The Washington times., 1928-11-23
VESTRIS CAP TAIN D|DN'T I.
Try TOSAVE SELF

IF reports about needed repairs
were made by members of the crew
of a ship you commanded, whom
would they go tor"
"To the head OF his department,
and, ii they were important, to me
or to the superintendent ashore"
Were any reports given to the
superintendent after your last
trip?"
II believe so-by the chief officer.
who is now in England
When did he sail for England p
November 10, the same day the
Vestris sailed
What was his reputation"
Good
Bambra said the Vestris had nine
bulkheads on each side. More than
one compartment inside these water
tight bnlkheads would have to be
filled with water to sink the ship
he said. Bambra said that "prob-
ably 1000 tons of water would have
had to be in the Vestris on her
starboard side to have given her
the 32-degree list to starboard.''
Questioned on Tonnage
He estimated that water in the
Vestris must have extended to
nearly half her starboard compart-
ments before she sank.
Captain Jessop questioned Bambra
about the Vestris' tonnage. Bambra
said the Vestris, when loaded with
coal, could carry only 1900 tons of
cargo.
Captain, we have testimony from
several witnesses that this ship car.
ira S~Jz
That must have included her
coal" Bambra said.
But they said cargo"
'Then they were, wrong"
You have said that the lifeboat
drill was usually conducted on the
Vestris' second day out. Do you
think that was soon enough?"
'sWell, we waited for everybody
to get settled down before we had
it, usually"
''Yet in this case, 1t was unfortu
nate that the lifeboat drill was not
held earlier, wasn't it?'
Yes, should say So"
Asks About Routine
Jessop questioned Bambra about
the ordinary procedure in filling
and lowering the lifeboats.
Ii yOA were IIhSIEE VI a SIIID
that had been listing for many
hours and you couldn't locate the
cause, don't you think it would de-
volve on you to prepare for an
emergency?" -
1T would depend on the circum-
stances"
"Well, the circumstances would
be that your ship was continually
listing more"
I'D think 1t was time to do some
thing"
I'm that case, knowing there had
been no lifeboat muster. it would
have been good idea to have one,
wouldn't it?''
'Well, there had been only a few
changes in crew. The crew had
their places assigned to them"
But the passengers, Jessup per.
sisted. Wouldn't 1t have been a
good idea to muster them?a
Yes, probably" Bambra replied.
"In abandoning a ship, an officer
is detailed to each lifeboat, isn't he?"
Officers Go with Boats
"The ranking officers remain on
the ship. Petty officers go with the
! lifeboats."
Captain McConkey, the British
nautical adviser, turned to Captain
Bambra.
"You say there were only few
changes in the crew before the Yes
iris left on her last trip" Captain
McConkey said. Had you found the
crew satisfactory on previous trips?"
! Absolutely" Captain Bambra re-
piled. 'They were all good men,"
If ship like the Vestria" said
| Tuttle, was steadily listing, at
what point would you, if you were
captain, begin to get the boats
ready?"
"It's one thing to decide that here
and another to do it on the scene,'
said the witness.
I'm just asking for an opinion -
| Il don't want to criticize a dead
man."