The Indianapolis times., 1928-11-21
Did Everything That Could
Be Done to Prevent
Tragedy, He Says.
MEN UNDER CONTROL
Some of Liners Executives
Were Not at Posts,
He Admits.
BY HARRY FERGUSON

OutEcu freSS Stdn correspondent
NEW YORK, Nov. 21.-Under the
expert questioning of naval authori-
ties, the government today tried to
find out from members of the
Vestris crew why that boat sunk,
why there was such a loss of life,
and whether everything possible was
done to save the Vestris.
Frank Johnston, first officer of
the Vestris, was called this morning
at the hearing before United States
Commissioner Francis A. O'Neill
and was put through a severe
questioning by Captain Frank
Jessup, the United States naval ex-
pert
Johnston said the crew refused
some of his orders about the time
the Vestris went down, and that
some of the men were not at their
posts of duty when the VestriS life
boat order was given.
IT was still able to control my
men, however" johnson said.
johnson admitted there had been
no general life boat call when the
Vestris was endangered. He said
some of the officers were not at
their posts on the decks.
He said he gave one officer a COM
mand to get into one of the life
boats and the officer walked away,
ignoring the command.
Didn't Notice List
Johnston was taken over his COM
plete list of duties on the Sunday
and Monday that the vestris first
encountered trouble.
"I never noticed a list" he testi-
fed. Until 7:30 Sunday night"
"There have been at least a half
dozen witnesses testifing that the
list increased steadily Sunday. How
do you make this story fit with your
testimony" Jessup asked.
at can not"
johnson said he thought mave
the cargo shifting had caused sosoe
of the listing.
with the list steadily increasing,
isn't that fact that until you stop
the list that the vessel is not safe?"
Jessup asked.
Eyes"
"Was it not your duty to find out
why the ship was listing?"
II did try"
Nothing to Be Done
"You testified you heard the
water running into the coal bunk
ers. Did you do anything about
it?"
There was no way to get to the
bunkers, because of the coal. I re-
ported to the captain and he came
down Sunday morning and inspected
it,"
did you find out where the wa
ter was coming from?"
mo"
Johnston said he had inspected
the estris in port and had looked
over the side to the coal ports. He
said he could have noticed if the
covers were not properly screwed.
He said the new members of the
crew had not been assigned to life
boats yet but that every old mem
Der of the crew was provided with a
card showing which boat he should
go into.
''Were the life BOATS properly
filled?" Jessup asked.
''I got away boats /, 8, and Z,
and they were not properly filled.
Good Friend of Captains
"Why?"
because there was not sufficient
time"
"How were relations between you
and the captain?" Jessup asked.
1--WE were friends. At a. m. Sun
day I went to the engine room and
the captain said it looked serious.
At 10 a. m. I asked the captain if
he had sent an SOS. He said he
had"
s. "Why were you not in communica-
ton with the voltaire?"
"I do not know"
When Jessup had finished ques-
tioning, United States District At
torney Tuttle again questioned
Johnston. He asked why Johnston
had not sent an SOS before 10 a. m
The witness was extremely vague
and there were numerous questions
until Johnston replied:
Il was relying on the gale to &C
down. This would have meant less
water was entering the vessel"
ohnston was excused after almost
an hour on the stand and James A
Adams, the first engineer, was called
Adams gave very little additiona
information.
After Adams testified, Gustav
Wohle, the ships carpenter on the
Vestris, was called. He said he had
been advised of a leak in the hall
door Sunday afternoon and went
down to look at it. The leak was
, not bad at that time.
After WohlS testimony the hear
ing before ONeill was adjourned
until Thursday morning.
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