Dear Sirs--: Received your letter of December fourth asking for a statement regarding scow owned by United States light house department that was destroyed by Str. Joe S. Morrow on August 15th.
When I saw the Morrow taking the sheer I was at the watch house on end of south west pier. I immediately ran down the pier but could not see Str. crush scow as the Str. Aspen lay between me and the scow. The scow lay in front of light house keepers freight shed. The Str. Aspen was bout four hundred feet west of scow at time of accident. When I reached the spot of accident the mate had two or three men picking some pieces of lumber from the water. Do not know the names of men but one was either first or second mate of Str. Aspen. I was to[o] far away from Str. Morrow to tell whether or not she was handled with apparent skillfulness and also to[o] far away to hear Captain of St. Morrow give any orders to the mate who was in charge of scow.
Yours truly
Harry Smith
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Note made in my pier book at time of accident
Str. Joe S. Morrow up bound took sheer when about centre of bridge island and struck a small scow owned by United States light house department which was laying about twenty-five feet west of rail road bridge on south pier unloading cement and other freight at light house keepers freight shed. Scow was nine feet and twenty-four feet long. Scow was smashed to pieces. Accident happened at 4.59
