The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-30 00:00:00

T.3E FATAL COLLISION NEAR
GRAVESEND.

On Monday morning a Board of Trade inquiry was
oponed by Mr. H. C. Rothery, the Wreck Commis-
sioner, and Assessors, at the Sessions House, Broad
Sanctuary, Westminster, into the circumstances -
attending the collision of the Dione with the Gomden,
which occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday,
August 2, near Ovens Buoy in the Higham Bight,
about three and a half miles below Gravesend. The
steamship Dione, of Stockton, was on her way down
the Thames, bound for Middlesbrough, and the
steamship Camden was on her way up the river from.
Falmouth when the collision occurred, the Dione
sinking within two or three minutes after havi -
struck. The collision resulted in the loss of lives,
most of whom were panangers. Several of the bodies
were recovered by means of divers, and an inquest
was held on them at the Town Hall, Gravesend, by
Mr. Penman, when the jury returned a verdict that
the deceased met their deaths through the steamships
Dione and Camden being in collision, and that the
jury were not prepared to attach blame to any
person. The counsel in the case were Mr. Mansel
Jones for the Board of Trade, Mr. Baden Powell for
the owners of the Camden, Mr. Nelson for the pilot
of the Camden, Mr. Gulley for the owners of the
Phone, and Mr. Buttrell for the master of the Dione.
Upon the bench with Mr. Rothery there were as
assessors Captain Donaldson and Captain Harland.
The President (Mr. Rothery) said that one of the
assessors (Captain Kiddie) was absent, and there was
some question whether in his absence the Court could
proceed with the inquiry. Upon referring to the Act
of Parliament and Order in Council relating to the
point, the President . said that it was clear that the
inquiry could not go on. Admiral Powell was originally
appointed as one of the assessors, but in his place
Captain Kiddie was afterwards appointed by the
Home Office. It was ultimately agreed that the
Court should be adjourned for an hour, in order to
communicate with Captain Kiddie at East Dulwich,
and also with the Home Office. On the Court re-
suming, Mr. Commissioner Rothery stated that he
bad been to the Home Office, and he had learned
that the.mistake had arisen through Captain Kiddie
reading the date of the inquiry as the 28th, instead of
the 25th, and he had telegraphed to the Home Office
from Felixstowe that he would come on the 28th.
The Home Office had, however, cancelled the
appointment of Captain Kiddie, and they could now
proceed with the two assessors. Mr. Jones described
in detail the circumstances of the collision and the
loss of ten of the crew and thirteen passengers.—After
hearing evidence the Court adjourned.

The inquiry was resumed on Tuesday, when Wm.
T. Dillon, an able seaman of the Dione, stated that
at the time of the collision he was at the wheel.
After landing the pilot at Gravesend he went steadily
down the reach. The captain was then on the
bridge. He saw a vessel below Gravesend, and he
starboarded about one and a half points. Upon
seeing two tugs towing a vessel he ported his helm,
and passed the tugs with the helm hard aport. He
gave the wheel two turns, and kept in view the ied
light of the Camden. Just before the collision he
lost the Camden's red light altogether. The Camden
struck the Dione about the fore-rigging. He remained
at the wheel until the Dione went down. The orders
port" and "hard to port" were given nearly to-
gether. From the time he got his order to port till the
collision took place might have been about two minutes.
George Baker, able seaman on the Dione, who assisted
the former witness at the wlleel after the twelve o'clock
watch on the night in question, was next examined,
and his evidence was to the same effect as Dilkn's.
lie gave it as his opinion that had the Camden
not gone out of her course there would have been
no collision.—Thomas Whitworth, a fireman on
board the Dione, was examined as to the speed, at
which the vessel Was sailing; an the nature of the
collision.—The first and second mates of the Dione,
and one of the passengers, who were all below at the
time of the collision, having been .examined, Mr. H.
P. Paine, the captain of the steamer Caniden, was
put into the witness-box. He said that when the col-
lision occurred his vessel was in charge of a pilot.
When he first saw the Dione she was about a ship's
length off. The helm of the Camden was at the time
bard aport, and he heard the first mate say there
would be a collision. When the collision did occur
he did all he could to save life. He admitted that
when the Camden was sailing slowly she did not steer
so well when going, say, seven knots. an hour. He
was under the impression that the Dione must have
starboarded just before the collision. The witness
further stated that the Dione came too near the
Camden before starboarding, for although the head of
the Camden was off Co the starboard, the Dione still
came towards his vessel. The inquiry was again ad-
journed

~ving been . Deputy.lSaunder;
23