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night. I arrived at the light-house at about three or a quar- ter past three o'clock in the afternoon. I waited there in order to try and get a passage up by a steamer, the smoke of which I saw at Caps Sagami. I did pat off to the mail steamer when she was quite abreast of Kisousaki point. I weat, I suppose, better than half a mile. There were two men in the boat. The steamer was going from 8 to 83 koos. Ishould think she was to the North of Kanousaki point when I turned round and left her. It took about ten minutes to pull back to the shore. When I got on shore, I went into the Japanese hotel again and finished dinner. It was about twenty-five minutes after I entered the hotel that I beard the guns. A man called Broderick was with me at dinner at the hotel. Have been in Japan going on for 11 years. 1 am an American citizen. There was only one foreigner besides myself, and ten to fifteen Japanese if not more. There are only three boats where I was. You could get plenty more by going about a mile. I am not aware that Broderick endeavoured to induce any Japanese to put off after hearing the guns. I did not consult with Brode- rick whether we should put off or not. I knew it was no use to offer any more than ten boos, as the boatmen would not go out at all. I am quite certain that I only heard four guns,
Since I have been in Japan, I have been sent to San Francisco to stand my trial on a criminal charge. I doeliac to answer with what offence I was charged. I don't know if I was convicted of that offence. I decline to an swer the question any way. I don't hold any license or written permission to act as a pilot here. I did not try to get the boats which were lying a mile off to go out, as I knew they would not go; besides the night was dark. I did not see muy lights on the spit. I of course should have gone to get the other boats to go out, had I thought that the guns I heard were a signal that life was in danger, or that a slip was sinking in mid-channel. My impression was, that the vessel was on shore, and that there was no danger to life. The Japanese would not take me off, be cause they were not servants of mine. At the time I want ed to go off, there was a nice breeze from N. N. E. Broxic- rick is somewhere in Yokohama. I don't know if he is a ailor or not. He has lately arrived from Nagasaki. I have never had charge of a ship as master. I was chief officer of a sailing vessel for six or seven months.
To Mr. De Love. The crime for which I was put upon my trial, was not perjury.
There are three Japanese in the light house; no European has been in charge for some time. There is no light put there. The clock I referred to as having been stopped, was the light house clock; the Japanese told me it was broken, The Hotel is two hundred or two hundred and fifty yards from the light. A Japanese keeps the Hotel. Japanese use the Hotol principally, but a pilot can get a meal there.
(Signed)
JAMES CAVANAGH,
ISAAC I. YATES, sworn, states. My rank in the American Navy is that of master, and that was my rank on board of the Oneida. I am considered to be a responsible officer to take charge of a ship. The Oneida left Yokohama at 5.15 P.M., on the 24th January bound for Hongkong. We were cheered by the various meu-of-war as we loft. The general understanding was that the ship was homeward bound, After pasting the lightship, just outside the auchorage, Mr. Stewart, a Lieutenant Commandor and executive officer having charge of the ship, set all plain sail. This brought the ship suder sail and steam. He braced the yard something about 3 points. He braced them in with the starboard bra- ces the vessel was on the port tack. The port tacks were hauled on board some. At 5.45 as near as I can remember Mr. Stewart sent for me and asked me if it was my dock. I told him it was and I relieved him. He told me that the Inasthead and side lights were burning and the look outs were stationed; the man at the lead both sides and the pro- per men at the wheel. He also told me, the course 8. by EE. Mr. Moldaur the navigating officer was also on the bridge. (I relieved Mr. Stewart on the bridge) I asked him after Mr. Stewart went away to assure myself of the course; he told me again S. by E. 4. So we headed. At 6 o'clock I relieved the watch, sent the port watch on deck, and ordered the officer of the forecastle of the starboard watch, Mr. Adams, to heave the log. He repor ted her going 6 knots and 6 fathoms. I thought she might he going a little faster, so I asked him again, and he was positive. He asked me if he should put it in his log. I told him no, that we must make an allowance for the quar tor of an hour during which we were at anchor. Mr. Adams was then relieved by Mr. Hall & midshipman. Before this when I asked Mr. Moldaur about the course he told me he wanted me to send a quartermaster on to the forecastle with a glass on the port side to keep a look out for Saratoga, spit buoy which he told me was somewhere on the port bow. I sent for a quartermaster, and fomad it was Wil- liam Boyuton signal quartermaster; he reported to me with the glass. I told him to go on the forecastle, and keep a look out for this buoy on the port buw, and he went there. At 6 o'clock he was relieved by Thomas Woolley quarter- muster. At 7.20 as near as I can judge I thought we were
