The following is the full report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Evening Star disaster, of which an abstract appeared in yesterday's TIMES:
                                                            TREASURY DEPARTMENT,     }
                                                              WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 1866.}
    SIR: By virtue of the instructions contained in your letter of the 5th ult., a report embracing my operations under which, save that pertaining to the examination into the cause of the loss of the Evening Star, on the 3d alt., is already before you. I now have the honor to report the result of the examination referred to. It may be proper for me to state here that the object I had in view, when making the inquiry, was not so much to determine the degree of culpability which should attach to the owners of the Evening Star, should the examination prove the correctness of the common report and universal belief that the ship had been sent to sea in an unseaworthy condition, as to decide a question which more immediately concerns this office, to wit: whether or not the inspectors in New-York had given a certificate of seaworthiness to a ship unsound in hull, engines or boilers, and had thus rendered themselves directly responsible for the loss of some 250 lives. In order to satisfactorily determine this, it was obviously necessary to examine into the general history of the ship, an important point in which would be to ascertain the way in which she was built. It appears from the testimony of J. A. RAYNOR, Esq., the Ex-Superintendent of the New-York Mail Steamship Company, to which the Evening Star belonged, and who held that office at the time the Evening Star was built, as well as from that of ISAAC L. WATERBURY, Esq., her builder, that her keel was laid in 1863, and the ship launched in 1863, under contract with Messrs. ROOSEVELT, JOYCE & WATERBURY. She was built under the immediate supervision of Mr. RAYNOR, and the specifications called for a first-class ship in every particular. It should be known that Mr. WATERBURY built, as a sub-contractor, the well known steamships Marion, Pacific, Baltic and Pioneer. He also constructed the other ships of the New-York Mail Steamship line, beside numerous large sailing ships, during his twenty-eight years' experience as a shipbuilder; and it may be interesting to you to know in this connection that Mr. WATERBURY stated under oath that the Evening Star was as strong a ship as any he had ever built of her dimensions. The value of the hull of the Evening Star was about $100,000, and her dimensions were as follows: 275 feet keel, 39 foot 4 inches breadth of hull, 25 feet 3 inches in depth, and length over all, 288 feet. Her tonnage, by builder's measurement, was about 2,200 tons. She would draw light, about 13 feet mean draft, about 13 feet 9 inches aft, and about 12 feet 8 inches forward. Her frame was composed of live oak, white oak and hackmetak, and was filled in solid at the floor for about 200 feet, as high as the turn of the bilge. The frames were from centre to centre 30 inches asunder, and above the door heads were sided 9 inches and were double. Her floor timbers were sided from 12 to 15 inches and molded in the centre 16 inches, and molded at the main plank shear 6 inches, with straight diminish. The stanchions of rail were of locust, extending downward to half the length of the top timber. Her main keelsons were 32 by 16 inches, and were made of white oak, scarfed together with 18 feet hooked scarfs. The first tier of keelsons were fastened with 1 1/8 inch copper bolts, extending through the floor timbers and keel, and clinched on the underside. The upper course was fastened with 1� inch iron bolts, square fastened, extending downward into the keel and stopping short 2 inches of the bottom. The dimensions of her keel were 15 by 16 inches, and it was of white oak. The side keelsons were of white oak, also 15 by 16 inches, extending the whole length of the ship. The bilge streaks were 6 in number on each side, 9 by 12 inches square, fastened by 1-inch iron bolts and edge-bolted every four feet. Her ceiling from thence to the lower deck, including the clamps, was 7 inches in thickness, and was square, fastened with one and seven-eighth inch iron. Her lower deck beams were of yellow pine, placed six feet from centre to centre, excepting in the wake of the engine, and were sided from fourteen to sixteen inches, and milded [sic] nine inches at