New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-05-03

Abont $50 ~ m she passed to eastward OF eastward
steam shaped south by east, one G
to clear s?"s' a Spit and pass arouna hion end
light mat she steamed this course running at spec
little less knots per hour until she arrived
in the vicinity Of Saratoga Spit when the 9cer 2, ae
from this and hauled her up II points ~ w" Nc
but only until the navigator could get on des sS s
again to be put On her course OF south by easi, & ~
ter east specially stating tnat ne Sc ctI h ashore on sara
toga Spit.
About this time the English Peninsnar and Oriental
% nH gt, and to eastward Of it, distant from
the Oneida about five or six miles, and bearing aleu'
Very soon indeed the Oneda's lookout and naylgator
made the masthead and starboard or green light OF
ward to westward of Kanonsak light and her course
narrowly observed by the officers on duty ana py
the lookout OF tho Oneida and she was seen passing
clear giving wide berth That after running some If
teen twenty minutes, rapidly changing her pearg,
more aud broad about four to five points or more
on the sarboord bow OF the Oneida and while me
Onedas lights brightly burning the bombay SUD
denly ported her helm and directly at the Oneda
in the direction of her green light and struck her at
sarboard mizzen rigging at about an eghtknot speeu,
angle of iortyave. degrees. and on line line
t from tho the sara an F as 81 the eoos
cabin hatch thence clear to her owh 10 n
carried away then to port and stood in toward
the shoal In an east direction, ana suM ~
down with her some Il5 OF her officers and men, IL
appears fully from the evidence that the Oneida az no
time saw the red light but constantly saw the green
light of the Bombay and that her lights were prop
efly placed and in full burning order IT also appears
and at no time acted in doubt hesitation but that
when the Bombay was about ye points on the
the Bombay Put Gr helm tR aa poIs ant at
ms her az 1i e% hard and in that
heh the bombay struck At this tune the and oneida hs
.s5as Sc, IT., iSo n ss
sion the executive officer OF the Oneida, Lieut. Com.
Stewart hailed the Bombay several times tainng 10 hep
Bombay within a few yards OF the Oneldas stern;
that this call was ana nm t a gnas
distress with full service charge OF six pounds OF
shown that at the moment OF collision the bombay ,hy
stopped the engines for very Few moments, put tac
s fous g tH e Quarter Of the Oneida rendg
wide that persons in her cabin looked .out into the
tic bombay kept her way direct that she passed oat
Of sight Of the officers and men, who were balls flv
10 az msr barhor at qs ~ m OF the evening
The bombay neither offered nor asked ior vi
communicated after the COLLISION
Tho Court therefore totally exonerates and excupates
the Oneida and her officers from any blame for tins nor
the Oneida skifuy handled, and that the interna
national rules Of the road were carefully and Intelligent
With deep PAIN that the Oneida had gig by the
collision that the dngey boat had been broken into
some months previous size had lost her two largest and
most servceabe boats thus leaving her in an hour OF
Oneida replaced her boats and gone to sea with
full complement OF them, it is morally ceral In maoy
valuable lives would have been saved.
The Bombay on the other hand acted either grossly
ignorant or wfully reckless. After rounding kanow-
Sak light the eastward of it, then passing 1T SO as to
show masthead and green light to the westward OF
from the Oneida she had no reason 10 stand SO
far to the eastward the Oneida shown TO be; nor
could have passed to the eastward OF the Onedas
position at the time of the collision at night as she seems
to have endeavOred do without endangering her own
safety by going ashore Saratoga Spit nor can the plea
be made or sustained Of narrow channelway, Tor at
this place the shortest distance between the two points
of danger east and west, three to three and
half nautical niles moreover the land on the west SIDE
very high and steep too, while the eastern side,
without landmark to be at night. Hence the Bonn
bay crossing to the eastern shore with the
green light Of the Oneida in full view, as II must
have been an action extraordinary to stagger
q common sense OF safety AMI duty 10 say morning OF
regulations and seamanlke knowledge A line due
south by east, quarter east, Drawn through tbe
toga Spit buoy and another at point TO westward OF
KanOn-sak light, in direction south by west, haIr
west after rounding the hight which Is ihe pilot course
come collision with the Oneida unless indeed she ran
directly at the laters green light as several witnesses
did. The OF the COLLISION then, Il alto
gether and entirely due to the Bombay whose command
ing officer blame beyond excuse Again, the conduct
OF the Bombay after the cos0nl plslIg ON OUT Oh sight,
not communicating with the tlneia IN ulsTegsuunB
the oud halls of the executive officer OF the Oneida, dis
regarding the signal of her whistle, wnlch was
kept blowing until the Oneida sank, aud hnay, In not
four heavy signal guns rcd from the Oneida, although
they distinctly heard IN Yokohama at distance OF
over nine miles, IL so guilty and banab!e that thls
Court only speak Of IL rs unparalleled IN cruelty
Finally, from the evidence adduccd, MDlch has been
accumulated degree only in proportion to tie gravity
OF the the tOn OF the known courses ana
positions the Chart, which is part Of the record we
ix fault tLis dreadful collision the total
loss 10 a. Government of The Uned States OF the steam
corye tie Oneida with destruction OF the lives of us
Of her officers and crew. the officers III command OF
the English steamship Bombay.