Evening star., 1928-11-21
Lifeb0at Release Said to Have
Broken in Attempt to
Save Passengers.
WITNESSES SAY REPAIRS
WERE NEEDED TWO YEARS
Relate Water Always Poured In
at Certain Places During
Rough Weather.
BY the Associated Press.


FEDERAL BUILDING, New York,
November 21.-A retired Nnited States
naval officer took over the questioning
at the Federal inquiry into the sink
ing of the British steamer VestriS to-
day and elected from the senior sur
viving officer of the ship that his SUBJ
ordinateS ignored his orders when the
vessel was sinking, that crew members
were absent from their stations at the
lifeboats, and that woman and child
passengers were placed in the most
dangerously situated boats.
The United States naval officer was
Capt. e. T. Jessup. American nautical
adviser to United States Commissioner
ONeill, who is presiding at the hearing.
The witness he questioned was Frank
Johnson, chief officer of the Vestris.
Lifeboat Release Held Faulty.
Before Jessup took over the question
ug, johnson had testified in reply to
United States Attorney Tuttle, who
IS conducting the inquiry, that the re-
lease mechanism of lifeboats was mot
successful"
AS Jessup interrogated Johnson, Capt.
Henry McConkey, British nautical ad-
wiser at the hearing sat on the other
side of Commissioner O'Neill, silently
listening to the exchange of questions
and answers and watching the witness
closely.
The two advisers were appointed at
the suggestion of the British govern
ment, the British consul general select
ing Capt McConkey, who is marine su-
perintendent of the Cunard Line, and
Tuttle picking Capt. Jessup.
johnson testified that he knew of no
instance in which the releasing appara-
tus was successfully used.
"WaS there a motor ifeboat on the
Vestris?" Tuttle asked.
"Yes.'
what was its capacity?"
!. Thirty"
''Why did so few people get into it?'
There were so few about at the
time. This boat was launched from the
starboard side"
Motor Declared Impaired.
"There has been testimony that the
engine Of the motor boat did not run.
Do you know why?"
"I suppose because there was no engi-
neer in it."
'Was any engineer designated to that
boat in case of disaster?"
ST think it was the second engineer
who went down with the ship"
Capt. McConkey and Capt. Jessup
then took up the questioning. JeSsup
asked johnson if he had noticed pre-
viously a tendency of the ship to list
johnson said there was a swimming
tank on the starboard side that held
several tons of water and that when the
tank was full the VestriS had a slight
list, but at no other times.
(By Jessup) did you inspect the ship
before she sailed?"
"Yes-when she was in dry dock"
''What was her condition."
Good"
before leaving port did you inspect
the ship?"
eyes"
Inspected Coal Ports.
ibid you insepct the coal ports?"
"Yes-I looked over the side and
saw that they were closed"
why did the vessel heave to Sunday
noon?"
because Of the wind. She wouldn't
steer"
"Did you actually know why the cap
tain hove to Sunday"
mo"
Further questions by Capt. Jessup
brought out that when Johnson said
the ship could not be steered Sunday
noon he meant she could not be held
to her course. Johnson said that what
ever list the Vestris had up until Sun
day night was due only to wind-thai
she had no permanent list. 1t was
a list of about degrees, he said, ano
it did not increase between noon an6
pm. Sunday.
Ship Did Not Recover.
"At 7:3o Sunday night you say the
ship took a heavy lurch," Capt. Jessur
said did she come back?"
mo"
"Why not?"
"Her cargo shifted"
"After the lurch at 7:30 the list was
not more than 10 degrees?"
"When the ship did not come back
after the lurch, it was noticeable?"
. "Would you have noticed 2 degrees?'
"No; it must have been more"
"After the list increased what did you
do about it?"
ST was working on the half door that
leaked"
"Do you mean to tell me-" Jessur
said, "that enough water came through
that half door as waves struck 1t occa-
sionally to make the ship list?"
mo"
with the list increasing, Mr.. John
son, is it not fact that ship was ir
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