Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-31
Seeks Information as to Sta
bi|ity of the "Crank of
the Lakes"
CRITICISM Is DIRECTED
AT REDFlELD INQUIRY
Chicago Mayor and Other Officials
Object to Method Of Exam
lining Witnesses.

eral grand jury which is 1nVestl
eating the capsizing Of the steam
ship Eastland in the Chicago river
last Saturday with the loss O.
hundreds of lives sought evidence
relating to the stability Of the yes
sci when it convened today. One
of the first witnesses called before
the jury was S. G. jerks of Port
Huron, Mich, member of the firm
which constructed the vessel.
Before the day is over United States
District Attorney Charles F. Clyne ex.
! pected to present evidence showing the
history of the boat and its reported
previous cranky" performances and
| the knowledge owners of the ship had
of this. Mr.. Clyne announced that
methods of tho steamboat inspection
service would be gone into independ-
emily of any other investigation.
Mr.. Redfield Is Called.
Secretary of Commerce Redfeld and
ment of Commerce, were summoned te
go before the state grand jury today.
Examination of federal inspectors
was continued today by Secretary
| Redfield's board
Capt. Frank A. Dority, commander
Of the Eastland from 1903 to 1906. was
called to the witness stand.
| Capt. Dority testified that about thu
middle Of the season Of 1904 the East
| land careened while crossing the bal
outside of South Haven, Mich, and wa.
forty minutes late In reaching Chicago
Safety In Water Ballast.
IT consider the Eastland a safe yes
| sci under all circumstances II she ha.
water in her ballast tanks and II II
| is properly distributed" said Capt
| Dority. who now commands the steam.
er City Of South Haven. II deemed the
water ballast properly distributed
| when 1t was in the number three tank
which was in the middle.
THE water in the tanks shifts with
| the list Of the vessel. In my opinion
water is the most dangerous form OF
ballast"
Protest Federal Inquiry.
Secretary Redneld's examination OF
steamboat inspectors yesterday de-
veloped no new facts. Charges that the
steamboat inspection service would
not be stringent enough with its own
members continued, and ELECTED from
Secretary Redfeld a repetition OF the
| statement that the inquiry was accord
| ing to law, and that Judgment should
not be passed until 1t was ENDED ca:
! ing labor leaders issued statements
that the Department of Commerce In
quest Would be a whitewash for federal
inspectors. These labor leaders tele-
graphed a protest to President Wilson.
but received no reply. After Thurs
days testimony before Secretary Red
field Mayor Thompson and others said
that the examination of witnesses
seemed unsatisfactory, while Assistant
States Attorney Sullivan thought the
questions put by Secretary Redfeld
were too leading.
Expresses Dissatisfaction.
Dissatisfaction with tho progress OF
the inquiry before Secretary Redfield
was expressed by Max NJ. Korshak. as
sistant corporation counsel. who repre-
scented the city at the coroner's inquest,
and who is attending the Redfeld in
quiry.
terday was turned over to A. L. Thur
man, solicitor of the Department of
Commerce, although any one in the
retary Redfield said the determination
of guilt, If any. lay with the federal
grand jury and the federal trial court
as his Investigation was simply to de-
termine whether steamboat inspectors
had acted conscient1ously according tc
legal requirements.
Stability Tests Planned.
At tho start Of tho afternoon session
Mr.. Thurman announced that inclining
experiments to test stability would be
made on a lake boat by Structural
Engineer Ackerson, who, he said. was
on his way here from Washington. The
whaleback steamer Christopher Colum-
bus, 1t was said. would probably be
selected for the experiments.
Capt. N B. Nelson was questioned
further and asked his opinion Of In.
spector Reds testimony at the morn.
ing session. in which the inspector said
he had threatened to take away Capt
Pedersen's license for careless maneu.
vering of the Eastland in the river.
II would conclude from that testi.
mony," said Capt. Nelson. that Peder.
sen was careless on that occasion"
SHOULD there have been water bal.
last in the hold Of the Eastland with
| $500 persons on board!" asked Repre-
sentative SABBATH.
"If 1 had been master there would
have been ballast aboard" answered
Capt. Nelson.
about various licenses and certificates
granted to captains and ships.
"Is it a common practic to grant
mendments to capacity certificates OF
| ships upon the word Of the captain? p
asked Mr.. SABBATH
Secretary Redfield Interrupts.
wait. tell it all: tell it ALL" interposed
Secretary Redf1eld. State the increase
was granted on an affidavit and that ar
Investigation took place two days later
Tell it ALL
Mr.. SABBATH then changed the form OF
the question to include tho details sug.
gested by Mr.. Redfeld, and the witness
answered:
| IF had been inspector would hAve
Investigated and made sure the life pre-
serving apparatus was on hand
While the witness was being questioned
| by Assistant States Attorney Sullivan
Secretary Redfield laughed when Capt
Nelson told that one complaint about the
| Tastland's safety which he had received
| that there was water in her hold" In
answer to the direct question, What
made the Eastland tip over? ~ tho witness
said:
properly handled. in my opinion"