the ends and fifteen inches in the centre, secured at the ends and to the side of the ship by lodging and bosom knees sided seven inches, hanging knees under every beam, sided nine and ten inches. The molding size of lodging and bosom knees was seventeen inches, hanging knees molded through the throat twenty inches, and fastened with sixteen one-inch iron bolts, driven from the outside of the ship's frame and clinched on the knee. The lower deck waterways were in three streaks, inner tier of white pine fourteen inches square. The beam tier was of oak, nine by fourteen inches square, fastened by two bolts driven from the inner and two from the outer side of the ship, the bolts varying from one to seven-eighth inches in diameter, and edge bolted with one-inch iron at about every four feet. The upper deck clamps were 6 inches in thickness by 12 inches in width, three streaks in all, and scarfed with 6 feet scarfs. The ceiling between the clamps and waterway was of the same thickness as the clamps. The upper deck beams were of yellow pine, sided 12 and 13 inches, molded at the ends 7 inches, and in the centre 13 inches. The lodging and bosom knees were sided 6 inches and molded 10 inches. The hanging knees were sided 8 and 9 inches and bolted with seven-eighths and one inch iron bolts. The upper deck waterway was 13 inches wide by 14 inches high, and made of white pine, jogged over the beams. The planking outside was of white oak, 5 inches thick at the wales, the same being 14 in number and 7 inches wide. The starboard streak was 7 inches thick by 16 inches wide, bolted edgeways through the keel and upward through the floor timbers. The average thickness of the outside planking between the wales and the garboard streak was about 4� inches. The vessel was diagonally strapped with iron, 4 by 5/8 inches, 4� feet apart, and at an angle of about 45 degrees, secured at the heads by a longitudinal strap of iron, 5 by �(?) inches, extending around the ship and terminating on each side at the stem, let in flush with the outer part of the frame, driven through the clamps and clinched. The diagonal straps were ail bolted through the frame and clinched on the ceiling, one course being let in the frame and the other in the planking.
    From this it will be seen that the ship was thoroughly well built, and that so much of current report to the contrary is manifestly erroneous. The engines were of the kind known as beam engines, with 80-inch cylinder, 12-feet stroke, and well proportioned. The engines were built in 1854 by CUNNINGHAM & BELKNAP, for the New-York and Erie Railroad; and intended for lake navigation. Although somewhat old, the evidence of ERASTUS W. SMITH, Ex-Superintendent Engineer of the Company, and that of other engineers of eminence, proves that they were of sufficient capacity and power for the ship, and, as the sequel will show, in neither the engines nor boilers was any defect discovered nor damage observed until the breaking of the steam-pipe, about two and a half hours before the sinking of the ship; the boilers, which were of the tubular return form, remaining uninjured until the end. The ship was square-rigged forward, fore-and-aft rigged on her mainmast. All her spars, sails and rigging were in excellent condition. She was not provided, however, with any spare spars or sails. The ship's company was composed of captain, first and second officers, boatswain and ten seamen. The engine department was composed of one chief-engineer, two assistants, three water-tenders, six firemen and eight coal-passers. She was provided with all the life-boats required by law, six in number, beside one wooden twenty-foot boat additional. It occurred to me that she may have been injured at some time by getting ashore, or by straining in a heavy seaway when loaded deeply, and that, not being properly repaired, the disaster might have been in a measure attributable to weakness in her hull. On making inquiry, I found that she had, in May last, got on Pickle Reef, Florida. The former captain of the ship was then subp�naed to give evidence on this point. The facts elicited by an examination of this gentleman and the chief-engineer and purser, show that she went on the reef on the 31st of May, 1866, when outward bound; that she remained on it over 50 hours; that the weather at the time was moderate, with a slight southeasterly swell; that she laid very easy while on the reef, being light; that she continued her voyage to New-Orleans without further accident, and experienced