The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-26 00:00:00

THE LATE COLLISION JN THE RIVER.
ADJOURNED INQUEST-YESTERDAY.

The adjourned inquest was resumed before Mr. Statham,
deputy-coroner, at ten o'clock yesterday, in the Nisi.-Prius
Court, St. George's-hall.
William Brewer, the pilot of the Excelsior, was the first
witness examined. He said : lam a pilot of tae port of
Liverpool. lam an apprentice, belonging to No. 6 pilot-
boat. I have served six years and two monties. I have got
an authority to pilot vessels (produced). By virtue of that
license I went on board the Excelsior steremer on the nigb'
of the sth July. She was lying in the Collingwood do' ek.
I was requested to go by one of the roasters of No. 6 %llot_
boat. I went on board about elevnn o'clock. She r
't
hot out
of dock at 1.30 on Sunday morning, the 6th: , wanted
about nine minutes of high water. I was then P.
,anding on
the gallant forecastle_ I continued there until
•she got clear
of th pierhead. I then went aft on the fr aloon deck, or
deckhouse. Her hood might be a little tr, the southward of
west when she men, Mit of dock. It vias a dark cloudy
morning.. One er
able distance on the
Aid see a consider
Water, for there teas no fog, and the wind was west-north-
west, rather st enne. When we tr,ot into the river, I gave
the order to put 'the helm htv.d-a-port. That order was
obeyed. vare continued in that direction three or four
minutes feefore I gave Ev.iy other order. We had got
about rreidway in the channel when I gave the next
order, which 'was to steady. Her head was then
about north to tiorSie-half-east, right down the river. We
so continued from three to four minutes, when I gave orders
to star:heart', I gave that order because there was a light
etarboard bow, which appeared to be in a vessel at
cumber, and I also saw a light a-head, which was not
reported. The latter light was also on the starboard bow,
and about a cable's length to the northward of the first
light. The vessel obeyed the order to starboard. We
continued :so about a minute, when I gave orders to steady,
which was done. Very shortly after that order, there was
a light reported a-head, by some one forward. I think the
the words were " another light a-head." I looked at it to
see if f could make out what it was. I was then using the
captain's glasses. I could not make out what it was, but
took it to be a vessel at anchor. I gave orders to starboard
the helm. The light was then about half a point on the
starboard bow. The order was obeyed, and the helm
continued a-starboard until her head was brought out about
a point or a point and a half. I then gave orders to steady,
unich was done. In a moment after that the collision
took place. She was reported as a steamer to me just as
we were in the act of going into her. I had seen
that she was a steamer before the collision, but
scarcely a second before. I could not have spoken
in time. I just caught a glimpse of her red light,
Which satisfied me that she was a steamer. We were entan-
gled for about an hour. Before the collision I ordered the
helm to be put hard-a-port. The vessel obeyed that helm,
as far as she had time to do so. I also gave the order
'" stop her" and "reverse" almost together. The collision
took place about quarter of a mile south of the New
Brighton pier, We could not take to the eastward of the
mid-channel, as there was two ships a'ad a light which
saw there. I meant to take the Rock channel. Ido not
think we were more west than vesse,,'.B usually are in going
out at such a time of tide. The red 'light I saw on board
the Mail was a very indifferent, light for a steamer. The
masthead light was the first, of her lights I saw; it was a
very dim light. I saw 01,e gg er the collision, it
reen liht aft
was a very bad light indeed. Ido not know the exact
brig.position in which t!e lights were placed. Seeing only a
ht light in smith a position, nearly stem on, I could not
judge whethea the vessel was in motion or not; but if her
starboard and port light MO. been good, I ought to have
seen them, supposing these lights to have been placed in the
position steamers' lights usually are. I have plied in
steamers for the last twelve months. The glasses I used
Were good owes. I am accustomed to use such glasses
occasionally. consider I can see better with them than
nvith the n eked eye. Standing as I was on the deck-
house, I eked
that I could have seen steamers' lights
under oer bow a vessel's length off
pp to answer her helm completely. The Excelsior
To Mr. Blair : If the helm had been kept haad-a-rt, the
verse, still could not have come round with her bead to the
thward before she got to mid-channel, on going out of
Care deck. When the vessel came round with her head
forth-half-east, she might have been a mile from Coiling.
awool dock. The tide might have been running half a knot
.in mid-river. I did not go to the eastward of the vessel
• first reported, because I did not see any necessity for doing
go. The witness further stated, that he drunk nothing when
on board but half a tumbler of ale.
To Mr. Aepinall : If the Mail had starboarded when
they say they did, they would have passed us. From the
time I first saw the bright light, which turned out to be
that of the Mail, I kept steadily looking at it through the
glass, and saw nothing whatever which indicated it to be
:changing its position. All my orders were obeyed on board
Excelsior.
By Air. Bremner: There were no grounds whatever for
stating that I was anything else than perfectly sober. I
exercised my best judgment in the management of the ves-
s 21 throughout.
To Mr. Rawle (juror): We have regulations to keep to
the east side of the river going out. We deviated from the
/regulation in this instance, because there were obstructions
in the way, caused by vessels on the starboard.
Captain Hamlet William Geary examined : Is captain of
'the Trafalgar steamer, belonging to the City of Dublin
Stearn Packet Company. Was going out with her on the
night of the sth of July. Left Liverpool about a quarter
to eleven o'clock that night, for Dublin. Went through
the Rock Channel. Remembers meeting the Mail steamer
that night. Met her at the outer end of the Rock Channel.
When he first saw her she was right a-head. Did not know
when be saw her masthead light she was a steamer. Saw
Ina. light first when better than two miles off. Saw no
other light then but her masthead light. Passed her on the
port side. On passing her just faintly saw the red light.
It was not a good light. Saw no ether light. When he
first saw her he looked without glasses, and afterwards
With glasses. Looked when she was nearly abreast of him.
The masthead light was a pretty good light.
By Mr. Blair : Could not tell whether there was a
steamer shortly behind him. Had not a pilot on board.
The light was reported before be saw the Mail. They might
be a mile off the Spencer's buoy about that time. Was
heading at the time about west half north. A vessel coming
tip outside Spencer's buoy would be heading about south-
east half east. While in that position her port bow ought
to be well open to him. On some time after being reported,
judged she was approaching. Should say she was a mile
off when he became satisfied that she was approaching.
Would then be approaching eaele other stem on.
Thinks the Mail ported a little "when very near each
other. Witness ported a little ene first seeing her. On
going down the Rock Channel,. keeps on the starboard side
of the fair-way. The Mail passed at about six times her
own length. Was never More than a point and a half off
her bow', until passing teretty close to her. When parallel,
were about eight Poir.ts off her port bow. Can't say what
was the cause of h:e not seeing the red light sooner than he
did. ' The Mail 'eras on the Dublin station about two years.
Could see a v easel without a light that night, half a mile
without tlae
the glasses, and three-quarters or a mite with
glavdes Could see whether she had sails set or not
about a quarter of a mile.
TBy Mr. Raffles : Took the mid-channel down the river.
Met a great many vessels at anchor in the river. Some-
times ported and sometimes starboarded, to pass them.
By Mr. Aspinall : It is more difficult to see a vessel in
the river than at sea, in consequence of the number of
lights. Refused to appear on either side without a
zstea
subpeena. Has been sixteen years in command of a
mer, with the City of Dublin Company.
Richard Pritchard examined : Is a licensed pilot of No.
9 boat. Was at the North West Lightship on the night of
the sth, Saw the Mail steamer coming in. Showed the
usual lights—a fixed white light forward, a green light on
the port-quarter, and two flash lights ma the starboard bow.
The green and flash lights are the signals of a pilot boat.
It is very usual for steamers to go in and out without
pilots.
By Mr. Blair : The lights were 'shown before the Mail
was within a mile of them. Did not know at first that sb e
eves a steamer. She passed at a quarter of a mile's distance.
Knew she was the Mail by the white stripe round the
funnel. Could see it distinctly.
By Mr. Bremner : Could not discern the Mail's port
light until she was a-breast of them. It was very dim.
John Pepper, another pilot, confirmed the testimony of
the previous witness.
The inquest was adjourned at a quarter past four o'clock,
to nine o'clock this morning.

