Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-31
rur po,Nr LooKoUr CoLLIsIoN
| The Of1cers of the William Lawrence"
Ernnernted from All Blame.

The OfHcers of the William Lawrence"
Exonerated from All Blame.
The investigation IN Baltimore by the
Board of Steamboat Inspectors into the
circumstances of therecent collision and
sinking of the schooner Sarah Lavinia by
the steamship William Lawrence, of the
Merchants and Miners Transportation
Company. in Chesapeake Bay, resulted in
a decision generating Captain Hooper
and the officers of the steamship from all
blame The inspectors say:
The testimony on the part OF the OH
GERS of the steamship is corrooorative, and
is TO the effect that said officers first made
the schOOner's green light on their star
board bow. and changed the course
of the steamer TO the left, and that
soon after the schooner showed her red
light, whereupon the steamers course
was changed to the right, with the inten-
ton to pass to port side Of each other, and
that upon a near approach the schooner
again changed her course, showing her
green light. and running across the steam
er's bow when so near that the steamer
could neither change her course nor stop
her engines in time to avoid collision. Inc
testimony on the part of the Captain and
wheelsman Of the schooner is that the
course Of the schooner was not changed
from the time of first seeing the
lights Of the steamer up 10 the
time of collision, that they first saw the
mast headlight. then the green light Of
the steamer, and that when nearing the
steamer they saw her red light, and con-
tinued only to see the red light OF the
steamer up to the time of collision; and
that at no time did they see both red and
,ssaf NHD go M
time We find that the testimony on the
part of both steamer and schooner is that
both made the others green light first,
after which they agree as to seeing each
others red light. They also agree that
the bow of the steamer struck the
schooner on her starbOard after-quarter.
All other testimony is in conflict. We
therefore base our decision on this
cOrrObOTative evidence, regarding them
as facts, and deduce from these facts the
most probable movement of both steamer
and schooner that would result in the
collision. The testimony, as given on the
part of the schooner, would not have
resulted in collision such ss did actual
Iy occur We deem it as impossible for
the schooner to have kept on her course,
to see only the red light Of the steamer,
and vet be struck by the steamers bow on
her starbOard after-quarter, and we can
account for the collision only upon the
suppOsition that the schooner did
change her course. We are Of the
opinOin that both would have passed in
safety while showing each other
their red lights if the schooner had not,
as we presume she did, just prior to the
collision, suddenly changed her course,
showing her green light and placing her
starbOard side across the bow OF the
steamer. We also think that the officers
of the steamship acted promptly in
lowering their boat, in throwing lines
and life-preservers to aid those IN peril.
The steamship laid by the schooner two
hours after the collision. Upon full
consideration of all circumstances as OBJ
tanned, we deem the officers Of the steam
ship as entitled to our eXOneration.