The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-07-08
INQUIRY INTO
BOAT DISASTER
BEGUN BY u. S.
Preliminary Probe Held in Fed.
eraI Building at Pc
oria, Ill.
COLUMBIA never CONDEMNED
Captain MehI Denies Report Craft
Was Unsafe-Storm Prevents
Hunt for More Bodies In
Hull of Wrecked
Vessel.

Hull OF Wrecked
Vessel.
Peoria, ILL.,, July S.-With the ar
rival in Peoria Of George Green, super
vfsfng federal inspector of steamships
government Investigation of the Col
umbia tragedy got under way.
A preliminary inquiry was held at
the federal building, to which Captain
Herman Mehl and several members of
hA crew were summoned by Steamship
Inspectors George Bowers and Reese
Downs Of st. Louis.
At the Niagara hotel there was an
important conference between John
Dougberty, United States district at
torney In Peoria; julius Rosen, chief
investigator for the department Of JUS
tice at Springfield. and Deputy Mar
shal Walter Williams of Peoria.
Deny Hull Was Rotten.
Captain Mehl and his crew, pale and
shaking, talked in subdued tones while
awaiting their interviews with the Of
f1cials. These were held behind closed
doors. One witness was admitted at a
time. They are being guarded by Sc
cret service men.
They denied the hull of the ill-fated
ship was rotten or that there was any
thing wrong with the keel. They ex-
planned the collapse of the frail boat
by saying the stanchions under the
ballroom deck must have given away.
1.-The hull was pierced by station
ary log" declared Tom Williams, vet
eran Mississippi river pilot, who was
at the wheel when the Columbia went
down. He continued:
1.-The turn in the river opposite Wes-
ley City is a particularly dangerous
one. 1t Is a place Of swift currents
and whirlpools. l always feel a sense
Of relief when 1 get a boat past this
death trap.
No Time to Beach Boat.
''The current had swung us over too
close to the shore, and as 1 was trying
to turn the boat back again into the
channel the snag caught us. We did
not ground on sandbar
'Why didn't I try to beach the boat? !?
There was no time. 1t was a battle
was sinking too rapidly and listing
She became unmanageable in q mo-
ment and went down in 25 feet of wa
ter. Twas surprised the water was so
deep.
'The hull was built Of 2h-inch
planking REINFORCED by three-quarter-
inch steel plate, but the sharp log
went through 1t as if it had been made
of paper"
Was Never Condemned.
Captain Mehl said:
The Columbia was purchased from
Capt. Walter Blair Of Davenport She
never was condemned. That report is
untrue. She never went under any
other name.
las to the crew being drunk or as
to there being any women in the pilot
house with Tom Williams, these are
lies, too"
Will Prosecute Guilty.
Neither Inspector Bowers nor Downs
would give any intimation as to what
action would be taken.
"The safety Of wooden boat" said
Mr.. Downs, depends altogether on the
skill with which 1T is handled. Will
Hams and Sivley were experienced pi-
lots-the best on the river. They knew
every eddy and current of the stream.
We considered the Columbia the SAT-
est boat on the river"
"The object of our investigation"
said District Attorney Dougherty,1 'is
to determine whether there were any
violations Of the federal law. l can
only say now that if we discover any
there will be enough prosecution to
suit everybody. We are here to see
that full justice Is done and not to
whitewash anyone. Mr.. Rosen will
have charge Of this end of the inves-
tigation."
The Columbia was valued at $780,
600 and was not insured Nearly S2O.-
900 was spent last fall for repairs at
the Mound City ways.
Officers Seek Stewardess.
Pekin, H., July S.-Mrs. Elizabeth
Brew, the stewardess on the wrecked
steamer Columbia, who is reported TO
have made significant statements to
groups of survivors. is missing.
Seventy-eight bodies have thus far
been recovered from the wreck and
FIVE more are lying where they can be
taken out today.
A terrific storm complicated the res.
cue work TO such an etxent that not n
single body was taken out Sunday. The