The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-01
LIBELED FOR A BIG SUM
THE STEAMSHIP CITY OF MACON
UNDER A 100000 BOND.

TdE STEAMSHIP CITY OF MAOOf
UNDER A 100000 BOND.
The Bedouin Steamship Company
Attaches the Vessel for S8o.oo'
Damages to the British Steamship
Needed In the Collision Below tn
City on Oct ID - The Case to b.
Heard Next Spring - The Cherge
Against the City OF Macon's Ofacers
William Ridgely Leaken, ESQ.,, an
Charlton s. Mackall. attorneys for tn
Bedouin Steam Navigation Company o
Liverpool, England. filed libel in tn
United States district court yesterda,
against the steamship City of Macon Of tn
New England and Savannah Steamship
Company for $50, 600 damages to the BritisI
steamship Nedjed 10 the collision between
the two vessels in the Savannah river below
the city. Saturday morning, Oct IS.
The bill includes nine specific charges
which set forth at length the circumstance
OF the collision between the two vessels
the position Of the ships, their speed th'
place OF collision, the signals, and all the
formal parts OF an admiralty proceeding.
THE PRINCIPAL CHARGE.
The main charge made by the ibellants
is that the City OF Macon was an overtak-
ing steamer and should have kept out OF
the way of the Nedjed, which was an over
taken steamer, in support OF which the cir
cumstances OF the collision are narrated at
length.
The statement in substance is that while
the Nedjed was making her way down the
river at a very slow rate of speed on her
trip to Liverpool, with her cargo complete,
and had entered a narrow and difficult
passage in the channel, where there was
room for only one vessel to pass at a time,
she was approached astern by the City of
Macon, moving at a high rate Of speed, and
which signaled the Nedjed by two short
blasts Of her whistle that sue was directing
her course to the Nedjed's port, in which
signal the Nedjed could not acquiesce, but
gave the danger signal that such an at
tempt to pass was not safe.
STRUCK AT FULL SPEED.
The City of Macon, it is claimed, was in
a position to command her movements,
about 300 yards astern Of the Nedjed, but
still went forward at full Roadway on the
Nedjed's port Quartres, and that the pilot,
master and Others on the Nedjed, seeing that
the Macon was attempting 10 pass, notwith-
standing she could not do so without immi-
nent danger Of collision. gave repeated
signals and warnings to keep astern until
the Nedjed got around the bend. When the
Needed was about abreast Of the beacon on
Fig island and opposite the western end of
the Savannah, Florida and Western rail way
wharves, at about the narrowest passage
of the channel in the river,
the City OF Macon came right on without
slackening her speed and about one-third
her length overlapping the Nedjed's port.
She suddenly reversed her engines to go
astern and canted heavily to the Nedjeds
port, striking the vessel with such force as
to turn her to starboard aud throw her
across the river, causing her bottom TO
strike on the north shore.
KEPT FROM GOING AGROUND.
The Macon then backed clear Of the
Nedjed some distance, and the Nedjed, re-
versing her engines. managed to keep from
going aground, and with the assistance of
the tug that was towing her down, got
Strengthened out in the stream. Just as the
Nedjed was about Strengthened out, the
Macon, which was about fifty feet astern,
again started her engines, and coming on
struck the Nedjed on the starboard side Of
her stern.
negligent management of tine City of Macon.
and her neglect of the rules of navigation.
and her neglect to keep out of the way of
the Ned1ed, through no fault of the latter
vessel, the Nedjed suffered serious damage
as follows; She was struck on the port side
forward Of the main rigging, breaking main
rail and bulkwark plate and breaking three
plates about twelve feet abaft of the engine
room bulkhead; also breaking one frame
and bending another; breaking stringer
plate and bending strengthening piece; her
butt straps were stove in, beams started
and buckled, two cargo battens broken aud
one cut away.
THE DAMAGES BELOW WATER LINE.
These damages are stated to be below and
connected with the first orlop beam, max
ing break extending obliquely from one
frame TO the other, aud allowing heavy
How OF water to pour into the ship. 1t Is
stated that when she was struck the second
time it was on the covering board of the
poop, carrying away part Of it. breaking
the rail and plate. and starting the
stanchions and deck plank. Also plate
and angle iron broken and other damages.
In addition to the above enumerated dam
ages to the Nedjed, it is stated that a large
portion OF her injuries is below the water
h1e, and that from the lack Of proper APP
pliances in the port OF Savannah it is i'm
possible to ascertain the extent of the same.
THE CLAIMS.
The damages are estimated as follows:
For temporary repairs with the permanent
repairs that will have to be made to put her
In the condition she was prior to the collis-
ion $4,000, lighterage $6J5. hire Of pump
800, towage $500, extra pilotage
$3.50, warehousing and storage Of the dis
charged cargo $4,000, for stevedoring
$4,000, surveys 81, 900, detention and loss Of
time for a long space of time, to-wit, fifty
days at $500 per day, s15, 1000, damage and
loss on ISL bales of cotton wet and dis
charged $l3,0Sl, to loss in weight and recon-
ditioning on $500 bales OF cotton, dry. dis
charged, $4,000. services of agents 1880.
cablegrams and kilograms $500, drayage of
wet cotton, port charges and consular fees
$500. to loss on 100 tons of coal
800, services Of special agents $500, loss of
cargo of mats $50, extra freight and insur-
ance on wet cotton S., las, with interest
upon all the sums named from the day of
collision to tue day on which Judgment is
rendered. The libel includes all other
damages, should the Nedjed be unable to
leave port and have to be beached here,
which would run the total to 500, 900.
GAVE BOND FOR $3.50, 900.
By agreement of both parties the City of
Macon was allowed to go out on her voy,
age on Oct go Lawton and Cunningham
as counsel for the defendants, gave bond
for the City of Macon for 100000,
double the amount of the libel.
The respondents, it Is understood,
claim that the Nedjed came hard
astern into the City of Macon, and that, in
answer to the City of Macon's two sharp