The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-27
COSTLY COLLISION.
lis Against the Willamette
for $4,000 Damages.
ZINC TO LAY BLAME ON HER
rrsmier Cannot BE Reaehsd-Hsbeas
c~syss fer snnny Laeksy-red-
eral Indsetmenss.


--stts collision Of October. 1889, by which
.,rssa lives we're lost. II under eonsidera-
- 81 Judge Hartford. Of the United
-, court, TO whom the case Was argued
- ,ubmitted yesterday By > large num-
= 81 attorneys representing claimants
xwdamagss thereby. The ease 10 the libel
q Jseoh Nelson against the steamship
valsnette, Oregon improvement Com
.e.v. claimant, and half dozen inferven-
q libels have been fled, 30 thst while
- rrsss upon It's own merits as regards
leasfes the main point 10 identical In
M case.
The accident occurred on the morning Of
Oetstes o. fs82, of Point No Point, during
dense fog. the Willamette Running her
uoss halfway through the port bow Of the
p<miss, killing four people and injuring
rsersi others. At the time Of the acci-
dsss The Premier. o passenger boat plying
bespeen Victoria and Seattle, was coming
~ from Port Townsend az a speed of from
loarlsen to fifteen knots an hour In spite
n The dense fog. The Willamette, with
about 1870 tons Of coal, was on her way to
San Francisco going ~ two-thirds SPEED.
The Premier was sounding the fog signal
n sn occasional toot of her whistle. The
willamette had not sounded any fog sis-
rsss yet. as IL had only short time before
catered the fog bank. Tho Premier had
10 loosout on the forecastie, but
IT, officers were on the bridge and In from.
Of tbs pilot house. The Wiiiamette's offi-
es we're also on the alert, and lookout
had also been stationed on the forecas,le.
The accident was investigated By the
local Thitsi States marine inspectors,
who found practically that negligence had
been shown by both masters. and their
licenses were revoked. The libeilants tried
hsfd to have this finding of the inspectors
Introduced Is evidence IN the case. bat
Judge Hanford ruled that the question Of
responsibility would have To he deter
mined by the testimony as 10 the facts
snd net by any expert opinion. Owing to
the fact that the Premier was adroitly
conveyed outside of the Jurisdiction of the
GATED States before she could he iibeied,
the sufferers by the disaster had only the
willamette to fall back upon to recover
their damages. They were thus bent upon
proving that the responsibility for the dis
sister rested upon that vessel. while the
claimants OF the vessel sought 10 throw
the blame for the accident upon the Pre-
n!sy.
Attorney Burleigh for the Oregon I'm
rroyement Company. with the aid of dia-
grams. sought to show that the Premier
had violated we'll known rule of naviys-
ton in fog that . vessel must keep out
OF the way OF another on her starboard.
and that the collision was the result OF
this violation. He cited from the testf-
mony 10 show that the fog signal OF the
Premier came to tho Willamette over the
siarboard bow, and repetition of it came
rom the same quarter. Thereupon the
captain Of the Willamette gave two short
Whistles, the signal indicating that he
vculd direct the course of his'ship to port.
snd that the Premier should do the same.
The Willamette had accordingly changed
Der course and st the same time reversed
her engines. In about two miputes the
Premier was seen looming up out of the
log and running directly across the WILL
amette's bow, leaving the inference clear
that the Premier had changed her course
TO sssrboard instead OF TO port, as she
should have done.
This theory Is opposed by the iibellsnts.
who pointed ont that the Willamette had
"Sh AhsHSA'a tAt fok sEEH&it Oh the ire
mlcr. whose captain therefore did not
know that another vessel Was near. and
that her course and position Just prior TO
the accident lay TO the por. of the Will
annette, and endeavored TO show that this
Vas indicated by the fact that If the Will
annette had not changed her course TO port
the vessels would have passed each other
They therefore insisted that the officers of
the Willamette were mistaken, which the
dense fog rendered easy, in supposing tina.
the sound of the Premier's signal came 60
them over the Willamette's starboard bow.
Various minor features of the different
cases were argued by the attorneys in at
tendance. who were James Hamilton
Lewis and J. II. Elder. of this city, and A.
X. Iitlow, A. III. Garrettson, Ben Sheeks
and Crowley & Sullivan. of Tacoma. for
the iihelsants. and Andrew r. Burleigh for
The claimants OF tho vessel The libeilsnts
are Jacob Nelson. who sues for 5000 for
broken ribs and other injuries; Thomas
foFan. who asks SIS 900 for broken leg
and shoulder and permanent injuries TO
bis head; Emma n. Miller, $500 for an
injured spine and various cuts. bruises and
burns; Ida +. Rlehardson, widow of Will
lam \. Richardson. S., 900 for the loss Of
Der husband. John Rankin, father of John
Joseph Rankin. so 600 for the loss of his
son; T. W. Vest. $4,000 for permanentin-
iaFies 80 his hands. legs. back. side and
kaee; Z. J. Reese, administrator
OF John Moe. who was killed
"a the accident. and whose life is valued AZ
NAo0: AMI II. J. Wynkoop, father OF
frank G Wynkoop. 81, 900 for the loss OF
as son. Aoseo for injuries 10 Mrs. Wyn-
soop. S 80 for injuries 20 him and $500
'or loss Of baggage. the total claims agsre-
eating SIN a0n.
The testimony had all been taken before
commissioner A. c. Rowmsn, and wi,h
'hs Arguments Of the attorneys as taken
saaef amusement by Judge Hanford.
~---~~-~s----~7--@
indictments by Federal Grand Jarv.
The United States grand Jury brough.
u indictments yesterday against the fol-
sesiss persons: George Jarvis. for send
Ws easesne. lesd and lsseivious letters
tafeash the mails addressed TO Miss Mag
&c Mckenzie and her sister, Miss Martha
aeArasie. room - Pssss house. Front
''fSei and also TO L. r. wyman. Madison
ssee' possT house. city. ]. NJ. Warner,