Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-06-10
COLLISIONS OK THEOCEAY.
How Easy it is To Sink Powerful Vessel.
Boston Transcript

Boston Transcript
Capt. Mckay, of the Cunard steamship
Catalonia, now in this port, has made
some startling statements concerning
collisions at sea, which are particularly
pertinent now. He has followed the sea
thirty years, twelve of which he has passed
in the Cunard service, and consequently
has had considerable experience On be-
ing asked if it was possible for a wooden
vessel of small size to cause a very dan
gerous break in an iron steamship he re-
piled;
why, bless you, yes. 1t all depends
upon how she is struck. Every vessel, no
matter how strong, has her weak places,
and if she is struck IN a certain way, she
IS badly damaged. You will be surprised
t. know how small an object would 90 a
serious injury to steamer. A barrel OF
beef weighing 200 pounds, if striking a
steamship in her vulnerable parts when
.'she is moving at full speed will pillow right
through her side. So will a floating spar
or even a buoy. Such a schooner as the
one that struck the Oregon would cut a
frigate or a line of battle ship. If the
Oregon had hit the schooner stem on she
would have gone completely over the sail
ing vessel and scarcely started the paint
on the steamer. The Oregon when loaded
weighs roughly 5000 tons, and when YOU
put lSO00,OO0 pounds in motion at the
rate of 10 miles an hour, something breaks
if it encounters an obstruction. remem-
Der several years ago when / was in com
mand of the Batavia, that one morning
about O'Clock we struck fishing schoon-
er on the banks. We went clean over her
and the officer on deck said he could scar
cely feel the jar. The passengers never
knew of it until we told them in the morn
ing The schooner went TO bottom in no
time but we did not start a bolt. Had she
struck US just right she would have dis
abled us. Now the Oregon was struck
amidship right at her coal bunker, and
that was her weak place. Going at the
speed she was, and meeting such solid re-
sistance, something had to give She fill
ed amidship and when she sank, at such
depth and striking on her bow, the weight
OF the water broke her back particularly,
as she was already weakenek by the COLI
sion.
Our rules about a lookout at night
are very strict, and had the schooner been
provided with proper lights do not think
the accident would have happened. The
report says she was showing white light
and if it was SO she was doing what She
had no right to do. Only steamers carry
a white light and that at the masthead.
They have also red light on the port
and green light on the starboard side.
Sailing vessels carry only the side lights.
1t is a singular fact that the majority of
collisions at sea occnr just at day break.
One of the reasons for this Is that the side
lights which are lit at sunset begin
to burn dim at morning. On vessels
where the discipline is not very strict
there is a feeling that daylight will soon
come and ii is not worth while TO trim
and replenish the lights for an hour or so
and they are allowed to burn low or even
60 out. There is where the danger comes
in and, as l said before, the majority of
ocean collisions occur just before day
break and are largely attributed to neg
lected side lights. The officer in charge
of the Oregon could have easily avoided
the schooner had he seen her, and she
would have been seen had her lights been
in proper condition. Capt. Cottier is a
most thorough seaman and has been in
the Cunard service for Ii years. | sue
ceeded him in the command of the Cata-
lonia he has made many trips to this port
and has a host of friends in Boston, These
unfortunate occurrences will happen, and
we sailors can do it to pray that we may
be kept out of such scrapes.'