no difficulty by reason of her going ashore on the reef; that she made another trip after that accident, in which she encountered a heavy gale of wind from the North, in the gulf of Mexico, and behaved well in it; that she made no more water after going on the reef, than before, which was evidence that she had not been seriously damaged while ashore. It was, however, thought best to give her an overhauling, and she was put upon the ways on the 13th of July, when it was discovered that her garboard was very slightly scratched, and her keel split in places extending from about midships to 30 feet aft, but it was not started in any way from the seams. This portion of her keel was removed and a new piece put on and secured by six feet scarfs, and fastened into the inner keelsons through with 330 pounds of copper bolts one and one-eighth inch in diameter. She was then thoroughly caulked and payed with pitch and composition. Before leaving the ways she was examined to ascertain whether there was any evidence of damage by the opening of buts in waterways, plank-shear or clamps. She was also completely overhauled by the local Inspectors in New-York, and it was found that she was in as good condition as ever. After this she was put under command of Capt. KNAPP, a gentleman of acknowledged ability and much experience afloat, under whose care she made successful voyages up to the time of the disaster to her on the 3d of October. It appears that after she got off the reef in May and left the ways in August, she encountered some severe weather, in which, according to the evidence, the vessel behaved admirably and was considered to be as good as when first launched, in every respect. Indeed the evidence seems to be conclusive on this point, and the testimony proves that up to the time of her sailing for the last time from New-York she was a good, serviceable, seaworthy vessel. She sailed on her last voyage on the 29th of September last, with a general cargo, and drawing sixteen feet water main draft, and from the time the vessel left Sandy Hook until Tuesday, the 2d of October, at 2 o'clock P. M. about thirty hours after passing Cape Hatteras, nothing of importance occurred, the weather being fine, with easterly winds and swell prevailing, the ship's course being S. S. W., with all sail set and making eleven knots, but about 3 P. M. on that day the wind began to freshen from the east, the barometer falling from twenty-nine thirty to twenty-eight eight-tenths, and at 5 P. M. it blew a whole gale. Meanwhile, in the second officer's watch, all the canvas had been taken off her and the ship hauled head to sea, heading S. S. E., the vessel laboring heavily, but shipping no water, save on one occasion, when she shipped a sea over her top-gallant forecastle, which did no damage, however. Up to 7:30 P. M. the ship made, to borrow the language of the second officer, "splendid weather," and averaging from four to five knots. The wind was blowing about E. by N., and continually increasing and hauling gradually around toward E. N. E., and still later, or rather early next A. M., until the ship went down, it was gradually backing round to the northward. So long as she was kept up she headed about southeast, head to sea. It appears that about 10 P. M. on the second she was struck by a very heavy sea on her port quarter, knocking one of the seaman over the quarter, breaking his arm, and causing the rudder chain to ship out of the groove. The ship immediately fell off into the trough of the sea and commenced shipping very heavy water over midships. Much time seems to have been consumed in securing the rudder, which, after an hour had elapsed, was finally secured to windward, the helm hard down. This however, failed to bring her up by reason of the heavy sea which was then running. The engines meanwhile were in good condition, and making three or four revolutions per minute. No attempt was made to get the ship's head to wind at this or any subsequent time, either by means of a drag or otherwise. The heavy seas were by no means idle while the ship lay in its trough, but made a complete breach over her. She seems from this time to have been abandoned so far as any attempt to help her head to or before the wind is concerned, and it is difficult to account for the fact that none of the expedients known to seamen for helping a ship up to the wind were ever tried. Notwithstanding the violent lee lurches which the ship made while in this condition, no evidence of leak through the ship's