Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-14
Says limo Gave Wrong Signals;
Never Was in Port Before
Had No Liquor Aboard for
Any One,
MANEUVER TO AVOID
CATASTROPHE FAILS
Effect on PicriC Acid Immedi-
atei Thirk Black Smoke
PourS Out and Explosion
Follows Soon.


today at the government inquiry into
the cause of the explosion which
wrecked Halifax last Thursday Cap
tain Lamodec said the Mont Blanc
was loaded at Gravesend Bay, n. Y,
with a cargo of T. N. T., guncotton
and dry picric acid and deckload of
benzol for the French government.
lie described the distribution of the
explosives in the holds and said all
necessary precautions were taken
against an accident. The partitions
were of wooden construction protect
ed by tar cloth. The cargo was her
metically sealed and nobody on board
was allowed to smoke.
No liquor Was Aboard.
Captain Lamodec testified his ship
had not carried munitions before. He
said the ship came to Halifax to re-
cetve orders where to join her con-
voy. He received his orders from the
British pilot Mackay who came on
board at Halifax the evening of De-
cember 5, Mackay was absolutely
sober" said the witness. No liquor
was on the Mont Blanc, as it had been
forbidden by the French government.
The morning of the collision was clear,
the captain continued While pro-
ceeding to Bedford Basin his ship
sighted the limo at $40 a. m. He
was then about 100 feet from the
Dartmouth shore. The Imo was
heading to sea on the west side but
was taking a direction across his
course so that her starboard side was
visible. He gave one short blast on
his whistle to indicate he was going
to the right. The limo replied by two
short blasts. He thought the Imo
changed her course though it was diff
ficult to determine this as she was
against the land.
Collision Inevitable.
He was at this time going to star.
board and the limo TO port. He no.
ticed later that the Tmo came a little
more to the left. In the meantime
he had stopped his engines. The Imo
gave two short blasts when the ships
We're about $50 feet apart The cell
lision was inevitable at this point
The limo, judging by the force of the
collision, seemed to have great speed
The captain said he turned his shin
to the left and gave two short blasts.
The ships then had each other on
the right side and were fifty feet
apart
Asked II the vessels would not have
passed at n distance Of fifty feet il
no other change was made, the wit
ness said this was so, as the limo was
>obliquely up the harbor
The Imo then signalled she was 'go-
ing astern at full speed"
Failed to Dodge limo.
Captain Lamodec said the Imos
propeller was going astern but she
kept ahead. He then signalled his
engines astern and put the helm to
starboard so the Imo would not strike
the hold where the picric acid was,
as he knew the impact would set it on
fire. He was not successful.
The effect of the collision was inn
Thick black smoke poured
from the hold. He thought the ship
was to be blown up at once. 1t was
to put out the fire. In
order not to uselessly sacrifice lives
he ordered the crew to abandon the
ship. Perfect order was maintained.
He gave the order to get away from
the ship and make for the east shore.
He called the roll when they landed
and found only one man missing.
Eighteen to twenty minutes elapsed
before the explosion
First Time in Harbor.
Captain Lamodec added this was
the first time he had ever been in
Halifax harbor Cross-eXamined by
counsel for the owners of the Imo, the
witness said the Mont Blanc was moi
a red flag or anything to
indicate that she had explosives
aboard He declared the interna-
tional navigation rules did not call for
flying a red flag except when loading
or handling munitions. He was not
aware that all munition ships sailed
with red flag in peace times, He
was the last man, he asserted, to leave
the ship after the collision.
Asked If he understood what the
Imo's two blasts meant, Captain La