The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-17 00:00:00

The Collision off the Suffolk Coast.

The inquiry instituted by the Board of Trade
into the circumstances attending the, collision
between the Bruiser and Haswell, off the coast of
Suffolk, was resumed on Saturday at the Greenwich
Police-court before Mr. Traill, the local stipendiary
magistrate, and Capts. Harris and Baker as nauti-
cal assessors.

William Slaughter, second mate of the Haswell,
who was in charge of that vessel at the time of the
collision, was present, and a statement previously
made by him, and which had been committed to
writing, was read by the clerk of the court. He said
he held a master's as well as a mate's certificate for
the home and foreign trade. He took charge of the
Haswell at 12 on the night before the collision. A
man named Fairgrieve was on the look-out on the
bridge at the time, but was relieved at 2 o'clock by
Andrew Smith. They were then about four or five
miles from land, making from seven to eight knots
an hour. The lights were in excellent condition.
Smith reported to him that there was a bright light
a head of the Haswell on the port bow, and about
four or five miles distant. He took up the glasses
and ascertained that it was the masthead light of a
steamer going in another direction, and he watched
for her coloured lights. After a short time he saw the
red light of a steamer, which subsequently proved
to be the Bruiser, and he gave orders to have the
Haswell ported. The Bruiser's light was one point
on the Haswell's port bow, and about two miles
distant, and when the Haswell had been ported,
and the lights placed two points on the port bow,
he ordered the vessel to be steadied, and expected
that the Bruiser and Haswell would pass each other
port to port side. Smith cried out that the Bruiser
was altering her course, and on going to ascertain
the accuracy of the statement, he saw the red and
green lights of the Bruiser about two points on the
Haswell's port bow, and found that the Haswell
and Bruiser were closing fast. He then ordered the
engine to be stopped and reversed at full speed, and
the order was instantly obeyed. He heard no hail-
ing from the Bruiser as she approached. He was
sure the lights of the Haswell were burning brightly
at the time of the collision, and he attributed the
accident to the Bruiser having starboarded her helm,
instead of porting it. He ported his helm suffi-
ciently to pass the Bruiser on the port side.
The statement of Scott, the chief officer of the
Bruiser, who was in charge at the time of the colli-
sion, was then read. Hee said he had been engaged
twenty-two years in the Hull and London passage
trade. He held a certificate of competency, dated
eight years back. Before the collision in question
he saw a white light about one point on the star-
board bow, and he took it to be that of a ship at
anchor. In order to give his ship a good berth lie
ordered the helm to be starboarded, and shortly
after he saw a faint red light. He hailed the ship
and called out to them to put their helm hard-a-
starboard, but he received no answer, but immedi-
ately afterwards both vessels struck each other.
Mr. Cowper submitted on behalf of the owners of
the Haswell that no culpability rested with the mas-
ter and crew of that ship. He believed the accident
was traceable to the cause assigned by Slaughter.
Mr. Cohen addressed the court on behalf of the
master and crew of the Bruiser.
The court then retired, and after an hour's deli-
beration returned with the following judgment,
circumstances :-_« After
attending this
After a careful
elc;o'vhmincilseceihndnteewarebrlte i oraneodf
collision, all
adduced
b on
n the the
behalf
ad maturely weighing the
as well as the evidence of those witnesses who were
not interested in the question, the court have come
to the conclusion that John Scott, the chief mate of
the Bruiser, committed a grave error of judgment
in mistaking the masthead light of the Haswell for
the riding light of a vessel at anchor, as it appears
u of the respective vessels,
clearly from the evidence of the mate of the Grena-
dier that all the lights of the Haswell were distinctly
to be seen at a considerable distance a few minutes
before the collision. From the evidence of the wit-
nesses of the Grenadier, in corroboration of the offi-
cer on look-out on board the Haswell, the Bruiser
was, no doubt, on the port bow of the Haswell, and,
had a better look-out been kept, ought to have seen
the red light of the Ilaswell, if not before, at all