Evening star., 1928-11-20
i, S. AGENT DENIES
BEING INTOXICATED
IN PASSING vESTR|S
Letter Read at Inquiry
Brands Steamboat Inspec-
tors as "MurdererS."
"NOTHlNG TO SAY" SHIP
RADIOES DAY OF SINKING
Wireless Logs Disclose No Com
munication Telling of Danger
Before S 0 S Was Sent.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, November 20.-Capt
Edward Keane, Department of Com
u,erce inspector of hulls, shouted de-
NAL today that he had been intoxicated
when he passed as seaworthy the steam
er vestris, which sank week ago yes
terday with a loss of more than 1OO
lives.
Capt. Keane was the first witness to-
day at the investigation of the Vestr1s
foundering being conducted by the
United States Steamboat Inspection
Service at the customhouse.
Charges Made in Letter.
The presiding officer read letter
dated November IA and signed "Sanuel
lawson" The letter was received by
the Steamboat Inspection Service IN an
envelope on the flap of which was print
ed United States Lines
The letter contained charges that the
inspection of the Vestris by Capt. keane
and an inspector of boilers consisted or
the inspector enjoying hearty break
fast on the ship and "swllllng WHISKY
and beer in the ships bar"
1.-THE INSPECTORS left in the afternoon,
the letter read, with a certain weak
ness IN their legs and each with pack
age under his arm"
Branded as "Murderers."
The letter concluded with the remarks
that this was ''the kind of murderers
that comprise the personnel OF the
steamboat inspection service. :,
Capt. Keane was asked how much, II
anv of this letter was true.
s'The whole thing is the most OUT
raceous lie I ever heard" he said. Il
am the fourth generation OF my famlly
which has never touched drop OF any
Stinulant.
can't. Keane was then asked in de-
tail about each specific charge In the
letter. He said that neither he nor
the other inspector had breakfast on
the Vestris, that neither of them had
ANYTHING, or were offered anythink TO
drink on board and that they did not
carry away with them any packages.
Saws He would Not Take Chance.
He was then asked if he and his
associate had carried packages which
looked as though they might contain
bottles of liquor. they would not have
been stopped by customs men on the
pier.
There were customs men and pro-
hibition men in plain clothes on the
pier" he said, You don't suppose that
we would take any chance of being
picked up for bootleggers?"
Capt. .Keane told in detail of his in
spection of the Vestris, an annual in
spection completed several days before
the steamer left on ITS Inflated voyage
in what some of the survivors have
called an unseaworthy condition.
He said that he found everything that
was his responsibility to inspect in
good condition. He mentioned part1cu-
larly the coal ports and the haf doors
the crew enters and leaves while the
ship is at its pier.
Of1cerS of the Vestris have testified
at the Federal hearing being conducted
by United States Attorney Tuttle that
water poured into the ship through
both the coal ports and the half doors.
These officers, First Officer johnson
and Chief Engineer Adams, said that
efforts were made to tighten these
openings in the hull, but it was found
impossible to stem the flow OF water.
Says Lifeboats Were o. X.
Capt. Keane said his inspection of
the Vestris covered four days. during
which he thoroughly examined life
boats and their equipment and the life
preservers. He declared the IL life
boats he had inspected and which were
ample to take care of passengers and
crew were in first-class condition.
The inspectors testimony was given
before Dickerson NJ Hoover, supervis-
ing inspector general, and Thomas j.
Padarell assistant United States
attorney representing Federal Attorney
Charles H. Tuttle, was delegated to
examined the witnesses for the Govern
ment.
In the work you were assigned to dc
on the steamer Vestris did any one in
this Office give you the impression that
it was to be hastily done?" Hoover
asked.
mo sir.'
I'm examining the steamboat did you
have ample tine?"
I'VE had plenty of time. l was four
days on her."
WAS it true you needed more assist
ance to make a thorough inspection?'
-Four days was ample time to do it. y
6S Life Preservers Defective.
Of the 697 life preservers aboard
which he said he examined, Capt
Keane said he had found SO new ones
defective.
Capt Keane said food, water, lanterns
and flares in the lifeboats confornec
TO regulations. Some witnesses at the
inquiry before United States Commis.
sioner O'Neil testified that flares were
defective and that there was no oil ir
lanterns.
The lifeboats themselves, said the
captain, who is Sc years old and the
holder of license for steam and sal
in the United States and a British
masters certificate, could not have bet.
ter sustained the banging they were
subjected to If they had been made Of
rubber.
Keane said his tests of the libefoat'
had revealed no defects in boats them
sselves or in the falls by which they
were lowered,
some witnesses have testified tina
the boats had holes in them. Did vol
see any?" asked Mr.. Hoover.
"No, sir" replied Capt Keane.
"Other witnesses said these holes wer'
Old ones. Would you have seen them?
IT looked inside and outside of tn
boats" said Keane. II saw no holes
The falls, the witness asserted, wer
sn AL condition-only 6 months OLD.
He said he did not think there were an
RATS on the ship and that none hat
come up for inspection.
Radio logs introduced at the Fedora
inquiry yesterday afternoon SHOW tina
curing the morning of the day sh
sank the Vestris told her sister ship
the Voltaire, II have nothing to com
nnunicate."
During this period, according to pre-
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