The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-08
River News.

The marke at the wharf last evening
indicated II feet 10 inches in the chan
mel and falling.
The Courier departed for Parkersburg
at the usual hour yesterday morning
The R. W. Skillinger arrived and de-
parted for Cincinnati yesterday morn
ing.
The Mollie Ebert, from Pittsburgh
for Cincinnati, was due last night.
The Express is the Petersburg
boat this morning at l04 o'clock.
The R R. Hudson, from Cincinnati,
| is due here this afternoon.
The following is the report OF the
local inspectors iu regard to the collis-
.ion of the tow.boats Ed. Hobbs and
Panther
} Local INSPECTORS OFFICE,
PORT OF WHEELING. w. VA.
April %, 1874.
To VIM. r. Holiday. Surveyor of Gus.
toms
SIk-Haviug concluded the inyesti-
CATION OF the canses which led to the
collision between the towboats Ed.
Hobbs and Panther, we beg leave 10
report the following: The collision
occurred on the 10th OF February last,
Immediately above the Bellaire bridge,
BY which the barge La Belle, Ireighted
with iron ore, together with two coal
boats, were lost Total value, $4,000.
The Ed. Hobbs, with Captain Bepjs-
min F. Goodwin in command and at
the wheel, was on her return trip from
St. Louis with two barges heavily
ladeued with ore. After having
passed up under the Bellare bridge,
she attempted in answer to a hail, to
land at Benwood landing, and had par
italy effected the game when very
hard blast of wind forced her into the
Eddy, Immediately below the landing,
thereby causing the barges to swing
out and catch the current, 1t being very
strong at this time, as the river was
high. As coon as the captain discov-
cred he could not make last, be came
ahead on the engines with a view OF
Strengthening up At this time he OBJ,
served a tow approaching, which proved
to be- the Panther with heavy fleet OF
coal. The situation was now q critical
one; the descending steamer in his
front and the bridge precisely In bis
rear, What was he 10 do? Guided by
his judgment, his only safety contested
in coming ahead, for the purpose OF al
lowing the Panther to pass his lar
board, and in so doing struck the lar
board boat o. the Panlher's fleet, head
on, about five feet from the larboard
corner, causing the loss as above stated.
| Now. as to the Panther, her pilot,
John r Werner, states that when OPP
pusit1 the head vf Dosso' Isio nd he OBJ
served the towboat Ed. Hobbs ascend
ing. AT this time she was below The
bridge. So anxious was he to get his
boat in position to pass through be-
tween the piers safely, and had suc'
ceeded in doing so, that he did not
further observe the Hobbs until with.
in a few yards OF her, when he stopped
his engines and commenced backing,
To have done so sooner, in his opinion,
would have 80 changed his course as &c
endanger the entire fleet.
| We find the foregoing statements oI
Benjamin F. Goodwin and John X
Werner are in the main sustained by
the evidence in the case, and in which
we entirely concur, there being no VIC,
lation OF law and no infringement Of
any rule or regulation laid down for
the government OF pilots. By properly
leaving what is best to be done under
such circumstance TO their own judy
mept, believing they 80 acted, and be-
lievipg this to be one OF those unavoid,
able accidents which are likely to occur
under the wisest regulations, we dc
hereby exenerate them from blame.