Evening star., 1934-09-17
ENGINEER LEFT EARLY.
Wa ter Testifies Abbott Ordered Boat
for Escape.

wa Ter resumes ADDOtt Or0ered Boa,
for Escape.
NEW YORK. September II (P.-A
dining room steward on the burned
liner Moro Castle today testified be-
fort q Federal board of inquiry that
he escaped from the ship in the No.
life ooat, that it was ordered lowered
by the chief engineer, and that the
chief engineer got in the boat him.
self"
"You heard no one order him into
lt?' Steward Richard Kopf of Brook
lyn, was asked.
"No, he did it himself" Kopf re-
piled.
At last Tuesdays session of the in
quty, the chief engineer, Eben S
abb oft, testified that the acting cap
tai,. of the Moro Castle ordered him
70 take the boat away. Abbott said he
was overcome somewhat by the fumes
whtn he went up to report to the
cap tain, that No. l lifeboat was there
anc "the captain said, Take that
boat"
E.opf said that on his way to the
boat deck he saw no passengers.
"aow long was it after you had en-
tered your lifeboat that the chief en-
gineer ordered the boat lowered?"
Kopf was asked.
About 10 minutes" Kopf replied
He ordered it several times. The
eng ineer got in the boat himself"
Did you hear the master tell him
to get into the boat?"
''No, he just got IN. I didn't hear
the master tell him to get in. He
may have" Kopf said.
Saw No Infiammable Polish.
james Pond, second steward on the
Hi ated liner, was questioned abou
the alleged illegal use of polish on the
ship, and testified that he would have
taken away any inf1ammable polishes
Rne discharged those found using
the n. He also testified that the liner:
stev ard department had and used {
kini of liquid polish that was dis
tine tly marked -inflammable"
Pond expressed the belief that the
wind had famed the fire swiftly
through the ship, and in answer tt
O. question said he saw nothing pc
cuLar in the rapid spread of the
flares.
After recess was taken for lunch
Die icserson N. Hoover, chairman OF
the board Of inquiry, said he CoulC
understand how the fire went aft sc
quickly, but added he was little
puzzled at its spread forward.
Dickstein to Quiz Crew.
Representative Samuel Dickstein
vice chairman of the congressional
committee investigating alien propa-
garda in this country, announced that
all the crew and officers of the Moro
Castle are to be summoned before the
committee.
FIe indicated that it had been the
purpose for some time of the commit
tee to investigate the number of alien
seanen on American liners, and said
there were thousands of American sea-
rne.a out of work.
Don't give aliens the guardianship
Of American lives at sea-" Dicksteir
said.
IEe added that the Moro Castle
question was just start Of what the
committee intends to do along thi:
line, and added that it will investigate
every liner docking in this port.
Help Was Capable.
Pond was emphatic in a Statement
that all members of the stewards de
paltnent were capable and expert
enCed. Il picked them myself" h
said.
The second steward said he ant
several officers took charge of the pas
sergers as they began streaming uI
on deck" He said he and the officer,
paci1ed the passengers, led them down
TO G deck and that later when tn,
smoke became so thick he coult
scarcely see, the passengers were tolt
TO descend to D deck.
He said he heard a man passenge
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