, 1870-03-27
THE ONEIDA CALAMITY.

AA0 HXk41a NdLA6I44X l.
Tho Court OF Inquiry-Summary oI
Eyidcncc-DcC7siou of the Court
cnPtntn Eyre Suspended for SIX
Months Version OF the Al.
falrs
From the +1aron Herald, Fsh "a
On tho eth OF January Naral Court of In-
quiry, composed Of H. NJ. Consul for foko-
hama, two officers OF Il. II. s. Ocean. and two
merchant Captains, WaH. held to inquire into
the circumBtauces Of the collision, the United
States Minister taking part in the proceedines
aa representative counsel Of American in,er-
pilot the other officers and psssengers Of tho
bombay, showed that, seeing the Oueida,s
lights ahead, they obeyed tho international
ssrslle Of the roaa, by porting their helm, 30
as to givo her Q wide berth, but that the
Oneida, in place Of doing this, reversed the
BAYS bows, under full sail and ateam.
Seeing that q collision was rendered in
evitabie by this, the Captain Of the Bombay
stopped his engines and starboarded his holm ;
and thus, in some degree averted the full force
Of the shock, striking the Oneida's quarter at
an acute angle with bis etarbosrd bow, instead
Of running stem on at hight angle. The
shock WAS not gTeat, but like agraze, and did
not cause thosa on deck to staggor. The yes-
sells almost instantaneously separated, the
Oneida dropping astern. As ahe did so, a hail
second officer answered, but heard no more.
The chief officer then reported the Bombay to
bavc eight feet Of water in the hold, 30 that
the Captain became apprehensive for the safety
Of the mails and passengers, and consulted the
pilot as to whethar the ship could be beached.
The pilot replied that sho could ii necessary,
but that it would be best to push on to Yoko-
hama il possible. The engines were kop
stopped for about five minutes more,
whilst the pilot and Captain watched the
direction towards which tho Oneida
had headed when she shot past them.
they nor others on board saw or heard any, and
the Captain being assured that the other ship
il necessary could be beached on Saratoga
spit, close by, where she could not sink, and
furthermore bound by the Directors. orders
"to stop for nothing, except to savo Life,
coming up that the cut-water aud figure head
we're gone, boom and part Of sail lay upon
tho bows, md that pioce Of spar, twelve or
fourteen inches in diameter, had picrced the
iron plating and stem OF his vessel Ut tho
water line and broken short of, AL on board
Oneida but, except the carpenter and gunner
{who did not report what they saw, mono know
that it Was break in the Oneida, though tho
two men refafred to appear to hare noticed =
hole smashed IN, some six feet squire, and to
have seen through it table and some persons
on board.
On the other hand, the evidence given BY
tho survivors OF the Oneida, whilst completely
excu1pating the English Captain from tho
blame Of the collision, awakened deep regret
for Mr. Tates, q s. n, master Of the deck Of
the Oneida ut tho time, who stated that he
eating Lieutenant, Mr. Muldaur, and, If again
p1aced in si1nilar circumstances, would again
ftarboard when . steamer Was Geen approach
ing straight ahead. His account Of the mo-
tons Of The Bombay tailed with that ffysn BY
her officers, and he stated that she struck the
Of about Is degrees, cutting OF the whols1of
the stern quarter diagonaly, carrying away the
POOP, the Bpanker, boom, and gnH, Whee1, and
Btarboam pinnacle, besides smashing tbs gig
The officers who wore below at dinner rushed
up, and one, AZ: steTart. jumped on an ar'f'
down. remAin by u.s." They heard no anawtr-
ing hail from the bombay, from which they
were rapidly dropping out Of sight, being 50
ing down with wind md tide and all. sail Set
All. Yates o1tlorei all sail to be shortened, bat
Afterwards sail waa got again with the iae4 Of
running tho ship ashore- The primers, rock
'ets and blue 1iRhts made fast to 4 bea-n un-
der the poop, had been carried away, and moro
primers had to he got from below, after which
5 ~ pound gun was fired three tlmen.
carried away. Ten or twelve minutes after the
collision, tho Navigating Lieutenant reported
| the ship to be sinking but tho Captain would
| give no order to take to the boats. The water
gradually 1oso; the doctor, boatswain. and ft.
fccn others got into y boat on the port quaIte1
and lowered it; then, fancying they saw : junl
near them, pulled towards it for MD, but, find
| ing themselves deceived, put back, to look in
| Eain for the ahip or survivors, and afterwards
| roHed to eho1e. As the ship sank, tho f:rs'
!! cntte-. that was ON board in : cradle, aoated
and in her Ar. Yates and three othcrs Hcrt
sased.
