Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-10-12

FIRST CASE OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF LICENSE
FROM PILoTs IN THE New ORLEANS INSPECTION DIS
TRIcT.-We noticed at the time, the collision be-
tween the steamers Southern Belle and the Daniel
Boone. The affair has been fully investigated be-
fore the Government Inspectors of The New Or
leans district, appointed under the late 5leamboat
law, and the pilots of both boats, on dRty atSthe
time, deprived of their license. The following II
The decision OF the Government Inspect fs.-N.
o. Delta.
cater careful investigation of allthe evidence
in the case of W. Elliot, pilot Of the steamer Sbuth
ern Belle, and Mir. Olmsed, pilot OF Sea9ss aniel
Boone, in the late collision between said bats, we
have come to the conclusion that said collision
was the result Of neglect in not carrying out the
rules and regulations laid down for the government
of nlots to wits at shall be the duty of the pilot
of the ascending boat so soon as the other boat
shall be in sight and hearing, to sound his bell;
once if he shall wish to keep TO the right, and
twice il he shall wish to keep TO the left, and the
pilot of the descending boat shall answer promptly
if-not answeIed, the pilot of the ascending boat
shall strike his bell again, and again, until it is
answered. But in case the pilot of the aScendinE
boat does not make the signal in proper times the
pilot of the descending boat shall make the signal
ttNow, we consider the law makes no provision for
whose duty it is-the pilot of the ascending or de-
scending boa-to first make the signal. Its the duty
of both pilots to avoid collision by every possible
means, and under all circumstances. a mans
claiming 10 be in the night position is no excuse, as
we think he IS bound 70 go out OF his way to avoid
collision, should such appear inevitable, from the
relative positions and course of the respective
boats.
"Ftom all the evidence laid before us, and maxi
ing due allowance for the difference of opinion
among witnesses, as TO the distance the boats were
apnrt when the signals were given, (the collision
occurred in the night,) the boats could not have
been two hundred yards apart. The Southern
Belle was running up stream at the rate of thirteen
miles an hour, and the Daniel Boone running down
stream at the rate of about ten miles an hour,
making united speed of twenty-three miles an
hour. At this rate of speed, the boats must have
come in contact in the short space of seventeen
seconds. Had both boats backed on the instant
the bells were sounded, the collision, in our iudg
nent, could not have been avoided. s.,.--.,
s.Had it not been for the GOODNESS and prompt
decision eff Mr.. Israel Ashbury, one of the pilots
of the Southern Belle, who was not on watch at
the time, but who ran on deck and stopped the
engines of the Belle thus preventing her from bucka
Ing away from the Boone, after the collision, many
valuable lives would. we believe, have been lost.
We therefor give 1t opinion, tllatthe license
of bothpilots on duty at the time of the collision
shouldbe, and they hereby revoked for neglect-
ing to give the signals, and for notstopping their
respective boats in the proper time, requiredby
law. ssts u. l.. BREWSTER 10 i
49, g,.+-...- THOMAS HASsAM,
Inspectors for District of New 0rleals.''