sort of drifting in to starboard as Kanonsaki was drawing more ahead; we had had it a point ou the starboard bow. I thought we wers sagging in toward the western shore. I sent for Me. Moldaur and gave the order to starboard a little; the ship was heading out to port slowly; my object was to put the light to the same bearing just then the quartermaster on the forecastle reported a steamer right ahead; and I saw a steamer's must-head light coming round Kanousaki point, and this light passed from ahead to starboard; then when I turned round I saw Mr. Moldour, who asked me, what's the matter Yates ?" I said, I think we are sagging into star- board, and I ordered the helm to starboarded; and there is a steamer's mast-head light passing from ahead to star- board; but Mr. Moldaur said, "I can't go any more to port, we must head our course." I asked the quartermaster how the ship then headed, he said S. E. by S., so that she must have came up I point and, then I ordered her on her. coarse, and when she got there the quartermastor reported her so; that course was S by D. E. Whon tho ship was on her course, we could see the steamer's mast-head light on our starboard bow and changing its bearing further aft. Not long after, Mr. Moldaur and I both saw her green light, and ber mast-head light a point on our starboard bow. She was then evidently running nearly parallel to us, pretty well into the western or starboard shore. Mr. Moldaur said, "yon see her green light there" and 1 said "yes" and he said, "she'll pass to starboard of us" which was also my idea. She was then over three miles off, we were on our course all the time, S. by E. E., and we were of coarse approach- ing each other. When the steamer was a mile off, three points on the starboard how, I saw she had put her helm to port, by the new direction in which she headed; sho headed right for our green light. I was standing on the starboard side of the bridge where I had been standing all the time since we had made this steamer, and I saw her heading for me; and the instant hor red light opened (then I saw all three lights), I gave the order “starboard,” then "hard a starboard." The quartermaster answered me from the wheel. Wo hoaded off rapidly to port and kept heading off that way; when this steamer was
a short distance from me, I can't judge how far exactly, she put her helm to starboard. If she had not starboarded her belm when she did, she would have struck forward of the point which she did strike, I didn't hear any order given on the other steamer, but I saw evidently that she heade1 to port and that her helm must therefore have been a starboard. I heard no noise on the steamer, and saw no siguals made of any kind before or after the collision: just about?" Whether it was to some one on board the Oneida as she struck some one sang out, "what the bell are you
or to some one on the Bombay I cannot say. She struck our ship not long after starboarding her helm; her beim was a atarboard when she struck us; she struck us about the starboard mizen rigging, right abreast as I should judge, and at an angle of about 40 to 45 deg-cos, and she cut off the whole of the quarter diagonally, and carried away the poop, which went over the side astern; she also carried away our spanker boom and gaff, the wheel and starboard binnacle. She cut the gig in two and smashed it all up. The only binnacle we had left was the ous on the port side. My ship was nnmanageable-ontirely so. As soon as she struck I gave orders to shorton sail; the square sails were taken off the ship, and the main-trysuil too; the spanker was gone, but the head sails were not hauled down. As soon as she struck, the officers all rushed on deck. Captain Williams was brought on dook by two men, and Mr. Stewart, as soon as he touched the ship'a deck, ran to the port side of the deck, jumped upon an arm chest near the rail, and sung out in a loud tone of voice, "steamer ahoy, you have cut as down, remain by us.” The Bombay was at that time across the stern of the Oneida, but immediately went out of sight. I only heard Mr. Stewart shout out once, and I heard no one else bail the stormer. I heard no one answer from the Bombay, He then went down from the chest and said, "for God's sako, are'nt there any primers about here? where's Langman, where's the gunner's mate." All the primers that Were aft were varried away, together with alt the rockets that had been made up and all the blue lights and siguals which might have boon available-the lights were in a box made fast up underneath the poop fas- tened to the beams; the rockets were also made fast along the beams together; the boxes of primers were in the ar- mouries which were situated on each side underneath the poop. Soon after, Thomas Stevenson got the primers. I be lieve, and Mr. Stewart and Mr. Adatne loaded and fired a gun, it was the starboard No. 1, 3rd Division gun which was just forward of the bridge. Her calibre was thirty two lbs. and the charge was 6 lbs. When the Captain came on deck, I told him that the ship had ported her helm and cat me down; he said, "I know it, air, but let us save the ship," and he gave ordera to keep silence on deck. He then gave orders for shortening sail, but they had al- ready commenced to do so. When I next saw the Captain, it was about a minute after I had just spoken to hira; he asked me to go and see if the jib was esta I went and saw,
