The Wheeling Daily Register

BY TELEGRAPH.

Exclusively for the Register.

By the Pacific and Atlantic Line.

Office, 110 Main Street.

WASHINGTON.

Washington, August 18.

Wawasset Investigation.

The Wawasset steamboat investigation was resumed this forenoon. The testimony of the witnesses is to the effect that no particular person or officer of the ship was engaged in controlling the life boats, the possession of which had been taken by the passengers in such manner and in such large numbers as to render them useless. Captain Gedney, superintendent of the Potomac Ferry company, was recalled and requested to furnish the Commission with a sample of the oil used on the boat. He said there was no kerosene oil, but that it was coal oil, more than a gallon of which was not allowed on the boat at any time. Robt. Nash, engineer, being recalled, said he did not think the fire originated in the back draught of the boiler, but that it must have originated in the fireman's room, everything pointed that way. Wm. McKenny, bar keeper, testified to the best of his knowledge that none of the officers had been drinking at the bar, but very few of them or of the crew being drinking men. When the witness left temporarily he asked Nash, the engineer, to keep an eye on the bar, and to say to any one applying for a drink that he would soon return. He did not know that Nash had at any time served liquor. None of the officers had any pecuniary interest in the bar in any way. Nash was as sober and temperate a man as he had ever seen; he seldom drank spirits, and the witness had known him to refuse to drink with passengers, saying, "Your lives are in my hands; I have a duty to attend to and will not drink any." Leonidas Scott testified in answer to a question, that before the boat reached Smith's landing, he saw Nash behind the bar serving liquor to a young man from a black bottle. The next time the witness saw Nash, he was outside the door, when some one told him the boat was on fire. This was not many seconds after Nash was in the bar room. The engineer was paralyzed with fear. Other witnesses were examined, one of whom testified that Nash waited on him and another passenger, serving one lemon syrup and one ale in the bar room. The examination will be continued to-morrow.