Evening star., 1928-11-17

He said he never had examin
Promoted Day Before Sailing.
Johnson said he was promoted to posi-
of 7rst officer on the VeStrlS the Gay
before she sailed on her last voyage q
"Who had charge of loading coal on
+he Vestrisp" United States Attorney
Tuttle asked.
"Well. the chief engineer"
"You had nothing to do with it'"
"Where was it put in?"
"Two coal ports 5 feet above tne
water line. They were about 1ee'
square" o,
"A door on a hinge, fastened from
ANY way to'close them from inside?"
NO"
Sought for Two Days.
johnson, who appeared after Depart
r,e1t of Justice agents had sought him
with a subpoena for two days, SAID
that he had the responsibility TO see
that these coal"pcFt Goofs were proneFis
what what did you dc about it on this
sip2" ...
man named Wahl."
was he among the survivors,"
Johnson said he didn't think" there
were any places for gaskets to seal the
edges around these doors.
"Had there ever been any Such
Raskets?"
I'm not sure"
"As a matter of fact, weren't some OF
those gaSkets miSsing?"
you're willing to swear to tnat-
that there never had been any gaSkets!
$50 far as I know there never were
any"
Never Inspected Ports.
Here United States Commissioner
ONeili, presiding at the hearing, asked
the witness if he never had any occa-
sion to examine the ports SO that he
would know about the gaskets.
ST had the opportunity.
But you never did inspect those
Corts?" Tuttle asked.
ST never had occasion to. There
never been any trouble with them.
There was trouble enough on the
last trip. You never inspected the
ports personality"
TuttIe asked johnson to describe IN
detail how doors were closed. He said
each door had IL or 16 bolts
s'How were the bolts faStened?"'
seThe bolts were screwed into the hui
of the ship. There was thread in the
hull and a thread on the bolt
How soon after you sailed did the Of
ficers discover something out OF order
on the ship?"
Seven pm. Sunday.
Contradicts Radio Operator.
Your radio operator yesterday sait
he noticed a 10-degree list Saturday
night. He's wrong?"
"Yes"
"passenrers here have said they OBJ
SERVED the list long before Sunday night
They are wrong, are they?" :,
seThere was a slight list caused pS
uiod and sea on port side SUNDAY.
you say there was no list Satur'
day night?"
"Yes."
"Then your radio operator doesn'
know what he's talking about!
'1 don't say anything aoout 'he taoi'
"When did you first discover any,
thing wrong! ..4n
"Don't YOU know Capt. Carey SEM
q radio that the ship had hove to since
Sunday noon?"
THAT was because of bad wealth
er-"
Capt. Carey said sea was only mod
erately rough. He was wrong, was ne!
1T was more than moderately rougn.
Also Differs With Captain.
you contradict your captain, d.
you?"
Yes
when did you land here?"
Tuesday"
s'Where have you been since then?
'At the Holley Hotel
with what representatives OF tn
Zine have you talked?"
'IMr. Clark, one of the lawyers Q
the line another lawyer-I don't re
member his name"
when did you talk to them?"
tuesday evening"
'Talk to anybody else representa-
the line?"
tendert of the line"
"Any one else?"
"Capt. Regain"
.sDid YOU talk to any of these me
Wednesday, Thursday or Friday"
II went to the lawyers office Thurs
day evening"
%whom did you meet there?"
''Mr. Clark"
Did Not Make Report.
did you put In written repo
after landing?"
mo
You've mage no written report yeti
! 1A" ~rS1sA.