The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-08 00:00:00

.-COLLISION ADD LOBB Or 1.11%

—.—
Mr. M. Chambers, Mr. Bramwell, and Mr. Bovill,
appcared for the plaintiff; Sir F. Theeiger, Sir F. Kelly,
Mr. Knowles, and Mr. Wilk* represented the de•
readapts.

This was an action brought to recover upwards of 2,0001.
Ifor the loss of a brig belonging to the plaintiff, occasioned,
as it was alleged, through the negligence of the servants of
the defendants. The plea was not guilty.
It appeared from the statement of the captain and one of
the crew of the lost veinal, which was a collier brig of 239
regis,ered tonnage, but carrying 400 tens, called the Hare-
wood, that on the evening of the 4th Oct. last, she was an-
chored et about the ruouth of the Thames. At 3 o'clock, the
time of dood tide, she weighed anchor, intending to proceed
to London, and made towards the 14ssez share, so as to go as
near the sands as possible, and then tack roved again. The
captain at this moment perceived a steam useel,which turned
oat to be the Trident, cosi. ng in the opposite direction. The
only light he could see was the white one at the masthead. He
immediately held up a lantern, and waved it to and fro, to
give warning to the steam vessel. The red light upon her
larboard paddle-box was then men from the brig. In a few
minutes, the steamer struck the brig with such violence that
the Litter immediately sank, and one of the crew only,
named Mason, had time to clamber up the bow of the steam
boat, sad the captain to get up the foremast, from
which he was afterwards taken by the Trident's boat.
The rest of the crew, six is number, were lost. The
bow of the brig bad struck the starboard side of
the steamer, abut the forecastle, with great violence.
The brig was loaded, and the steamer was empty. When
Mr. Grab int, the captain of the brig, was taken on board
the Trident, a conversation took place between him and
Csptain Morris of the Trident, as to who was to blame for
itbe buti the accounts given of it by sub of them
I were very contradictory. The width of the chums), where
the collision occurred is about two miles; but the width from
shore to store IS aboat 20 miles. Mr. Graham and Mason
having proved the (acts of the case, evidence was called to
show that the steamer was not purauiag her proper course,
and that skit ought to have ported inalead of sterboarding
her helm,

Oa the part of the defendants, Captain Morris and several
of the seamen of the Trident were called, sad gave a very
different account of the occurrence from that given by the
plaintiffs witnesa e. It appeared from the statements that
the Tradent,which was coining hem London, was proceeding
on her coarse in a yr ,per munner, with all the lights burn-
ing required by the Admiralty and Trinity. hou+e rrgutitions,
when at about half-pas nine, the cipt iin !odor at the mo-
ment bau 4, the mate sr* toe beg, wl iumediattly called
wart. the engineer " Stop her —hardqr•stern," and others
cried out to the other ship, " Port your helm." The cap-
tain ran On deck, when the brie; czote nd on towards the
starboard bow of the steamer with all sails set. The Tri-
dent's engine+ had been stopped, and they were being re-
versed, when the bow of the brig ran right into the
forecastle, and she sank immedi itely. The cathead of
the brig was found the nest morning in the side of the
strainer. No light was seen on board the brig, and the
night was so dark that she could not be seen without a light
at more than three ships' lengths distance.
Mr. Chamber% having replied,
Lord Campbell summed up, telling the jury that the
question in this case was entirely one of fact, and one which
It wita for them to decide. There was no doubt that the
collier was poni,ne her right course, but if they believed
the defendant's witnesses, the crew of the collier had, by
their win negligence, occasioned the loss of their repel.
on the other nand, they believed Captain Graham and
Mason, they had done all that was required by the Ad-
miralty regulations, and the plaintiff was entitled to a
vszitist.