The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-10-06
The COLLISION
IS EXPLAINED
Official Statements Of Captains Of
the Peru and Orion.
INTERNATIONAL SAILING LAW
Both Vessels we're uadsr Sail-sehooner
hep, on hcr Coarse sad Made No Ei-
fort 10 Avoid collisiou.
INTERNATIONAL SAILING LAW

Yesterday afternoon the mastcn OF tie
ship aiel schooner which came into col.
llsion on the mouth Of the river Monday
night made their onicial statements OF
The accident which placed the matter
In quitc a different ligh, from tina, hsrs.
toforc reported.
Captain Peter Nelson OF the schooner
orion which was run down ana sunk
by the German ship Peru. says;
Il left san Francisco September a. ...,.
my schooner ts - years Obj and value
it at 49,. We were bound 70 south
Bend. When ten miles west of ne
mouth Of the Columbia river W. ,olldei
with the German ship Peru. dld moth
lng-Iust kcG on my course by the WIND
The captain and the crew Of the German
ship assisted all hands on board after
thr collision. and saved our lives. ...ere
wcro six Of Us all told. .uc Wind Was
blowing about ten miles an hour ana
nc eca vas medium rough. The ,hp
was being ,owed into the Columbia river
gave orders 10 the man nt the Wnee!
AMI consider / was right 10 keep on
my course. | claim | hal the tisit o.
way"
Captain Z, ohIing. master Of the Ger.
man ship Peru. reports concerning nc
collision as follows; AT i.s0 .. m. DC.
tobrr T. is7. on the mouth Of the ColaI1.
bia r4yer, we oollidcd with the American
schooner orion. the Peru being IN tow
or the tug Relief. but with top sans rnd
topgallnnt sails set. wind being n ~ ~
about !? TO Is miles In force. saw
the Orion She was on the starboard
'gck when the vessels were approachlng
closeto one another. Both the tug mas
ter and pilot endcavorcd To avoid ,he col
lisbon by putting the Peru's h,nd 10 lee
wArh TO pass astcrn Of the Orion. Tals
mancuvor would have oenNsucecssiuliy
performed In few minutes more and
tho collision avoided had the master Of
the schooner done something 10 aid In
avoiding the Peru. Notwithstanding that
he could see every EFFORT was being made
both by the tux and the ship 20 fal,
before the wind, he held on his cou,sc
without any cffort TO avoid tho disaster.
going on the Pcru's bows and being run
down. The Orlons crew were rescued ~
the Peru"
The schooner carried no insurance
whatever, and will be '-',, loss. no
cfrort so far haing been made 10 tnve
the wreck. Captain Cord!ncr. who q
pilot on the German ship. and Captain
Howcs, who was in command OF the tug
Relief az tho time, are both reported
90 have stated that the captain Of mel
schooner became rattled. and after having
startcl across the hawser between ..e
tug and the ship changed his coursc after
the tug had come TO and slackchvd the
hawser so he might have crossed In
safety,
The vessels We're under the interna-
tonal rules, which read as follows:
Risk Of collision can. when circum-
stances permit, be ascertained by care
fully watching the compass and bearing |
of an approaching vessel. II the bsarlne |
does not appreciably change, such risk
should be deemed 10 exist
when two sailing vessels are approach |
Ing one another, so as to involve risk |
n collision. one OF them shall keep out
of the way OF the other as follows name |
y: \ vessel which is running free shall |
keep out OF the way OF vessel which !
Is close hauled, A vessel which = close
hauled on the port tack shall keep odt |
Of the way of a vessel which Is close |
hauled on the starboard tack. When both |
are running free with the wind on dlf- |
ferent sides, the vessel which has the |
wind on the port side shall keep out ct
the way of the other, When both are
free, with the wind on the same
side. the vessel which is to the windwarl |
shall keep out Of the way OF the vessel
which is to the leeward. vessel which
has tho wind AFT shall keep out Of 'he
way OF the other.