The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-04-11
COURT SHIPS
Models Sail Before a
Circuit Judge.
Trial Of Damage Suit for Sinking of
The William Carson by
The CIaudine.

\ distinct nautical flavor permeates
The Circuit Court these days. The
lawyers talk in marine language and
Judge S;iliman, who is presiding in
Judge Perry's seat during the latter's
illness, is hidden behind a steamship
and a barkentiBe. \ ships lantern
a green glass framed in dull brass-is
conspicuous among the floor ornaments
and the casual audience and the wit
nesses are old seadogs.
Ii all comes of a collision between
the steamship Claudine and the bark
entine William Carson. These vessels
met abruptly about four months ago
and the William Carson got much the
worse Of the impact. Now the owners
Of the Carson are suing the owners of
the Claudine for S65,O 600 damages,
Ginning that it was all the fault of the
crew OF the Claudine that the collision
happened. The Carson is lying outside
| the harbOr now while divers are re-
moving her cargo of coal.
For weeks the attorneys in the case
have been getting ready for the con-
test in court. and two days ago the bat
tie opened. Suits resulting from COLI
sions are rare in Honolulu So the
lawyers have been at great expense
and trouble to present a striking OBJ
jet lesson of the rights of each side
They have brought into court models
of the Ciaudine and Carson. fashioned
just like the real ships but of course
much smaller. The carved likeness OF
the Carson is about the size of a seven
| ysar-old boy ana the Claudines model
would equal in bulk a fair-siZed sheep.
some genius, handy with a jackknife,
| has done good job, but none Of the
lawyers will confess to being the ar
| list
The ship lantern is to throw light on
| the vexed point OF whether the Will
| liam Carson's side lamps were hid un-
der bushel or shining brightly as they
| should have been. The little ships
were TO show Judge Silliman just how
the Carson and Claudine approached
each other on the eventful night they
came together. The models were put
| on the floor, the Carson with all sail:
set and the steamship wearing a rak-
ish look, and a figure of somebody on
the bridge to prove that he was at
tending 10 business.
Then the mate of the Carson put hel
on a straight course and slanted the
Claudine TO an angle of fifteen degrees
which he said was the angle at which
she came toward the Carson. Their,
was no attempt made 10 have an imi
,aJion collision, though the OratOcy o
one of the distinguished counsel bel
lied out the sails and made the barker
JiKe crawl a few inches toward tn
| steamship.
rpsf 81. 4
a stumbling block for the lawyers OF
the other side.
He was shown the sidelight brOugh
from the Carson and asked if ne iden
,iied it,
Cant say" replied the master.
The attorney pounded a desk, he'll
up the lantern, and shouted, Il as
you again, sir, TO tell the Court wheth
er thisllantern was the starboard ligh
of the Carson on the night of the col
ision?"
The captain looked carefully at tn
lamp. II had a sock tied about tn
chimney and on this sock the lawye
staked his chances of forcing Capital
Piltz to acknowledge il as an oil
friend. Captain Piltz was certain tina
light of the proper color did gleal
in the starboard rigging on the fate
full evening. but he was stubborn abou
Identifying the exhibit.
Again the attorney banged the tabl
He pointed a rigid finger at the soc
and demanded, See that sock? ID
you know it? Was not that sock o
your starboard lantern that night
Now, sir, look at that sock deliberate
iy and swear that it was not the soc
and that that was not the lantern o
tie Carson's starbOard side
Captain Piltz observed the sock ar
the lantern with the air of a man WI
meets a total stranger who Gains a
quaintance. Il see the sock and II
light" he said slowly, but l can't 50
that | ever saw the sock or the lal
\ tern before"
4 lie could not be made to say tn
q the Carson's starbOard light ever wO
4. socks. despite the vigorous efforts
+. the lawyer. He remarked that q
!, lantern before him was dull and u
!. cleaned while his were always imma
/, ulate. Captain Piltz was in no 1ur'
l. TO make any answers, and IL Is n
|. probable that his testimony cOuat'
l. for much in the Claudine's defens
/ The case will go on today and one
/, the attorneys who had once taken
trip on a sailing vessel. and was I
miliar with navigation, furled 9
I sails Of the William Carson and drO
ped her anchor in Judge Sillimar
q waste basket. The Claudine was ii
up 20 a table leg for the night. ri
. ney. Ballou & Mechanism appe
for the Carson's owners and Paul Ne
\ mann for the Wilder Steamship Col
\ pany.