hull appeared, and up to as late an hour as 10:30 P. M. no more than 16 inches of water were reported in the vessel's hold, the bilge injection keeping her free; but she had not been laboring long in the trough of the sea before its violence began to tell upon her upper works, and before 11 o'clock the forward gangway on the starboard side of the ship had been stove in, and the water came pouring through in immense volumes. At this juncture, all of the ship's company who could be spared, and such of the passengers who could stand upon deck under the lead of the purser and boatswain, did their utmost with the means at their disposal to stop the breach in the ship's side. The pantry-room, bulkhead doors, mattresses, and every available article, were brought into requisition, but to no purpose, and their efforts to prevent the ingress of the sea were finally abandoned as futile, in order that their efforts might be directed to bailing, as the only effectual means left to keep the water under. Here is a painful evidence of the necessity for every sea-going ship being provided with a competent ship's carpenter and furnished with the proper stores of timber, lumber, &c., for it is more than probable that had the Evening Star been so equipped a bulk-head of sufficient strength might have been erected to keep out the sea. Those who have had experience in such matters know thereby the value of such an adjunct to a ship's complement as a carpenter and crew. Their efforts directed by skill and experience could accomplish more in thirty minutes in an emergency than those indefatigable but unskilled gentlemen could, had they battled with the storm as many hours. Opposite the port through which the sea was making was a door leading to the engine-room and also a ventilator, and the sea had uncontrolable access to the engine-room into which it rushed in great quantities. Much of the water found its way below over the house combings, through the openings in the deck and panels of the deck-houses which had been broken by the sea. All hands were at this time--about 2 A. M. of the 3d--bailing ship, a strong force being at work in the engine-room and below endeavoring to keep its fires clear. In this they succeeded for a considerable time, but owing to the excessive rolling of the ship, increased no doubt by the increased weight of water in the ship and the shifting of the cargo, their efforts were destined to be unavailing. At about 3 o'clock the steam-pipe gave way, but the engines were kept working by the engineer for two hours after, and indeed till the fires were put out, about 5 A. M. This break of the steam-pipe was caused by the straining of the ship. The ship was provided with a donkey engine and boiler, but those unfortunately gave out at the same time the steam-pipe broke. But the leak in the pipe increased to such an extent that the men were unable to go into the fire-room save at intervals. In consequence of this accident the quantity of steam was necessarily diminished, but the loss of the ship can in no wise be attributed to this circumstance, for she was certainly a doomed vessel before this occurred. The energy and perseverance of the engineers were most praiseworthy. He was at his post endeavoring to keep the machinery in motion with the bar and hand-gear until the engines stopped altogether. By this time the ship was given up for lost, and preparations were made to leave the ship, as she was discovered to be settling. Then followed the indescribable heart-rending scene which has so harrowed the public mind, and demanded a thorough, impartial inquiry. At about 6 A. M. the vessel sank, taking down with her at once over two hundred victims. No satisfactory evidence was adduced by which it could be determined whether or not all the boats of the ship were properly equipped, agreeably to an order by the Captain to that effect. It is certain, however, that none were found by those who were saved provided with anything in the shape of food or spars, but inasmuch as one or two of them were capsized, it is possible that if they had been provisioned their stores had been washed out of them. It is also certain that while she had all the boats which the law requires, seven in all, she had not half enough to save the number of persons on board, nor were the boats fitted with the detached apparatus required by law, which had they been, and the boats properly manned and promptly launched, it is my firm opinion that at least one-half of the lives might have been saved.
