The Bismarck tribune., 1934-09-13
SKIPPER OF RESCUE
ship DELAYED HELP,
OFFICERS TESTIFY
WiIImott'S Remains Taken From
Moro Castle, Ordered Held
by Government
INVESTIGATION PROCEEDS
Another Name Added to Toll as
Aged Passenger succumbs
to Pneumonia

New YORK, sept. 13.-(R)-The first
and third officers of the liner Presi-
dent Cleveland Thursday told board
Of inquiry investigating the MORO
Castle disaster that they no longer
wished to serve with Capt. Robert E.
Carey. master Of the President Cleve-
land, because, they charged, Carey de-
layed In sending lifeboats to aid the
burning Moro Castle.
The third officer, Harold Peterson,
Of San Mateo. Calf, told the board
he already had asked that he be re-
lieved Of his berth under Captain
Carey.
Even If you believe the captains
only fault was an error Of Judgment"
Peterson was asked.
There should have been no error
Of judgment" he replied.
lives could have been saved from the
MORO Castle If the President Cleve-
lands lifeboats had put out sooner.
No Respect for Skipper
The first officer, James n. Hender-
son, told the board he no longer had
ANY respect for the master because
Of his failure to get lifeboats
launched faster. He said he would
ask to be relieved of his command If
Capt. Carey was not removed.
Henderson said he thought there
was too much" delay in getting the
lifeboats away from the President
Cleveland. He said that when the
President Cleveland came in he could
see persons hanging from the stern
of the burning steamer and the crew
on the foredeck.
He quoted another officer as say
ing: I'VE got to do something"
william Francis Price, Brooklyn
policeman who was passenger on
the liner. testified that he pointed a
gun at man, apparently q crew
member, who was about to leap from
the burning ship into lNeboat, and
shouted:
you're q dead man If you jump!"
He said the man did not jump.
Paul Arnett Of Brooklyn, another
passenger, said he turned in fire
alarm on a wall box before q. m.
e. 8. IT, and later was taken off on
life boat.
Much Drinking on Board
Arnett testified to considerable
drinking" on board that night.
Arnett said the crew was sober. how
ever. He went off In one OF the first
boats.
"How were things in the boat
orderly?"
mot very" Arnett replied.
The sailors didn't seem to know
much about handling the boat
Lena Schwarz, q stewardess on the
Moro Castle, said the fire alarm
awakened her.
She told Of getting passengers to
hold hands so she could lead them.
Asked what her station was In an
emergency, she replied:
Il don't know"
.Truthfully did you get instructions
as to what to do in case OF fire?"
81 did not"
did you have fire drils?"
Il never went to one. We had
them every week"
Meanwhile, another name was add
ed Thursday to the MORO Castle
death list, bringing the total number
Of dead and missing to 134.
william Hassler, II, died shortly
before Wednesday midnight at Belle
vue hospital. Hassler, passenger,
was taken from rescue ship Satur-
day afternoon suffering from pneu-
mo1ia.
Another Body Found
Shortly after Hassler's death here,
two fishermen at Manasquan, N. j.,
came upon the body Of Charles Elias,
81, who also was q passenger on the
cruise liner. He had been listed as
missing.
Only Wednesday hope was express
ed that Elias. president OF the Pas
saic, N. j.. Glass Works, might have
survived the disaster. His name was
called in the court Of common pleas
at Paterson, N. j., for petit jury duty.
There was no answer.
Still another macabre note was
struck when all that remained Of the
body Of Captain Robert r. Willmott
was brought ashore Wednesday from
the liner, beached off Asbury Park,
N. j., and ordered held for examina-
ton by government chemists.
The office Of the federal district at
torney, which is conducting grand
jury investigation Of the tragedy here,
declined to discuss the purpose OF the
chemists examination.
It has been testified by officers Of
the Moro Castle that Captain Will |
mott died following an attack Of acute
indigestion Friday night - several
hours before the fire broke out on the
liner. Some reports said today that
the chemists would seek to determine
II Captain Willmott was poisoned.
VALLEY LUMBERMAN DIES
Minneapolis. Sept. Charles
G. Allen, II, who was engaged In the
lumber business in the Red River
valley for 10 years. died Sunday at
Palo Alto, Calf. Born in Vermont,
he travelled westward with his par
ents and helped to settle the Jim"
river valley Of Dakota.