and came back and reported "yes" so he said that was right; then the order was given to set the foretopsail, with the idea of paying the ship off and running her ashore on the westward shore. There were several officers for. ward. I wont forward and gave the order to man the topsail sheet. I saw Mr. Sargent there and then I heard Mr. Moldaur call out for me, and he wanted me to help bim to get the pumpa manned ou deck; the carpenter was there and we got the pumps mauned, and the men got to work on them; all the pumps were going, the steam pumps, and deck pumps, but the water was rising very rapidly, and the ship sinking very fast by the storn; just before sho Bank about three minutes, Mr. Moldaur called me to see how she headed; I went aft and looked at the port bin- nsole, and she headed E. by N., and I judge that she must have run about two miles after the collision; she kept coming up all the time toward the eastward. (Just be- fore the Bombay struck us, the officer on our forecastle called out, "hard a port," but I didn't repeat his order, and I think his idea was to swing the ships parallel, as the Bombay was passing our centre. The Bombay's how had got past the centre of our ship; the Bombay had already starboarded her helm). I then went and told Mr. Moldaur how she headed, and he told me to go on the bridge and tell the Captain. Mr. Moldaur was sounding with the lead, trying to find the bottom. I went up and sold the Captain, but I don't remember that he said anything. Immediately Mr. Moldaur jumped on to the bridge and said, the ship would sink in three minutes by the stern; he begged the Captain to take to the boats; they had been clearing away the boats before this, and gotting them realy to lower; the fires cutter at that time was out of the cradle the first and third cutters were the only boats we had after the collision except the dingy which was broken in two she had been condemued and was only kept on the davits to stow gear in. But the Captain would give no orders to take to the boats; he replied to Mr. Moldaur,-- no, no-nover mind the boats." I understood that Mr. Moldaur did, notwithstanding, give an order to take to the boats. About that time the bridge was very near the water: just before it touched the water, I asked the Cap- tain to jump with me into the cutter, which was a little way off; but he stood there. He made some reply, but 1 could'nt swear what the reply was; I think he said some- thing about: "I will sink with my ship" but I thought that I would jump, so I jumped, and dropped my trampet as I jumped. I sank. I had on cloth clothes and a heavy over- coat, and I came up and struck against the side of a boat with my bead. I begged a man to haul me in; he laid hold of ine and, while he was hauling me in, I turned my head to the right and I saw the foretopgallant mast stick. ing out of the water, but just going down, and when I got into the boat I stood up and looked about for the ship, but I could see nothing of her, nor anything in the water then. Just then Mr. Crowninshields swam to the boat and begged me to baul him in; so we hauled him in. Then I saw an officer in his shirt sleeves, and be begged me to save him; he said, "Yates, for God's sake save ine." That was Mr. Stewart, the executive officer. I ordered the men to back down; they backed their cars, but he wank under- neath the stern of the boat. I saw no other person but Mr. Stewart and Mr. Crowninshields. I may have seen Mr. Moldaur, but I won't be certain. I begged the men to stay by the ship and they did so, but we soon all saw that our boat was very fall of men; they had quite a muraber in the boat when she was lowered, and half were hauled in afterwards. We had 44 in our boat, the boat was not very large, and there was a great deal of water in the boat, and the water was coming in a little; so orders were given to bail with shoes and hats. I soon saw that if we wanted to save ourselves, we would have to get on shore as soon as possible, and the men were clamouring to go on. They commenced to pull ahead. I begged them to stop, but they wouldn't; we headed for shore. I having given up all hope, we went before the wind, heading into land when possible, and steering with a long oar. At one time, just before we lauded, we were very nearly capsized in the surf, but we finally all got on shore and landed at a village, just in a cove, this side of Kanonsaki light, that is, we landed on the rocks, whence we praces led to the village. Some of us stayed there all night, but after I went to sleep some of them straggled of. I got up in the morning, leaving Mr. Crowninshields and three men with him. bad started to walk on with a party of men and arrived at Yokoska at about 10 AM. They treated us kindly there, and I found a number of my men there. I went out in a steam launch from Yokoska toward Karonsaki, and met the Aspic, French guuboat; she had a boat astern with Mr. Lyons in charge. I got into the boat, and sent all my men in the launch to the Yangtose; then I went down in this boat with Mr. Lyons, towed by the Aspic. She soon cast us off, and wo palled in t ward the shore; afterward I got into the English ateam launch and we looked around the coast. I went into the English launch from Mr. Lyon's boat direct. I didn't go on shore, but I saw a Russian boat there, and the Captain of the Sylvia camo slongside in his boat; then we went out in the launch
I
down to the light ship, and then we went on shore, and I walked about on shore with some officers of the Idaho, aud the Captain of the Sylvia also; this was about three o'clock.