    From the foregoing, which is little more than a digest of the testimony taken, I conceive it possible to to arrive at a reasonable conclusion as to the cause or combination of causes that resulted in the loss of the Evening Star, and it occurs to me that the principal cause was an error of judgment on the part of the Captain. It will be seen that until 2 o'clock P. M. of the 2d, when the ship was about abreast of Tybee island, and on the eastern edge of the Gulf Stream, nothing of any moment had transpired. About this time the barometer began to fall, and in a short time fell from 29� 30' to 23� 8'. The wind, which had been blowing steadily from about E. or E. by S., began to freshen, and everything gave evidence of an approaching storm of unusual severity. The ship, however, was kept on her course, and, as may have been expected from the proximity to the edge of the stream, where the current runs at two and a half to three knots per hour, she soon encountered a very heavy swell from E. S. E. At 7 o'clock in the evening, the wind then blowing a hard gale, and gradually veering to N. E., it was deemed necessary to haul her head to sea, in which position she continued laboring terribly until she fell off into the trough of the sea. It will be seen that from the first hour the settled course of the storm was northward, and it is believed that had the ship been headed west early in the afternoon of Tuesday, the vessel might have been saved by escaping the full fury of the tempest, and running into a moderate gale on the other side of the Gulf Stream. This, it is believed, would have been the part of wisdom, if acted upon in season, but it is likewise certain that to attempt to run his ship after the gale had culminated in the hurricane would have been a hazardous experiment, and his only chance for safety would have been to keep his ship's head to sea, or hard to wind, which it is believed might have been done by means of a drag, assisted by a little show of canvas on her main-mast. Nothing of the sort was even attempted, and from the time she fell off into the trough of the sea no effort seems to have been made to haul her up after the rudder was secured, and the only means of safety, in the judgment of the captain, seems to have been in keeping the ship free of the water which she shipped, by bailing out, and in the hope that the storm might abate. It is a wonder that the vessel lived so long under these circumstances. I have already adverted to the need of a good ship's carpenter, which was experienced on the trying occasion, and I confess to the belief in the possibility of saving the vessel, she being so staunch in her hull, had there been a carpenter on board, properly supplied with stores, &c.; for the ultimate cause of her going down was the shipping such immense quantities of water through the breaches in her upper works on the starboard side, Whether Capt. KNAPP would have been led to adopt expedients for getting the ship's head to wind or sea, had he a larger crew, it is impossible to say, but taking into consideration his long experience at sea, and his reputation as a seaman, it is difficult to account for the fact of his not having done so, excepting on the ground of the evident inuttlity [sic] of any such attempt with so weak a crew. Indeed, with the few seamen at his disposal in such a gale, he must have felt comparatively helpless. It gives me much satisfaction in being able to state that I am thoroughly convinced that the inspectors in New-York, who are sound practical men, discharged their whole duty in the inspection of the Evening Star in August last. The loss of the ship is not without its appropriate lesson to ship-owners, and, in the absence of any laws affecting the subject, I sincerely trust their attention will be directed to the necessity which exists for the more complete manning, equipping and furnishing the American merchant marine generally, to the end that the same may be elevated to that point of pre-eminence above that of all other nations to which it is invited by the unequaled resources of the country. A degree of positive security of life at sea, insomuch so that the probability or possibility of the loss of life in ordinary voyages may be reduced to a minimum, is possible of attainment, and that without so much outlay; and that while some of the larger companies furnish exceptions--by the care shown in the equipment of their ships--for the necessity of legislation upon this subject, it is none the less certain that the enactment of stringent laws governing our merchant marine is an absolute necessity. I therefore beg to call your attention to this matter, in the hope that radical changes in the existing laws may be suggested to Congress. I am greatly indebted to the assistance rendered in this examination in the Engine Department to Mr. W. BURNETT, of the California District, who, being in the neighborhood, was solicited to assist in the examination, with special reference to the engines and boilers of the ship, in order that a full and impartial inquiry into this important branch of the subject should be made by a disinterested expert in preference to the inspector of machinery in New-York, who, if guilty of dereliction in duty, would not be likely to ask questions to criminate himself. He is an engineer of scientific attainments and much practical experience. His services were therefore invaluable, and his inquiries critical and complete. I have the honor to inclose herewith the testimony taken, together with a list of the witnesses examined, and to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,                         W. M. MEW.
    Hon. HUGH McCULLOUGH, Secretary of the Treasury.
    I certify that I was present, and assisted in the investigation into the case of the loss of the Evening Star, and fully concur in the foregoing report.
                                                                                        WM. BRADFORD,
Supervising Inspector of Steamboats for the Second District.

Source:

Unknown, "The Evening Star Disaster, Report of the Government Committee of Investigation," New York Times, New York, Sunday, 11 November, 1866, Page 3.