The San Francisco call., 1898-12-02
CAP TAIN McNEILL BLAMED FOR THE
 LATE COLLISION License Is Suspended
 for Two Years. BROKE A PILOT REGULATION oENsURED BY THE UNITED STATES LOCAL INSPECTORS. He Went to starboard Instead of to Port When He Saw the Czarina's Head light.
BROKE A PILOT REGULATION
oENsURED BY THE UNITED STATES LOCAL INSPECTORS.

Captains O. F. Bolles and John K. Bull ger United States Local Inspectors of Steam Vessels completed their report yes terdav in the matter of the collision be- tween the steamers J. D. Peters and Czarina, which took place on November 2 of this year. In the investigation twen- tv-three witnesses were called and six were recalled. The transcript of the testi- rnony covers PTS pages of typewriter foolscap size paper All this has been .'.boiled down" carefully by the inspectors. After finishing with the testimony, the in- *spectors go on to say:
 l. will be seen that the testimony given re- gaFding the steam whistles sounded by these steamers is very conflicting We are unable from it to determine which steamer first sig naled the other and what exchange of signals wore actuallv made. It is our opinion that the headlight of the Czarina was in it's proper rlace and burning before and at the time of the collision. The testimony of the witnesses .' Of said steamer is to that effect It was seen ; by Mr. Bell, witness of Angel Island. just after '..the collision. Moreover, Captain Hodsworth :Cf the J. D. Peters testifies that he saw the ==headlight Of the Czariua at the time her second rawhistle was blown. We do not believe it pos sible for the headlight to have been hoisted up :. at that time without some person observing the act.
 <. The bulk Of testimony goes to show that these steamers were approaching each other, head and head, or nearly SO It was. therefore, the duty of the pilot of each to pass on the port side of the other s prescribed by rule of the Pilot Rules for Atlantic and Pacific, Coast the Czarina, acted accordingly by putting his helm hard to port when he first signaled the J. D. Peters. When he received, as he testi- ies. a reply Of two blasts from the J. D. Pe- - ters he at once stopped and backed his steamer 10 avaoid collision and the Czarina was back ing and her helm still hard to port when the J n Peters struck her on the port bow, as already related. There is nothing in the tes- timony to cause to doubt that Captain Sea backed. as above stated. rTe however. testi- ies that he signaled the J. D. Peters with one blast of his whistle upon receiving from the latter signal of two blasts. His duty in that juncture under rule to have sounded not less than four short and rapid blasts, in blast. This action, on his part, in viola ton of that rule. But, in our opinion, his sounding of such short and rapid blasts would not, under the then existing circumstances. have availed to prevent the collision which soon
 On the other hand. Captain McNeill, pilot of the J. D. Peters, proceeded to pass on the cited. When first he saw the sidelights of the Czarina he thought they were those of a schooner, and starboarded his helm few sec - onqs; he then discovered that they were the red and green lights of a steamer He kept his helm To starboard and signaled to the Czar-. ma, as slated in the synopsis or his testimony, . and stopped and backed his engines and at bout the time the vessels came together.
 Itis in evidence that the J. D. Peters swung about three points to Iort before the collis- iona@ Had the helm of the J. D. Peters been put hard to port at the time Captain McNeil realized that the side lights he saw were those of a steamer, two or two and half minutes :: before the collision, this disaster in opin- a ion would not have occurred, for the reason that in such case the J. D. Peters would have swung fully 45 degrees to starboard-
 &:.. Captain McNeill also violated rule by. giv- :. ing a signal Of two whistles upon receiving a signal of one blast from the czarina, as did Captain Seaman of the CZarina.
 In our opinion, taking: the testimony as a whole: the cause of this collision was in the action of Captain Charles McNeill. pilot of the steamer J.. D. Peters, in attempting to pass on the starhoard side of the. Czarina. contrary ."to rule l of the pilot rules above mentioned. We can see no extenuaring crcumsta nces for his action. Therefore, for reason of such viola * tion of said rule on the part of Captain Charles: :McNeilI we have this date. under au- thority: of section 4450 United states Revised @ Statutes, suspended his license as master and
 pilot steam vessels for. the period of two
 years. 7 For reason; of violation of rule or the part of Captain. George w. Seaman as
 hereinbefores stated. we have under same. au, thority susPended his license as master. of and
 pilot of steam Vessels. fer the period of sixty
 days. :ft-..r .a .s .~. ~:; *.. Damage: to :Czarina estimated at s1ODOO; tc the l. D.,Peters about S5C0O, and to her cargo
 unknown