The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-11-17
VESTRIS PORTS
NOT INSPECTED
OFFICER AYERS
Chief Officer Testifies Clos.
ing Port Holes Was His
Responsibility
MET WITH LINE LAWYERS
States That Cargo Shifted and
That Water Was Pouring
Into Vessel
MET WITH LINE LAWYERS

Inat water was Pouring
Into Vessel
New York, Nov. 17.-(P-Frank
johnson, q wind-browned wisp of a
man who was promoted to be first
officer Of the steamer Vestris just
before it sailed on its fatal voyage,
testified today that he had not in
spected the coal ports, although
their condition was his responsibility.
Other survivors of the Vestris dis
aster have charged that coal ports
just above the water line were i'm
properly closed and that water
poured into the ship through them,
at least contributing to the sinking
with the loss of more than 100 lives.
johnson, who took the stand at
the federal inquiry today after de-
partment of justice agents had
sought him for two days, said he
had ordered the ships carpenter to
close the ports, but had not himself
looked to see if the work was prop
erly done.
He said he never had examined
the ports.
Describes Door Closing
Tuttle asked johnson to describe
in detail how the doors were closed.
He said each door had IL or Is bolts.
"How were the bolts fastened"
THE bolts were screwed into the
hull of the ship. There was thread
in the hull and thread on the bolt"
"How soon after you sailed did
the officers discover something out
of order on the ship"
"Seven p. m. Sunday"
"Your radio operator yesterday
said he noticed 10-degree list Sat-
urday night. He's wrong?"
Passengers here have said they
observed the list long before Sunday
night. They are wrong, are they 2"
Wind Caused List
There was a slight list caused
by wind and sea on the port side
Sunday"
"You say there was no list satur-
day night?"
"Ycs." 80.
"Then your radio operator doesn't
AAAVW WM0N . I0AAlIIA 0OVuV
Il don't say anything about the
radio operators
thing wrong?"
"Seven-thirty Sunday night"
Don't you know Captain Carey
sent radio that the ship had hove
to since Sunday noon?"
"That was because of bad
weather -"
capt. Carey said the sea was only
moderately rough. He was wrong.
was he?"
ut was more than moderately
rough"
Contradicts Captain
"You contradict your captain, do
you?"
Eyes"
"When did you land here :"
Tuesday"
"Where have you been since
then?
"At the Holley hotel"
with what representatives of
the line have you talked?"
"Mr. Clark, one of the lawyers of
the line, another lawyer-I don't re-
member his name."
when did you talk to them :"
Tuesday evening""
"Talk to anybody else represent
ing the line ?"
Capt. Heasley, the marine Super
intendent of the line"
Anybody else :"
Captain Regain.
"Did you talk to any Of these men
Wednesday,, Thursday, or Friday ?"
Saw Lawyers
81 went to the lawyers office
Thursday evening""
"Whom ..y did you meet there
ibid you put in a written report
after landing?"
you've made no written report
YETI"
"No."
"Who told you Sunday night that
something was wrong
"The ship took q heavy lurch, and
! went around to see what, if any,
damage had been done. ! was anx-
ious about the deck cargo. They re-
ported to me that the cargo had
shifted-that bulkheads had broken
down and that the cargo was in the
fo'castle.''
johnson said he made N inspec-
tion and found the half-door was
making quite . lot Of water. The
half-door, he said, was aft Of the
coal ports and about the same dis
tance from the water. It was fast
ened with about ten bolts from the
inside.
"How much water was coming in
there?"
Ahn,,f lila . fsvn;nrh nine -