Evening star., 1930-06-13
MARINE SAYS CREW
Of FAIRFAX ACTED
WITH EFFICIENCY
Witness Declares Confusion
on Ship Lasted But
Few Minutes.
By the Associated Press.


BOSTON, June l3.-Members OF the
crew of the steamship Fairfax seemed
fairly efficient and the confusion on
board lasted but few minutes after the
collision of the Fairfax and the oil tank
er Pinthis in Massachusetts Bay Tues
day night, Harry E. Kipp, Marine SER
geant, testified today at the opening of
the second day of the Federal inquiry
into the disaster which claimed AZ lives
Kipp, who had been stationed at the
Boston Navy Yard, was proceeding un-
der orders TO Norfolk as a passenger on
the Merchants e. Miners liner Fairfax
when the ship drove her bow into the
oil tanker a few miles off Scituate.
Immediately after the crash, Kipp
said, he came out of his cabin, on the
port side, to md smoke and flames
cutting off the first exit and he had to
cash for another As he arrived on deck
there seemed to be some confusion but
it was brief.
The Marine said he saw several man
and woman passengers and members of
the crew jump into the sea, and he saw
one lifeboat filled with colored men, ap-
parently Of the crew. They were sitting
quietly, however and not making any
effort to lower the boat. Some time
later, possibly an hour and half after
the collision. he said he saw another
lifeboat filled with passengers.
Helped to Fight Fire.
He was joined on deck by Sergt.
Hutchcroft, also Marine, and the two
helped to fight the fire, which caught
from the flaming oil shot out by the
tanker after it exploded from the col
lision He said he was not one OF the
Marines who helped to repair the radio
antenna, which witnesses at the in
quiry yesterday testified was melted
away by the oil flames and later re-
paired
Kipp praised the work Of the nurses
and women who helped care for the
injured.
A. J. Powell. third officer of the Fair
fax, went back on the stand today at
his own request.
Powell appeared yesterday with a
large bandage across his upper lip, but
denied he had been hurt in the COLI
sion Today. he reiterated his denial
Hoover asked him a number of TECH
nical questions about preparations for
launching lifeboats.
Others Take Stand.
Miss Nellie Todd. an entertainer on
the boat, said there was no trampling of
passengers and little disorder. She said
the crew behaved we'll and that she
saw one colored waiter going about
breaking open cabins and assisting pas
SengerS in getting out
Miss Dolothy Mannix. nurse on the
ship, told of her efforts to quiet pas
sengers and of rendering aid to those
who we're hurt.
Miss Jane Stone of Washington, chief
stewardess on the Fairfax, told of as
sisting Mrs. Ida Berkowitz, %, of Bos-
ton and her son Robert. Both Mrs.
Berkowitz and the child died at the
Carney Hospital from burns and the
effects of smoke.
Mrs. BerkoWitz refused to enter a
lifeboat until lifebelt had been placed
around her child, Miss Stone testified.
She described the difficulty with which
she cared for the injured woman.
William M. Smith, chief steward of
the Fairfax, opened his testimony by
saying that nothing in the world could
have been done that was not done" He
said he had charge of 43 members of
the crew, including stewards, walters,
the nurses and entertainers. Eleven
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