on the

-- ---
MODERN DRUIDS AND THE ROYAL OAK
BURIAL SOCIETY.

TO THE EDITOR Or TRH NoRTRERN TIMES.
Sir,—Noticing an article which appeared in the Mercury
of Tuesday, the 22nd inst., which we have no hesitation in
Saying is only another specimen of trickery resorted to by
the officers of the Royal Oak Society in attempting to
divert the public mind, by the base assertion that Mr.
Sheppard had robbed the Druids. We, the undersigned,
Officers of Modern Druids, consider it only just on our
part to contradict such base and foul aspersions. That
Mr. Sheppard is and has been our justly respected trustee
upwards of eighteen years, and has never forfeited that
coowevenfidence he so justly holds in that body by any act,
h trifling, on his part ; but, with the cordial appro-
bation of the Druids, has hitherto successfully resisted
the attempts of those men in their designs on that body at
much personal inconvenience and pecuniary sacrifices to
hiinself.—Signed on behalf of the Liverpool District,
EtzfirtY PrEnporwr, District Master, London load.
Jourt REDDINGTON, Deputy, Crosshall-street.
ROBERT CARLISLE, Chairman, London-road.
ROBERT RoBSON, Vice, London-road.
J. P. RioNTON, Secretary, Great Crosshall-street.
Liverpool, July 25, 1856.