The President pronounced the following de-
cision.
The questions before this Court are:
! l. Was the injury sustained by the ?. i O.
! & N, Co.'S ship Bombay brought about by th.
fault Of he- commander, Mr. Eyre?
| .. After the c6i.ision had taken place be
tween the s. S. Bombay and the Q. 8. corvette
oncid., what waa tho conduct OF tho master o.
| To onable the Court to decide tho firstqnes
ton, TIC have before us shortly the follow ne
| evidence
II. Eyre stated that shout s:30 p NJ, (cor-
| 1ccted tine) on tho 24th Of January last, kay-
Kanons.ki, his attention was called to the fact
that veasel was approaching him On his por!
| bow. He thereupon looked through tho glass
and perceived bright light half point Oh hif
port bow, and Immediately afterwards he saw
the two side lights Of the approaching steamer.
is ascertained to have boon the United
States corvette Oneida) WAS about
| one mile distant from the bonn.
| hav, and Immediately gave tho order to port
| the helm, thus shutting out the Oneida's green
light. Not content with this, he gave second
order "hard port, F" and turned on his steam
| whistle. He supposed this to have occurred
l some FIVE OF six minutea before the collision
| took place, which would plsce about mile Of
| mile and half between the steamers ut thu
point He kept lis helm hard 4 port antl
suddenly be saW tho Oneida under full sat an1
steam standing aeross his bows. Upon this
he stopped his engines, and then seeing taat =
collision WEB imminent, put Ills helm hatd .
Btarboard, SO US to bring his vessel round, and
| ifFppseItIe. pas5 the Oneida On her atarooarI
| quarter. The vessels separated, and the BON
bays helm WA ut once put to port in order tt
clear her stern and boats and save seconi
co1lision.
!, On the other hand, ifr. Yates, who WA The
officer in charge Of the deck Of the Onaila or
this occasion, gave the Court totally different
| account Of the occurrence. He stated thAt the
Eombay's masthead Light WAS reported to hin
| by the starhpard lookout man az being in sight
somo fifteen OF sixteen minutes before tie cox
Ision took place-say, at nbout 6:25 p. H., b
his own acco,mt-and about half . point IN hit
stasboard bow. That at this time tho Oneida
which had been heading southeast By tonth
was just recovering her former courae, VIZ
south by east n east. That the Bombay CANT
rourd kanonsaki, passing to starboard, ane
point on his sta1board bow. That at this time
lie thought the Bombay must havo boon three
miles OF; but : that the oneida wa!
kept Oh her course, as both h AMI
tho navigating officer thought. thai
tho Bombay would pass to sta1board
! 71rrocnf1,- tba ,,nvioafinp nf]1car hau;r.r taf
the deck, he saw the Bombay ut the distance
OF shout mile OF, three points On hie star
board bow, and heading directly for bis greer
light. The opening out Of al three lights o
tbs Bombay at this time showing him TINT Hht
WAS approaching with = port helm; be At onc'
n hard starboa1d." He believed taat b
opened the Bonbay's thrco lights some thre
minutes beforc the collision, 30 that the vea
eels must have been fbout q milo apart at thu
moment. ....
Nov these two statements are utterly ire
conci]ablo; and though the collision is &c
counted for by each OF them, it certainly cou1
| never have occurred if both arc correct, Il ia
therefore, necessary to look further, and. ee
how far each is substantiated.
The statement Of Mr. Eyre is borne ont j,
ali its material points By the evidence OF tn
| pilot and chief officer, who we're On the bridg
| with him and also by that OF all the officer
of the Bombay who we're able to testify to tn
| circumstances.
With regard to Mr, Yates statement, how
ever, the starboard lookout man Of the Oueid
afirms that about fifteen minutes prey;ouB +
the collision he reported to Mr. Yates that b
saw masthead Light right ahead and thai
aa Eoon as be could make out one Of her sid
lights. he reported her green ighta betweel
half q point asd point on the 0neidas star
board bow. About minuts OF minute and
half after that he reported the steamer Doun
bay) about four OF five points on her st.rboar
bow, and coming right fo5 the oneids's gree,
Light; but at no time DID he see the Bombay