The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-29
LA BOURGOGNE'S FAULT
CROMARTYsHIRE NOT TO BLAME
FOR THE APPALLING DISASTER.
Decision of the Halifax Court of In
quiry-The French steamer Out
of Her Regular Course.


Smith, of the British royal navy reserve.
with whom were associated in the investiga-
ton Capt Bloomfield Douglass. r. N. r.. and
Capt Lewis Anderson, nautical assessor.
Captain Smith refers briefly to the voyage
of the Cromartyshire up to the night of July
8, and dwells at length on the incidents of
the collision, as described by the master
and crew of the sailing vessel. and then
says: AT the time the two ships came
into collision the conclusion was so violent
and the blow inflicted so heavy that the
sailing vessel was driven apparently con-
sideratly from the course she was heading,
although the number of points she WIS
caused TO deviate is not exactly stated, but
the effect of the blow caused her Roadway
to be stopped and made her nnmanageabe
The jb-boom and bowsprit of the Cromar-
tyshire passed over the side of the steamer,
and was broken and torn away from the
starboard side of the sailing ship with all
the gear attached and cast over the lee SIDE.
The foremost was also broken and came
down from aloft and fell over the same side
of the ship. The collision bulkhead re-
manned intact, which saved the ship from
laundering. The damage to this vessel suf-
fered was not known to those on board the
sailing ship, and could not be, as the evi-
dence shows she passed quickly out OF
sight across the bow to starboard Only
one man on board the sailing vessel noticed
any person on the steamers deck This
was william Healy, the lookout man. He
says: saw some people on the steamers
deck forward and two men on the bridge.
The men shouted out in a foreign language,
and 1 could not tell what they said.'
Captain Smiths report sets forth the
measures taken on the Cromartyshire to
discover if there was loss of life on the
steamship, ard special attention is drawn
to the international regulations for prevent
ing collisions at sea, which, the report says,
should have been observed by these ves-
sels." There can be no dc ubt, 1t is added,
that the steamer was supplied with an ef11-,
cient steam whistle, and that it was sound
ed at regular intervals. The officers of the
sailing ship and most of the crew heard it
several minutes before the collision Album
dant proof is also produced that the sailing
ship had an efficient horn and was using II
according to regulations. From statements
of witnesses there are indications that the
sailing ships horn was heard on board the
steamer and was answered by her..
With regard to the speed of the steamer
at the time of the collision, the report says:
Nothing can be absolutely and correctly
known as to it's rate, except from the infer
enceS drawn from the various statements
made in the evidence, Perhaps ner , speSe
sudden manner the steamer first came IN
sight on the short bow of the sailing vessel
and her equally quick disappearance in the
fog Immediately after the casualty, as
shown by the evidence, the court is forced
to the conclusion that the steamer was pro-
ceeding at very high rate Of speed.
Article 20 states that when steam YES
sci and sailing vessel are proceeding IN
such directions as to iny6iye Tls s OF cont If
the way of the sailing vessel. For reasons
unknown to the court the steamer did not
Article q says: Where, by these rules,
one of two vessels is to keep out of the
way the other shall keep her course and
speed The evidence on this point is OF a
clear and satisfactory character and con-
clusively proves that the sailing ship, under
the circumstances, did keep her course and
speed. according to. the provisions OF the
act. The court is of opinion that her mas
ter would not have been justified In de-
parting from the statutory regulations un-
less he could have sheltered himself un-
der the conditions pointed out in Article q;
''All the necessary duties were performed
on the sailing ship with proper caution, and
due diligence was exercised in her naviga-
ton by her captain when the character OF
the fog was taken into consideration Cap
tain Henderson, of the Cromartyshire and
the officers of his ship are therefore exon
Grated from blame for the collision and its
consequences"
Captain Smith. in his report, adds 1T
appears to me that La Bourgogne, as a
mail steamship starting from New York,
was not in the position at the time of the
collision. as indicated by the steam lanes
on the pilot chart of the north, Atlantic.
1t also appears to me that it is highly de-
sirabe the rules of following the steam
lanes should be made more binding on all
steamers navigating the Atlantic when ply
ing between New York and European ports.
Although in this inquiry l have not been
called on or empowered to make any inves-
tigation as to the conduct Of the master
and officers of La BOurgogne as to the
navigation of that ship, it is evident that
had the commander, Captain Deloncle.
adopted the rules laid down his vessel could
not have been in a position indicated by
the disaster
The report concludes with the recon-
mendation that new lane routes be estab-
lished for fast passenger steamers between
American and European ports.
The steamer Hiawatha sailed tonight on
a cruise in search of bodies of victims of the
La Bourgogne disaster She will call at
Sable island and cruise on the Grand Banks
and vicinity in search of remains The ex-
petition is fitted out by Judge Dillon, or
New York, and w. O. Perry, OF Kansas
CITY, both of whom lost their wives ana
children The Compagnie Generate Trans
atlantique had been asked to institute
search but declined. and the work was UNI
dertaken by the two gentlemen named at
their expense limiting the quest for men,
bers of their own families