The daily gazette., 1882-09-02
PILOT MARSHALL'SC CASE
HIS PART IN THE LORD COUGH
COLLISION.
EXONERATED BY THE BOARD.
How the Lord Cough Ran Across the
Crest's Bows in Close Quarters. and Got
Crashed Into of Deep Water Point.

The Board of Delaware Pilotage Com
missioners gave long and patient hearing
yesterday afternoon TO the charge of
negligence preferred by Captain Hughes of
the British steamer Lord Cough against
Pilot Aaron H. Marshall. Marshall has
Delaware license, and was engaged in pilot
ing the steamer Crest, sailing from New
Castle Upon-Tyne, up the Delaware on the
night of August 21. The Crest ran into the
Lord Cough when that ship ran across her
bows, and when the two boats got
into Philadelphia the captain Of the
Lord Cough made proposition to the cwn-
ers of the Crest that each boat pay for its
own repairs. This the Crest refused to do
and Captain Hughes ship was libeled for
damages. The charge Of neglect was then
brought against Pilot Marshall, and it is
claimed that this was brought about by
Peter Wright ~ Sons out OF malice, and for
the purpose of influencing the case In all
miraity, should the investigation before the
commissioners go against Mr. Marshall.
At the hearing the statements of Mr..
Marshall and Captain Hughes were taken
In full. A clear statement of the ease, as
gathered from both parties is about to this
| effect.
The Crest had been the leading boat and
wasQoing at the rate of nine knots per
hour. The Crest drew l5 feet of water and
the Loro Cough 90 feet. The Lord Cough
on the hooe tide increased her speed to 13
Knots per h0er, and WAS passing the Crest
at the time. IL was just of Deep Water
Point, the Lord Cough being on the eastern
shore and the Crest to the west. When the
range lights opened She Lord Cough put her
helm to starboard to run over into the
western channel. This brought her right
| across the Crest's how
L nj fl.at I
was only 60 feet ahead and could not be
called the leading boat until Sac was clear
of her, and hence should have given q short
| whistle to indicate that she was about to
change her course. As 1t was the Crest s
pilot did not know that the Lord Cough was
going about until the huge boat, steered by
steam, swung around rapidly. The Crest
could not change for fear of running d,wn
some small craft, which were almost under
her bows; but rs soon as 1t was seen that
the Lord Cough had changed her coursy
Marshall ordered the helm starboard ant
stopped the engine. 1t was too late ant
the Crost struck the Lord Cough amidships
i Captain Hughes claimed that he had t.
turn It when he did, for the range light
were open, and that Marshall must hav
known that he would change his cours
then, because he had to get the deepes
water. Mr.. Marshall, ON the other hand
claimed that the Lord Cough could hav'
gotten deeper water, and by keeping ol
| could have cleared the Crest and woul'
have been where no accident could hav
happened In two minutes. This latter clam
CAPTAIN Hughes admitted Mr.. Marshal
said he could not have stopped his boat il
less than IS minutes time, and that it wa
| all done in a minute. The blame was o
part of the Lord Cough.
The Board adopted the following:
Il At meeting of the Board of Delawar
Pilot Commissioners to-day to hear eyidenc
in the matter of the complaint made agains
Aaron II. Marshall, a pilot, licensed unde
the Delaware law, by Captain Hughes, o
the part of the steamer Lord Cough, ]
reference to a collision which tooN plae
| abreast of Deep Water Point, on the rive
Delaware, on Monday, August u, betwee
the steamer Lord Cough, sailing frol
Liverpool, and the steamer Crest, sailin
from New Castle Upon-Tyne, after hearln
all the evidence in the case from bot
parties it was decided unanimously that I'll
} collision was entirely unavoidable, SO lar {
the pilot of the Crest is concerned, and tn;
there was no negligence on his part
DISCRIMINATION CHARGED.
During the hearing Mr.. Marshall made
statement showing how Delaware pilots a
Disseminated against by fhiladeiph
! agents. He had seen the Lord Cough con
: into the Breakwater, but made no effort
e get her to pilot because he knew he could n
$ have the job of bringing her down the riy
even II he consented to do it for nothn
d because Peter Wright " Sons had repeated
refused to allow pilots, licensed under I
y Delaware laws, to bring boats down. IL
d had been the experience again and again
the Delaware pilots. They were diserin
y mated against interiors of the Pennsylvan
b men.