The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-03
CAPT. DAGGETT Is ALL RIGHT.
That Is the Opinion of Local Steam
boat Wen.

boat Wen.
The responsibility for the collision Of
! the Ocean Steamship liner City Of Au-
| gusta and the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
panys ferryboat Chicago in New York
harbor Monday night has been widely dis
| cussed here. The opinion among steam
| boat men generally IS that the captain
of the ferryboat is responsible.
Capt. Daggett Of the City Of Augusta
| has made me following report TO the board
Of steamboat inspectors:
Il passed the Battery at a quarter to
] O'Clock, coming along about midstream,
| the state Of the tide being the last OF the
ebb l noticed a Pennsylvania Railroad
ferryboat crossing from New Jersey 10
New York, which afterward proved TO be
the Chicago, exposing his green light to
my port light. / blew one whistle 10 him,
but did not hear him answer my whistle.
] never for one moment thought he would
dare 60 cross my bows. As soon as I
was convinced that he intended doing so
stopped my engine, but collision was
Inevitable. AS soon as we came together
Instantly backed for all I was worth and
pew distress signal and went gently
ahead pushing him in shore as fast as
could ] took one of the passengers over
my bows, lowered my boats and rescued
nine persons. Three were taken out Of the
water and six from the wreck Various
tugs answered my distress signal, and by
their Promptness nearly all the passengers
were saved
While / regret the accident, I do not
feel as though l were responsible. / was
not in a position to prevent II, and the
terryboat was. Had 1 put my wheel to
siarDoard / would have run into him GER
fanny. Had / backed my engines I would
nave twisted my ship in position across
ms bows or would have struck him more
TO the right, thereby lessening his chance
or performing the feat which he was trv-
ing 10 perform. With the assistance of a
pennsylvania tug I got in a position 10 pro-
ceed, arriving a the company's dock at
- minutes after o'clock Damage To The
Ci'y OF Augusta cannot be ascertained I'M
III discharged q"
Capt Durham of the ferryboat has made
no olilclaI statement. He is quoted, how
ever, as saying:
AS 10 the accident, it was In no vvav
my fauit. We had the right of way and
We notified the other ship by two blasts
OF the whistle There was ample room for
that vessel to have cleared us. but she
kept on dead ahead. l saw that she was
going to strike us. and I thought that her
captain was crazy. My only course was
10 Keep TO starboard under full steam"
Assuming that the two vessels We're
headed across each others course in an
obique direction, the law governing them
is as follows
when steamers are approaching each
otnor in an oblique direction. so as 10 in
YolVe risk Of collision, the vessel which
has the other on her own starboard side
shal Keep out of the way OF the other
Whlch latter vessel shan keep her course
ana speed; the steam vessel having the
other on her Yarboard side Indicating nv
one blast Of her whistle her intention 10
dlrect her course 10 starboard and two
blasts III direct
which the other shall promptly respond
out the giving and answering signals bV
Vessef required to keep her course shall
not vary the duties and obligat .ons of the
respective vessels
me ferryboat, according to Capt. Dag
gett's report, had the City OF Augusta on
her starboard. The difference In the state
ments Of the two captains appears to be
winch answered the others signals If any
were given Each captain says he sig
na-ed the other by whistles and each saws
that ne heard no answer. Each continued
on ms course until the collision was I'M
aVoidaDle. The weather was clear
An ebb tide was the only condition work
ing against easy navigation and neither
captain shifts blame upon the tide. The
pennsylvania people decline to ascribe re-
sponsiblity for the accident to any one In
advance Of the investigation by the local
inspectors of steam vessels but point ont
:.
beside her guide light, is not an object
easily overlooked on a reasonably
clear night on the river neither Is
Der course or destination problematical.
The Savannah Line officers have conf
dence in Capt Daggett. who has been
with them for many years. Capt. Dag
geit, In his report of the accident. refers
without qualifying adjective to Capt. Dur
ham efforts to perform q feat he feat
ny implication being to cross the CITY or
Augusta's bows. On the statements of the
two captains and the testimony of wit
nesses. the steamboat inspectors win have
to decide who is to blame.
Two plates of the City Of Augusta. are
stove, her foretopmast is gone and her
stem is said TO be somewhat damaged. The
vessel is fully insured. The Pennsy varia
people claim the Chicago was worth from
100000 to $4,000. The boat has lie n
raised but IS said to be in bad condition
From the appearance of the wreck and GO
ing over the statements of the captains
Superintendent lie Fevre is quoted as saw
ing that II is his opinion that the ferrybcat
ran squarely across the Augustus bows
Steamboat officers who are familiar with
the practices in New York ha Dor say that
the ferryboats take all sorts Of chances
and are constantly violating he Iu,es