The San Francisco call., 1908-12-09
.CFNSURE OFFICIALS
/. FOR BAY COLLISION
Citizens on Board Say Crash of
Oakland and Newark Due
to Error
Southern Pacific Men Find That
the Fog Was Solely to
Blame

The Southern Pacific is censured by
the citizens on the board of investiga-
ton of the collision between the steam
ers Oakland and Newark last Monday
night. Frederick Sandlin, Andrew ].
Nor, +. W. Sharpe, George G. Cum
ming and Hugh Craig believe a gross
error was committed in allowing the
Oakland to carry passengers on the
route which was then being travelled
by the Newark and 10 minutes later
by the Piedmont.
CENsURE MANAGEMENT
They have expressed their views in
the following report:
Inasmuch we are not possessed Of suf-
hcient nautical experience and are not ex-
perts In the rule of the road at sea- we de-
cline to commit ourselves as to the responsi-
bility between the captains of the two boats
for the collision But, as citizens of Ala
media county and in the interests of the
millions of passengers carried between our
county and the city and county of San
Francisco, we of the opinion that con-
sidering the dense fog which was shown to
have existed on the bay of San Francisco
between the Market street ferry and the
o.
gross error of judgment was committed In
allowing the Oakland "a third boat to carry
passengers the route which was then be-
ing travelled by the steamers Newark and,
10 minutes later, Piedmont.
RAILROADMEN REPORT
The following Southern Pacific off,
cials also rendered a report: ]. H.
Young, general superintendent; w. A.
MpCOVarn SnnorjnfondoYit. UTiII;o,,,
Mckenzie. superintendent river and
ferry steamers; ]. C. Camp, assistant
superintendent river and ferry steam
ers; r. c. Monk, chief machinist, ship
yards; l.. f. Champion, resident en-
gineer; w. H. Russell. master me
chanic; H Englebright, master car re-
pairer, and Z. M Cutting, signal super
visor. Their report says:
1t is the opinion of this board of inquiry
that the weather conditions. that is. the
dence fog, prevailing the bay at the time
of the collision. is alone responsible for the
accident The ferry service had been put on
fog schedule at o'clock that evening. The
Oakland harbor route boat which should
have left Broadway wharf at p m- was
unable to make this run account of slip
being bottled up by vessel that stuck in
Sthe mud in front of slip, leaving boat
10 nanule teams, dulOmODleS OF passengers
via the harbor route. At p. m. there were
40 automobiles on hand at San Francisco
waiting to go over, the unusual number be-
ing due to the automobile races at Tanforan
on that day, and the Oakland, which was
tied up at Alameda mole, dispatched
TO San Francisco at p. m. to bring the
automobiles to Oakland pier on account OF
the creek route being out of service. The
Oakland was ordered to leave San Francisco
at 1905 p M. the Piedmont
arrived. 1t left San Francisco at 1910
D. m. and was in collision with the Newark
of Oakland pier at 1880, as previously
stated. All concerned had been advised that
the Oakland taking the place of the har-
bors route boat and would come to Oakland
pier instead of going up the creek route.
Every precaution taken to guard against
accident but, owing to the density of the
fog the boats unable 10 locate each
other and collided at nearly right angles
while the engines OF both vessels were in
reverse.
The same board made an investiga-
ton of the collision of the Berkeley
with the Oakland slip, which occurred
at $40 p. m. on the same date Fog
is blamed for the accident, which it is
reported was unavoidable