc.
Capt. johnson Tells Story.
Capt Edward B. Johnson, commander
Of the Monroe, was the principal witness
against Capt Berry, who Is charged with
neglect of duty as a result of the dis
ootSIs III pTlcl, SdpI- johnson QeClaTeQ
that the Nantucket came tearing down
on him from out Of the fog, running at
full speed. paid no attention to his sig
nails, and rammed him before he could
get the Monroe out Of the way
Capt. johnson was questioned by Capt
Sargent and gave his narrative of the
collision as follows:
TT was about 1:p o'clock, with the
weather thick, and I slowed down when
heard a tug OF the starboard bow,
stopped until the tug and its tow Of
parses passed US at q safe distance. Then
I went ahead slowly.
Five minutes later I heard a whistle
from about three points OF the star
board bow. I was standing in the port
window Of the wheel house I stopped
went over to the starboard window
looked out and saw a moving light about
four points on the starboard bow. /
promptly blew two whistles. I couldn't
tell how far away the light was but de-
cided 1t was some ship running parallel
with us. So put the wheel hard at
starooard, blew two whistles, and rang
for full speed ahead.
"One whistle came back from the
Nantucket. A minute later I saw her
range lights opening up so fast that
realized a collision was sure.
Hoped fer Glancing BLOW,
Il blew my whistle twice, not to tell
her to stop, for I saw she couldn't do
that in time, but in the hope she might
understand that I was going full speed
to port and might turn all she could
to starboard, SO as to hit US a slancing
blow.
"A minute later the Nantucket hit us
abaft the pilot house and at about right
angles. The Nantucket backed away
quickly. / realized my ship was going
down. I told the quartermaster to call
everyone. The Nantucket's- whistle was
going full blast. I had to stick my
mouth at his ear and scream at the
Il told the first officer to have the |
IS o s" call sounded and get the pas |
sengers out on the top deck. I told the |
cnief steward get out the boats and |
instructed the chief engineer to help |
him.
BY the time I got on deck the boat |
had taken an awful list and the deck
was taking on water. It was difficult To |
get the passengers in the boats, one boat |
dropped overheard but no one was In IL /
got No. boat OF myself with the
assistance Of the Junior wireless offlcer.
No one was around except the passen.
Iers who were getting into No. boat.
I'VE started to pick up the people ana
~ the time We got to the Nantucket we
had about thirty. No. boat had about
he same number. The second assistant
,ngineer had swung onto the boat that
iropped overheard, and righted it. He
md two other members of the crew
,icked up about fourteen persons"