I then went ou board the Sylvia, in which I came to Yokohama, and was then pat on board the Idaho.
Adjourned till 1.30 P.M.
Proceedings resumed at 1.30 P.M.
Mr. YATES said he had forgetten to mention that the Oneida's steam whistle was blowing from the time of the collision until just before the ship sunk. I saw the man Jacobson turn it on. Jacobson was lost.
To Mr. DE LONG.-When I said that our lamps were out, I meant that they were out in the boxes; both side-lights and the masthead light were burning brightly. When we first saw the Bombay's red light, it was something over three minutes before the collision took place, as I saw all three lights and this vessel broad on my starboard bow, it was my duty to starboard my helm. If I had ported at that time, we should possibly have collided bows on; and I would no doubt have struck her on ber starboard bow. If we had struck hows on, I think the Bombay would have cut into us very far. On leaving the anchorage, the Oneida passed to the East of the light-ship. I don't know exactly at what time we passed her. I saw the light-ship on our starboard side. The light-ship was about three cables lengths off when we passed. I relieved the deck at a quar- ter to six. The course passed to me on taking the deck was S. by E. E. I speak of the course by compass. I do know that there was not one-half of a degree deviation be- tween the standard compass and the compass we were steering by. The navigator would know all these things. S. by E. E. was the course actually steered. And Mr. Moldaur, the navigating officer, would have made allow- ances for deviation and variation. The deviation of the compass on that course would not be over half a degree. I changed the course S. by E. M. once. I changed becange I thought the ship was sagging into the Western shore. I headed up to S. E. by S. I headed up that way somewhere about four minutes. The next course to that was S. by E. quarter E. Mr. Moldaur ordered me to return to the original course; the reasou was, "I cannot stand any more to port." I left this latter course again on seeing a stoamer on my starboard bow heading for me. I suppose about 12 or 15 minutes must have elapsed between the time that I receiv ed Mr. Moldaur's order to alter the coarse, and the time that i altered it on seeing the other steamer. The Bombay was three points on our starboard bow. When I deviated the second time, the vessels were about one mile apart at that time. I think the gun was fired four times from the Oneida; all the shots were from the same gun; the sound of the fourth was, I think, somewhat smothered, as the vessel was about sinking. The licatenant wanted the gun- ner'a mate to get primers and powder. I should judge the primers were got from forward; we fired four times from the same gun, because the primers and powder wore at that gun; and I suppose Mr. Stewart kept them there. I only stayed there with him until he fired that one gua. None of the guns were loaded at the time of the collision. There were two lookouts on the forecastle, and one on the port side of the poop; those were all we had. One officer, Mr. Midshipman Hall, was on the forecastle all the time; there was also a quartermaster with a glass. I don't mean to say that all the signala on board, but that all that were quickly available, were lost, when the quarter was carried away. I should say that 30 seconds after the collision, cear whistle was blown; and that five minutes elapsed before the first gun was fired. The Oneida floated fifteen minutes after collision. I think the tonnago of the Oneida was 1,030 tons, with the engine-room. (Admitted that the gross tonnage of the Bombay is 1,376 tona). The new tonnage of the Oneida was 695 tons. The Oneida had a poop-deok built up over the spar deck astern. There were double doors où each side of the deck, which closed this cabin in. Inside of this poop cabin there was an armoury on each side; the tiller also came through there; and the relieving tackles were also in there. Abaft the tiller was a bath tub; and there wore pega in the cabiz for coats. The officers need to bang their rain clothes in there. We also had large easy chairs in there. This place was used as a lounging and smoking room by the Captain and officers. Over-head, there were boxes for signals; there was a chart-tablo and a drawer with charts on the forward sido against the bulk-head; it was quite a broad table. There was also sparo gun-gear. There were always lamps kept in there; two were always kept alight in there at night. There were also some books; the log-book was sometimes kept in there. There was no cloth on the table: the colour of the table was a yellowish brown. The barometer and thermometers were in there. The cabin had two stern portes; and there were arrange. ments inside for setting off the life buoys. The Oneida's bridge was some distance, say one hundred feet, forward of the poop cabin. Outside the poop cabin on each side were water-closets. As regards the Captain's cabin, this was covered by a raised hatch with windows. There wore win- dows in its sides. There was a movable slide to this hatch;
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