| Deputy Coroner West resumed the inquest into
the Idler disaster at 10 o'clock yesterday morning, at the county morgue,
Coroner Simon being engaged in viewing the body of A. J. Steinfeld.
Attorney C. G. Canfield, representing Capt.
Holmes, was present at the inquest. He occupied a seat beside Dr. West.
William Summers, carpenter of the Idler, was the first witness
examined. He testified as follows:
"I live at 292 Huntington street. I am
not a sailor. On July 7, as we came out of the Detroit river, we were in
tow of the Australia, but the tow line rocked the yacht so that the line
was let go. Previous to this the sails were set, but I do not know their
names.
"The weather continued fine until about
10 o'clock, and then it was not bad until the accident occurred. There
were clouds behind us and the weather was threatening. I did not hear the
captain say anything about the weather. He was on the after part of the
boat, the mate was on the deck forward and I was on deck when the accident
occurred. The mate was instructing the sailors what to do, but I did not
understand his orders. Some of the sails were lowered, and the spinnaker
was taken down two hours before the squall struck us. I did not hear the
captain give the mate orders, but that is the custom.
At the time we were taking in the sails three
of the women were on deck, the captain aft and the mate forward. The yacht
keeled over on her side and Miss Jane Corrigan fainted. I heard no orders
when the yacht keeled, but the captain went to Miss Corrigan and tried to
quiet her, whereupon the boat righted. Then there was an attempt made to
take in more sail. A sailor went to let water out of the gig.
"The deadlights were closed a quarter of
an hour before, but I don't know who closed them. The reason I know they
were closed is because I picked up the brass gratings on the deck and put
them in the boatswain box. They were on deck because they were forced out
of place by the closing of the deadlights down below.
"After the squall struck us I did not see
any neglect or refusal on the part of the captain, mate or crew to help
and do all in their power to save the women. I did not hear anybody call
to the ladies in the cabin to come out. If a call was made I might have
heard it.
"In the opinion of the sailors there was
nothing impending but a rainstorm."
These last two replies were drawn out by
Attorney Canfield.
Coroner Simon returned at 11 o'clock and a
half hour later he assumed charge of the examination. Charles Johnson,
twenty years old, of Fairhaven, Wa., was placed on the stand. He said he
had been sailing for eight years. He testified as follows:
"We were sailing about ten miles an hour,
and the wind remained in the same direction two and one-half hours. The
wind changed a little more in the beam. About 11 o'clock we took in the
spinnaker, because the wind was hauling about too much, and then we set
the jib topsail. I was on watch below and do not know in what direction
the wind was blowing at that time. When I went below there was no sign of
a storm. I was below four hours and when I came up we could see dark
clouds, but no signs of a gale of wind. It was nearly a dead calm and we
were sailing at a rate of two or three miles an hour.
"We sailed under the same sail until
12:30 o'clock, when we took in the balloon staysail, because we were
expecting a shift of wind. The clouds came up thicker right along, but it
appeared to be nothing more than rain. The wind, I guess, was blowing
about eight or nine miles an hour. We clewed up the fore gaff topsail
before she gibed. We still had the foresail, mainsail, staysail,
standard jib, flying jib, topsail up. We continued then until about
fifteen minutes before the squall struck us. Then we took in the main gaff
topsail.
"The weather looked black and cloudy from
the northeast. We put on our oilskins and covered up the sails-the
spinnaker and the staysail. We were in the act of taking down the jib
topsail when the squall struck us. We then got orders from the captain to
let go the flying jib. After the yacht went over the first time he ordered
us to let go the jibs and staysails.
"The captain, mate and crew did
everything in their power to save the ladies.
"I was amidships. Jane and Ida Corrigan were on
the weather side; the captain and the two Nelson boys were trying to
save them. I did not see the mate at this time. I saw Mrs. John
Corrigan float away on a lounge. The only passengers I saw on deck were
Ida and Jane Corrigan. I was cutting the little boat away. The ladies on
deck did not have on life preservers. I don't know if any attempt was made
to put life preservers on them. Mrs. James Corrigan was down in the cabin;
Miss Etta Corrigan and Mrs. Rieley and the baby were in the companionway.
Etta Corrigan had on a life preserver."
Johnson said that he saw two of the deadlights
open while down in the cabin. He thought they were on the starboard side.
He did not know weather or not they were later closed. He did say,
however, that when he visited the yacht at the dry-dock he observed that
one of the aft deadlights was open. Johnson said he and his companions
were the ones who rescued Mrs. John Corrigan and the captain. He said
an effort had been made to save the ladies in the companionway, He
saw the captain descend. After the coroner had finished his examination of
the witness he told Attorney Canfield he would permit him to ask the
witness questions only which had a bearing on how the women came to their
death.
Attorney Canfield then asked the sailor what
the crew did from the time the squall struck the yacht until she went
over. Johnson replied:
"From the time the squall struck us until
the yacht capsized the crew was engaged in taking in sails. After she went
over the crew tried to save the women."
There are yet the two stewards and a captain of one
of the fishing tugs to be heard. The coroner said he had been unable to
locate the blame and didn't know when the inquest would be resumed.
Capt. Holmes will not take the stand.
Attorney Canfield said the captain's counsel
had advised him not to testify. |