The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-28
Schooner Left in Good
Condition.
No Blame Attaches to Officers
of Steamship.

A court Of Inquiry was convened at the
office OF Mr.. j. b. Heating, the britisn
vice consul at this port, yesterday AFTER
noon TO determine II possible the respon-
sibility for the collision between the
steamship Numidian of the Allan line
and the schooner Alens which ocourreu
last Wednesday morning.
The court consisted OF the British Vice
consul. Captain q. Robson OF the steam
shin Tynedale and Captain George Gale
OF the steamship Hibernian. MIR. Jonn
A. Ridge acted as secretary. Inc IN
yestiration commenced at 2 p. m. and
the first witness called WAS Second Mate
George s, Martin OF the Numidian'
The witness said he went on watch at 4
a. m. on the morning OF November slst
The fourth officer was with him ana
there was two men forward on the look
out.
About 6. so q. m. a schooner emerged
from the fog, standing to the nortn'
north east and about point OH the
steamers port bow. The witness pleW
long blast on the whistle, put the helm
or the Numidian hard aport and signalled
for the engines TO be reversed at fuii
speed. At 8 55 the schooner coiilaeu
lightly with the steamers port bow dam
aging part Of her bulwarks and breaking
some OF her spars.
The steamer sustained no damage. Az
7.O5 the chief officer boarued the schooner
which proved to bs the Alena. Prior 20
the collision the weather was clear with
fresh breeze from the southwest. At the
time OF
THE COLLISION
a bank of mist came down from tine souSh
west. At this time the ship was headed
southwest by west, one-half west. Before
the mist shut in the witness could see
about six miles.
The ship was moving at the rate Oh
about ten knots an hour when tine
schooner was sighted. The schooner was
enveloped in the mist, but 1t was quite
clear on the starboard side of the steamer
The witness was quite sure that the
schooner had no lights burning When
the schooner and the steamer came to-
gather the steamer had lost Roadway and
was barely moving through the water.
The wind was on the port side and the
schooner was on the port tack.
So far as the witness could see no effort
was made to avoid the collision By any
one on board the schooner until ne
shouted to the man at the wheel to put
his helm hard down. Had the man at
the schooners wheel put his helm hard
down when the steamer first hove in
sight he thought the collision might
easily have been avoided.
John Hamilton, the chief officer, testi-
fed that he was called at q m. and told
that the Numidian had run down YES
sci. Went on deck, cleared away No. 8
life boat and boarded the schooner with
the SHIPS carpenter. All the boats crew
with the exception of one man boarded
the schooner and assisted In clearing
away the wrecked rigging.
asked the captain of the schooner
what he intended doing, and he replied
that he wanted to abandon the ship.
asked him If the ship as leaking and
he said he did not know. l then ex'
amined under the cabin floor and found
1t dry. linen under the forecastle floor
and found 1t dry. told the carpenter to
sound the hold and he found eighteen
inches OF water. Twenty minutes later
he sounded again and the water had In
creased couple of inches. He then
pumped the hold dry and 1t took us about
fifteen minutes to do so.
When we left the schooner the master
was willing to remain by his ship. We
got out hawsers from the Numidian,
made them fast to the schooner's fore
mast and took her in tow.
Harry n. Pierce, the fourth officer of
THE NUMIDIAN
fully corroborates the testimony given by
Mr.. Martin.
George Stewart the carpenter Of the
Numidian testified relative to the sound
tuRs made by himself. He said the ship
was six years old and In good condition.
The pumps were all in good order. He
considered the schooner to be sound and
seaworthy after the collision. The dam.
ages received by the schooner consisted Of
a broken rail and bulwark. A broken
main gait and tcpmast,
Thomas Davis and Arthur Laroohell'
who were in the lookout testified con
corning the conditions existing at thu
time they sighted the schooner.
Mr.. Martin was recalled and said thai
the schooner was almost q mile from thu
steamer when first sighted.
Captain William S. Main was in thu
chart room when the schooner wa
sighted. On hearing blast from thu
whistle he stepped onto the bridge. Then
saw the schooner close by on the por
bow. Told the man at the schooner
wheel to put his helm hard down. HI
did SO but it was too late. At 6.55 th'
steamer and schooner driftsd togsther
ahe schooner would have gone clear bu