The Washington times., 1935-01-26
HAD L|FEBOATS
READY To AID
STRICKEN
ProberS Told Ward Liner
Was at Fault; "Cut the
Bow" of Other Vessel
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Thursday night. Both vessels were
proceeding in the same direction
on a parallel course about q mile
apart. he said.
: The log book of the Talisman
showed:
!: 7:15 p. m.-Ambrose lightship
ebeam.
S:45 p. m.-Sea Girt light
abeam, four miles distant.
Captain Wang said it was "a
beautiful night" with a light
northwest wind and not much sea.
: Shortly after sighting Sea Girt
light, he said he saw the Mohawk
cruising a parallel course a mile
distant.
Q.-You were sure it was going
in the same direction?
A.-There was no doubt in my
mind about that.
No Green Lights
The master of the Talisman
testified his ship was proceeding
at 1917 knots and that he had no
trouble with his steering appara'
tus.
The witness said that after his
last log entry he saw the Mohawk
%four points to the starboard."
He continued:
"I said to the mate: That's
funny. 1 can see the red lights,
but / can't see the green!"
: He said he signaled the engine
room full speed astern. Captain
Wang slammed a roll of paper
into his palm to emphasize.
Captain Wang testified the
crash occurred about 9:20 p. m.
He added:
{ "But we were too busy to look
at our watches for the exact
time"
He said that directly after the
crash, the Talisman received
radio message from the Mohawk:
Eve need assistance"
James Smith, inspector Of
boilers on the inquiry board,
asked:
"How do you account for the
way the Mohawk acted?"
'Tt looked as if something
had happened to her steering
gear. No seafaring man would
ever do anything like that
no captain or mate, anyway.
] said to my mate: 'I'll bet
his steering gear has broken
Q.-What would you do If your
steering gear broke? Al would
stop my ship.
No Launching Attempt
Joseph B. Weaver, head of the
Bureau of Navigation, took over
the questioning.
Q.-How many boats does the
Talisman have? A.-Four.
Odd you make any effort to
launch them? Alt wasn't nee
essary. It would only take four
minutes to take off the covers.
Odd you take off the covers?
A.-No.
, The bodies of the victims were
brought ashore last night by the
Coast Guard Gutter Icarus, which
had been active in the hunt for
survivors since the first S OS was
heard.
Swimmers had been frozen as
they swan and their arms and
legs we're held in grotesque
positions by the arctic cold of the
waters.
limps Aid Search
At dawn today the Coast Guard
ordered out 20 boats to continue q
search of the ocean off Northern
New Jersey in an effort to find
more bodies.
Two Navy blimps, from the
Lakehurst IN. j.. air station,
which aided the search yesterday.
and Coast Guard planes again
were to take to the air. weather
permitting, to act as "eyes" for
the cutters.
Speculation was rife among sea-
faring men and others as to what
caused the disaster-the third
major wreck in which a Ward
Line ship has been involved in
five months.
From some of the survivors there
came vague reports about the fail
ure of the Mohawk'S steering gear
to function properly, but there was
no one to confirm or deny them.
AS more details of the liners
sinking came to light today it be-
came increasingly evident that for
sheer horror this sea tragedy was
the equal of any that went be-