VESTRIS INQUIRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16808, 22 November 1928, Page 8

VESTRIS INQUIRY

PASSENGERS' EVIDENCE NO SIGNS OF COWARDICE fElec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Australian ami JN'./. Press Association.) (Received November 22. '?, p.m.) Nl'.W YORK, November 21.

Continuing his evidence al the Veslris inquiry, J. i>- Duvalle, a passenger, said he entered the last. lifeboat _ safely launched. ''There was no officer c-r member of the crew in our boat," headded, "which carried 25 persons. Four of us bad to bail water all the time. J do not believe the boat had been greatly damaged by the pounding against the side of the Vostris." A first-class passenger, Ivhvard Mar gin, saiil : "1 was standing near boat u. and saw a large hole near the water line. A sailer lacked a piece of ! ; n over it. but I told the officer, Mr. Johnston, thai I was not going ill that. boat. I got into number 10 boat. which leaked all the time. The lantern was defective, and nine -of the 12 Hares failed. Finally we had to transfer 20 of the 51 people in the boat, because we feared it- might founder. 1 wish to take this opportunity to slate that, at no time did I see evidence of cowardice on the part of the ship's officers." Officers of the American Shipper, which went- to the rescue, namely, the chief officer, Mr. Erie Nelson, and the third officer, .Mr. Conrad Oswald, both, said they believed the .lit'cheats were in gooil condition, after which Captain Camming, of the .American Shipper, testified that none of the five lifeboats his shin rescued was overcrowded. "All could have taken on other passengers."

I'ldward Walcott, agent- for the thirdclass passengers, said boat 9, in which he was rescued, leaked badly. Edward Ohnian, second officer of the American Shipper, stated that the lifeboats of the Vostris were in good shape. "Only lifeboat No. ~> contained any water.' and there were only a few inches in ii,'' he said. .lames Short,- surveyor of hulls for Lloyds, said he examined the Vostris 1 cargo holds and ballast tanks on August ,'i.l, and found the vessel lo be in very good condition. He said the Vostris' second officer told him that half the door which figured so prominently in the investigation was often left open lo provide fresh air for the stewards and otJier seamen. Asked if lie gained the impression that the door was occasionally left open without the officers' permission, lie replied: "1 did." .Short testified that the lifeboats were in splendid shape when he .made his lasi inspection. He stated that he believed the boats wwo built with the Vostris, which would make them If. vears old.