New Britain herald., 1928-11-17
OFFICER 7ES71flES IN VES1RIS CASE
Witness Not Sure


 Had there ever been any such saskets?"
 I'm not sure."
 As matter of fact weren't some of those gaskets missing?"
 There was no place for gaskets. 7 You're willing to swear to taut. that there never had been any gas kets"'
 50 far as l know there never were any"
 Here United States Commissioner O'Neill, presiding at the hearing asked the witness if he never had any occasion to examine the ports so that he would know about the gaskets.
 "I had opportunity
 Never Made Inspection
 But you never did inspect those ports?" Futile asked.
 T never had occasion to. There's never been any trouble with them.' There was trouble enough on the last trip. You never inspected the ports personality" No"
 Johnson Describes Doors
 Futile asked Johnson to describe in detail how doors were closed. He said each door had 12 or l6 bolts. How were bolts fastened?"
 "The bolts were screwed into the hull of the ship. There was thread in the hull, and a thread on the bolt" "How soon after you sailed did the officers discover something out of order on the ship?" 1 Seven p. m. Sunday"
 "Your radio operator yesterday said he noticed a 10 degree list Sat urday night. He's wrong?" "Yes." Admits Slight List "Passengers here have said they observed the list long before Sun day night. They are wrong, are they?"
 "There was a slight list caused by wind 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: "I don't say anything about the radio operators"
 "When did you first discover any thing wrong" "7:30 Sunday night The Radio Message
 "Don't YOU know Captain Carey sent a radio that the ship had hove to since Sunday noon?"
 ..That was because or pad weather" Cart, Carey said sea was only moderately rough. He was wrong was he?" "It was more than moderately rough"
 Contra4licts Captain "You contradict your captain, do you?"
 Yes" | W Hell ulu Sou i.Hu 'iN'S
 Tuesday"
 "Where have you been since then"'
 At the Holley hotel" "With whom? What representa-. tives of the line-have you talked? "Mr. Clark. one of the lawyers oi the line, another lawyer-1 don't re- member his name"
 "When did you talk to them?"
 "Tuesday evening"
 Talk to anybody else represent. ing the line?"
 Capt. Heasley. tho marine super. intendent of the line"
 Anybody else?" Capt Regan."
 Did you talk to any of these mer Wednesday. Thursday or Friday"
 Visited Lawyers office
 "1 went to the lawyers office ! Thursday evening"" | Whom did you meet there?"
 "Mr Clark" | Did you put in a written repor after landing?"
 "No."
 You've made no written repor yet?"
 NO"
 "Who took you to the hotel after landing?"
 we went in taxi by ourselves.
 "Who told you Sunday night tha something was wrong?"
 "The ship took a heavy lurch nc I went around to see what if an, damage had been done. I wa anxious about the deck cargo. The, reported to me that the cargo hat shifted-fhat a bulk head had broker down and that the cargo was in tn, 7 fo castle''
 Witness Uneasy
 Johnson was shifting uneasily i: his chair, as Futile pursued hi questioning. His weather beate: face reddened at times.
 Johnson said he had mo idea c the weight of material in the bulk head"
 "The bulkhead was of wood," h. said. about 1-2 inches thick"
 Length and height?"
 About 30 feet across
 Were there braces?"
 "Yes. uprights." 1 "How big were they" Hoy many"
 ''I don't know.
 "Iou have no mental plcturc?'
 No"
 Where you ever down there?"
 "Yes."
 Well, go on with your story" T inspected and found the hal door was making quite lot of wa ter" Where was that half door?'
 "Aft of the coal ports. the sam distance from the water
 How was it fastened?' With about 10 bolts fastenc,