New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-25
ale,p Orleans gtpnhliea's.
OFFICIAL J0ARNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
RIVER LAW.
The Late Collision of the Steamers Rob
Roy and Belle of Alton.


The United States Local Inspectors,
James II. McCord and Peter VandevOrt,
have addressed to the Collector of Customs
the following report, Of special value to
boatmen, and not without interest to others,
relative to the recent collision of the steam
boats Belle of Alton and Rob Roy:
OFFICE UNITED STATES Local INs p f1yn
st. Louis October 49, 1871. }
SIR-We have the honor to submit the re
suit of our investigation into the cause o.
the collision between the steamers Belle OF
Alton and Rob Roy, at this port, Oh the
afternoon of the fifth ultimo.
Both vessels ii appears, were on ascend
inc trims. the Belle OF Alton, bound for
Alton. illinois. and the Rob Roy for keo-
kuk. Iowa. Charles NJ. Davis, acting as pilot
of the Belle of Alton, and ). w. Rentrow OF
the Rob Roy.
This case came before the board upon the
COMPLAINT of Pilot Davis, who charged, sub
stantiallv, that Pilot Renfrow had violated
Rule No of the Pilots Rules and Regula-
TONS The examination was made with
great care, and has elected, as we believe,
all the material facts. On the part of the
Rob Roy, testimony was offered tending 10
show that that vessel left her landing at
about the usual hour, to wit: four o'clock
on the afternoon of the fifth ultimo, and
proceeded up the river; that when abreast
Of the dock of the Belle of Alton, that yes
sci was moving out from the dock, and
starting up the river; that both vessels
thus pursuing their course, Pilot DAVIS, OF
the Belle OF Alton. gave two blasts OF the
whistle, thereby calling Tor the larbOard or
inside, which was answered by Pilot Ken
frow, of the Rob Roy, with one blast OF the
whistle, the Belle of Alton being at this
time in close proximity to the Rob Roy, and
on the inside, and the Rob Roy being on
the starboard side; that this relative position
was maintained for Il few moments, when
Pilot Davis, of the Belle of Alton, again
gave two blasts Of his whistle, thus renew
ing his call for the larbOard side, which
Pilot Renfrow, of the Rob Roy, again an
swered with one blast OF the whistle; that
immediately thereafter the bows OF the Belle
of Alton came in contact with the larboard
afterquarter of the Rob Roy, near the
splash bulkhead, driving the stern of the
Rob Roy up and out into the river, her bows
Quartering to the shore, and thus coming in
contact with the wheel of a steamer mOored
to the shore, by which some damage was
done, which was materially diminished,
however, by the fact that the engines of the
Rob Roy were stopped and reversed; that
the Rob Roy, when she passed the docks OF
the Belle Ut Alien, was as far out and dis
tant from the shore as is usual and proper;
that as she passed the dock Of the Belle of
Alton one Of 4tke bridge tugs put out from
the shore, causing the Rob Roy to be held
into the larbOard or shore side, and to hug
the shore~ciPser than she otherwise would.
On the paH of the Belle of Alton, testi-
mony was offered tending to show that that
vessel left her moorings as the Rob Roy
passed: that she Immediately got under
way, and was rapidly approaching the Rob
Roy, when that vessel, which before seemed
to be making between the bridge piers,
changed her course incNning toward the
larboard or shore side; that the Belle of
Alton was running inside of the Rob Roy
and close to the boats lining the levee, when
she had Tapped the stern of the Rob Roy,
which was some distance to her starb0ard.
whereupon Pilot Davis blew two blasts of
the whistle lin accordance with rule eight of
the pilots rules and regulations), calling for
the inside which was answered by Pilot
RenfrOw of the Rob Roy, by one blast of the
whistle: that a few moments later Pilot
Davis repeated the same signal, and the
same response was made from the Rob Roy;
that it becoming then apparent to Pilot
Davis that the boats would come in contact
he stopped and reversed the engines of the
Belle of Alton, but too late to prevent the
collision.
1t is alleged by the officers Of the Belle of
Alton, and denied by the officers of the Rob
Roy, that at the time the first signal was
given by the Belle of Alton there was room
enough between the Rob Roy and the line
of boats moored to the shore for the Belle
of Alton to have passed.
1t is further alleged by the officers of the
Belle of Altonfhat Pilot Renfrow purpOscly
handled the Rob Roy as he did with the
design Of preventing the Belle of Alton
from passing ON the inside. 1t is claimed
by Pilot Davis, and not denied. that the
Belle Of Alton is faster than the Rob Roy,
and competent to pass her under way, all
things being equal. The testimony is vOlu-
minous, contradictory, and not easy to re-
concile, aud now; after the most careful ex-
animation possible, we arrive at the follow
ing conelusiens:
That the pilot, Renfrow, of the Rob Roy,
has violated Rule No. s Of Rules and Regu-
lations, in this, that he did not obey or
properly respond to the signals properly
made by Pilot Davis, and has shown no
good reason for not doing so. And, also, in
this, that when Pilot Davis first signaled,
calling for the larboard or port side, there
was sufficient room on the starboard Of the
Rob Roy to enable him, without incOn
venience, to have given the Belle of Alton
the course she asked for. Pilot Renfrow
did not so act, but crowded on the course
of the Belle of Alton. For the better under
of this finding, We here insert
Rule No. s:
....When steamers are running in the same
direction, and the pilot of the boat which is
astern shall desire to pass either side Of the
boat ahead, he shall give the signal, as in
Rule /, and the pilot of the boat ahead shall |
answer by the same signal, and allow the |
other to pass on the side selected, and shall |
in no case attempt to cross her bows or |
crowd upon her course"
We believe the prime cause of this COLI |
sion to have been the failure on the part of |
Pilot Renfrow to obey this Rule No. 8, and |
that his obedience thereof would have pre- |
vented it.
While we acquit Pilot Davis of any vio-
lation of this rule, we can not find him free |
from blame for other reasons. If Pilot Da-
Wis had been as vigilant as his duty re-
quired, it must have been manifest to him |
that Pilot Renfrow refused to obey the sig |
nails, and that II both boats continued on as |
they were a'cOliision must ensue, or at least |
was much to be feared. He should, there
fore, have used all possible precaution to
prevent it, and if he had stopped and re-
versed his engines in time-say after the |
first signal was given. the collision could |
of the act entitled "An act to provide for |
the better security of the lives of passen- |
gers on board of vessels propelled in whole |
or in part by steam and for other purposes
approved August 80, 1852, provides that no |
such vessel shall be justified in coming into |
collision with another if it can be avoided,
1t is our opinion that it was in the power OF |
Pilot Davis to have prevented the collision |
by adopting the course above described, and |
in his not doing so we think he failed in his |
duty and violated the law.
For the reasons heretofore stated, we have |
Pilot Renfrow, of the steamer |
Rob Roy, for the period of six months from |
date of notice, and he is further liable to a |
fine of thirty 1901 dollars, as provided IL sec |
ton twenty-nine as aforesaid.
And we have further decided to order |
SlISpepSiop of bo ,,;lnf I.apcn If q w |