The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-21
BLAME SHIFTED TO ALABAMA.
MERCHANTS q MINERS co.'s AN
sWER TO RITTENHOUsE MOORE.

| ~ 1EOSs
Steamship Compnny's Answer to
the Libel Filed by Moore Against
the Itascn, Filed in United Stntes
COurt-The Claim for Damages in
Excess of $4,000 Declared to BE
Far More Than the Damages
Should Be-Au Liability for the Ac-
cident Repudiated by the Com
pnny.
| The answer Of the Merchants and Min
crs' Transportation Company, claimant Of
the libeled steamship Itasca, was filed
in the United States Court yesterday. The
| ltasca was hbened by Rittenhouse Moore.
for damages ON the steam dredge Ala
| bama, alleged to amount to something
more than $4,000
The answer Of the claimant of the
Itasca, that thus assumes the burden of
the defense and becomes responsible for
any damages that the court may adIu3ge
to have accrued through the fault Of the
steamship to the dredge, was filed by its
proctors, Messrs. d. II. Hayne and Car
rard & Meldrim. The answer repudiates
absolutely any and all responsibility for
the accident or the resulting damage, and
charges that the accident was due to
and the damages to the dredge resulted
from the gross carelessness, negligence
and lack of attention to the fundamentals
of good seamanship and good sense dis
| played by the master and crew Of the
dredge.,
The accident occurred at 10 O'Clock on
the night of Aug 10, 1899, while the dredge
was lying in or near the ship channel of
the Savannah river, at a point about
twelve miles below the city. The Itasca
collided with the dredge and caused con
siderable damage, which the Merchants
and Miners Transportation Company re-
fused to make good. Hence the fling of
the libel against the Itasca.
There are categorical denials of almost
every essential allegation of the libel con-
tanned in the answer of the claimants. In
the first place it is stated that the Ala
bama did not display the lights required
| by law of vessels anchored in the river,
or If they were displayed, they were dis
played improperly. The denial of any
negligence attributable TO the master OF
crew of the Itasca is accompanied with
specific allegations of diligence, care and
prudence OH their part.
The account of the damages incurred
by the Alabama, set out in the libel, is
declared to be grossly exaggerated. 1t IS
charged that reasonable skill and diligence
were not used in making the repairs to
| the dredge and that therefore. that ele.
| ment of damage that has regard to she
Alabama 5 loss of time, due to the acct
dent and the repairs that mad to be made
| is far in excess of what it actually should
be. f..e
,l,ca i,
a calm for compensation for the dana ges
suffered by the Itasca has been made upon
| it in the past, and admits further that
| it refused to pay this claim, but 1t de-
| MES that there ever was claim for the
| amount of damages set out in the libel
| or anything dixie IT. The previous asser-
| lion thar this.Aclaif1sisa greatly m Eek cess
OF what the damages actually were and
| Is grossly exaggerated, is reiterated ana
| reafflrmed
the company denies absolutely that any
| fault attaches to the master and crew
! of the Itasca, afirms on the contrary
| the master and crew exercised every rea-
| sonable and proper precaution that could
| tend to prevent damage to any vessel in
| the channel, and shifts the blame for The
accident to the shoulders of the master
ana crew of the dredge, where, it is said
the blame belongs and should be allowed
| to rest
Then The claimant proceeds 10 give ne
story of the accident, materially differ
ent from that of the ibellant The an
| swer recites that on the night in ones
| tlon the Itasca was on her way from Bal
tlmore TO savannah and that at the time
| the vessel was tight staunch and strong
and in every way seaworthy, manageable
| and in good condition. At the time fhe
| master and the first officer Of the Itasca
| We're in the pilot house, the uuartertnae-
| ter held the wheel and lookout was
| stationed ahead to discern obstacles in the
way of the vessel ana warn her officers
| of their existence. All OF these and the
| others of the officers and crew were ac-
| lively and vigilantly on the alert and At
tending to their business
In this situation the steam dredge Ala
| bama was discerned looming up ahead. the
! lights upon her Indicating that she shouIJ
| be passed on the northern side The Ala
| bama is said 80 have been directly in tn.
| main ship channel, and in the accustom-
| ed way of the Itasca and other vessel
| entering The port of Savannah.
The master and officers of the Tta~,c.
| the answer of the claimant recites. were
| as familiar with the channel DEPTHS as the
| charts furnished by the government per
| mitted them to be. but seeing the Ala.
| bama moored directly in the channel ami
| showing lights indicating, that she SHOULD
| be passed TO the north, the master pre-
sumed that the officers of the Ala bam9
"AiNN "e's ttiSi Siie,ets''t III III tlbll45 NDdl
| very portion Of the river We're familiar
| with the depths of the channel, and That
| as the lights the dredge displayed indicat-
| ed that it was 10 be crossed TO the north
this crossing was attempted. Because the
| Alabama was then engaged in dredsng
the river al this point,<it was thought the
| officers of the dredge knew and under
stood what they were about and that they
would not have indicated that the Ala
bama was to be assed TO the north. un-
less there was ship room on that side Of
| the channel
As the Itasca moved slowly and eau
| tously past the Alabama, the ship struck
bottom. Despite all that could afterwards
| be done the vessel refused to obey her
| rudder and continued to sheer towards
| the Alabama, which was finally struck
and penetrated by the bow of the Itasca
| As soon as it was seen that such an ac-
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