The Cambria Freeman

A THRILLING TALE.

Narrative of Albert S. Gallup Before the Metis Investigating Commission Two Hours Bailing with a Gaiter Shoe—Other Testimony.

PROVIDENCE, R. I., September 11.—In the Metis investigation to-day, Albert S. Gallup testified that he was a passenger; that he was awakened by the crash; saw one of the under officers, who said that everything was all right; was afterward aroused by Captain Hull, who said that the ship was sinking; went into the saloon and found the people in it in commotion; some had life preservers on and some were putting them on; he could find none in his room, and did not secure one at all; after getting on the hurricane-deck he attempted to jump into a boat and fell, seizing an iron brace connected with the lowering apparatus; at that instant the bow of the boat fell into the water, and every person except myself fell into the water also; the ship had not lost her headway, and in moving forward, the stern tackle being in the water carried the boat bottom-upwards, dragging it end over end; by some means she righted, and was dragged along until a man, who afterwards proved to be the second mate, cut the davit fall, and the boat was free; there were some five got into this boat; I helped two of them myself; there were some eight or ten voices at the stern

CRYING FOR HELP;

there were only three men in the boat that could handle an oar besides the man in command; there were five oars in the boat; they rowed out to these heads in the water; we could not see anybody, but the sound of their voices ceased, and I feared we should be able to pick up nobody; they kept pulling and got hold of a fireman with a life preserver on; took him into the boat; then picked up a man without a life preserver after rowing some distance; just then a sea struck her, knocked everybody in the boat into a heap, and knocked the oars adrift. I sang out to put her head to the sea, or you will swamp her; the man in charge told them to put her head to the sea; he had the steering oar, and gave directions to the rowers; I got down in the bottom of the boat to find something to bail with; she was about one-third full of water; found a gaiter shoe; I commenced bailing and did not stop for two hours; the storm increased; the men on board, when they found I was making some headway in the water with the shoe, compared notes and called the roll, as it were, as to

WHO WERE ON BOARD;

they all knew each other, and talked of several who started with them in the boat but were missing; I said nothing, but kept at my work bailing, and concluded that I was on board a boat that had been lowered without authority; then there was a discussion among them about the steamer; they all declared that they could not see any sign of her, the man in charge stated that he was sure she had gone, as her guards were under water when the boat passed away from the steamer; when we left the steamer we went directly astern of her; she was going one way and we another; never saw her afterwards; knew nothing of the direction in which we were going and no one in the boat knew; we sighted a schooner; all hands shouted, and the man in charge ordered me to get upon the seat to show myself, as I had on a white shirt; he said,

"GET UP THERE, WHITE SHIRT."

As I had heard some mutterings when the storm was heaviest about there being too many in the boat, I obeyed promptly, stood up and shouted at the top of my voice, with others; the vessel did not see us and sailed away from us; that was repeated in two other instances; I received the order. "Get up, white shirt," and I got up; I was very much exhausted; I had ceased bailing from exhaustion and a fireman was put to work to keep the boat clear; found on the second mate's badge; I asked if the second mate was on board this boat; the man who had given all the orders said that he was the second mate; I had never seen him before in my life; I asked him who ordered him to lower the boat; he replied Captain Torrey, the first pilot; sighted a steamer coming down quite a distance off; saw the name

THETIS ON HER SIDE;

saw the men on her; she was up to the windward; was not able to hail her; knew then for the first time in what direction the boat was heading; very soon after the Thetis passed a Portuguese in the bow saw land; the deck hands and firemen all sung out to turn the boat around and go ashore; one who was assisting the second mate in steering attempted to move out to turn her about; the mate threatened him, and then turns to me and says, "white shirt, you are a passenger, ain't you?" I replied that I was; he asked me my name and I gave it; he said it was not safe for this boat to go around, and wanted me to help to keep these men in subjection, which I did; this was three hours after we left the ship, according to the best of my calculation; a short time after this we sighted a small sail coming directly towards us; it proved to be the smack Quilp, of New London, Captain George Harris; he got us all safely on board; there were

EIGHT OF US ALL TOLD;

landed us in Stonington about half-past nine o'clock; I notified the Captain of the Narragansett, and the revenue steamer Moccasin was fired up and went to the rescue; I am one of the directors of the Company and Secretary; I went on board in New York as passenger; I have a pass as director; took supper with Captains Burton and Hull; never saw Captains Burton or Hull drink a drop of liquor; I have had no experience on steamboats; before I was told that the vessel was sinking I discovered a difference in the motion of the vessel; I thought she rolled heavily, dipped and quivered, and did not rise immediately; when taken on board the smack I was very much exhausted, but was able to be about; I was put in a berth in the cabin, and remained there trembling violently until we got into Stonington; I did not know the cutter was there until I saw her; it was a mere accident so far as I am concerned that information was given to them; was not in a life boat, but a small boat twenty feet long,

NOT A LIFE BOAT

in any sense of the word; am connected with the management only as with the Board of Direction; I considered the boat in charge of Captain Burton; Captain Hull, or any other man, ought to speak when he saw anything that was necessary to be done under such circumstances.

Q. In passing through the passenger gangway did you notice any passengers coming up from below? A. No, sir; I went up and down again; if there had been any ladies below at that time they must have been drowned; there were plenty of life-preservers forward when Captain Burton gave the order to put on life-preservers.

URBANE BAKER, WHEELSMAN OF THE METIS, testified that when the bow watchman reported a light ahead, he looked out and saw a red and green light on the port bow about half a point; should think it was about two minutes from that time that the pilot said "hard-a-port;" he had the wheel as hard a-port as he could; I looked out of the window and said "the vessel is coming right for us;" he then rang two bells and stopped the boat; about this time the ship was heading about southeast; the schooner came a-foul of us just abaft of the pilot-house; before she hit us I could see her sails shake from where I stood; at this time Captain Burton came into the pilot-house and asked what had happened; the pilot said we had hit a schooner; he thought we had sunk her; then looked out of the window and the pilot stepped back and took hold of the wheel.
On the cross-examination the wheel-man said: I was on the port side of the forward rim of the wheel; I took range of the schooner when I first saw her, and she sighted one-half a point on the port bow; she was about one-quarter of a mile distant off the starboard side with all sails drawing; the pilot said, "Hard-a-port," and I took hold and we put the wheel over; it may have taken us a half a minute to get it over; when the schooner hit us the ship was heading southeast; I noticed the compass at the time; when we noticed the schooner's sails shaking she was close upon us; they were shaking before she struck it; I am positive before the pilot gave the order to put the wheel a-port; he gave

NO SIGNAL TO THE SCHOONER.

After she struck he stopped the steamer; the Metis steered easily; I steered her six hours; I never saw any time when I could not steer her except perhaps in New York harbor; there was another schooner I think reported on the starboard side, but I did not see her myself.
Albert Schroeder, a passenger, deposed: He thought over two hundred souls were on board; after the disaster, he said, no one in authority was present with the passengers to direct or command.
Mrs. Francis Harris, stewardess, testified that there were fifteen berths besides herself in the ladies' cabin; thinks all got out of the cabin except one, who was sick; all the ladies she saw had life preservers.