Evening star., 1940-09-01
Fifty Years Ago
In the Star

1T has become the custom says an
article in The Star of August %, 1890,
"for the large excursion
Seorchlioht steamers on rivers near
Dancers cities to be furnished with
the electric searchlight
with which the passengers are amused
at night by the display of the brilliant
white stream of light thrown in all direc-
tions over the water. These lights are
advertised and made a speciality in the
evening trips and furnish great amount
of entertainment. But it now looks as
if the use of them would have to be
discontinued, or at least diminished and
controlled by law, for complaints are
being received from all quarters from
shipmen navigating the same waters as
the excursion steamers that the use of
this light increases to a large degree
the danger of river navigation.
Several complaints of this nature
have been received at the Office of the
supervising inspector general OF steam
vessels in the Treasury Department in
this city. and all replied to in the same
manner. A Star reporter was yesterday
shown a letter that has just been ad-
dressed by Gen. Dumont to a number
of steamer captains of craft run on the
waters of the st. Lawrence River, who
recently made complaint of the flash or
searchlight on the steamer St. Lawrence
on the ground that it blinded them and
at times rendered it impossible for them
to distinguish either her regular lights
or those of other vessels so that they
could obtain information as to how to
steer. The general replied by referring
to a copy of a letter which he wrote
about year ago to the supervising in
spector of the Buffalo district on the
same subject, which he inclosed, and
concluded thus:
"'You are further informed that this
Office has no authority within itself to
stop the use of such lights, even though
illegal. If you know of any case of vio-
lation of law you should file complaint,
giving day Cor night and date of the
violation with the United States local
inspectors at Oswego, whose duty 1t
would be to investigate the charge and,
if proved, revoke the license of the mas
ter, besides referring the matter to the
United States district attorney for prose-
cution for the penalty incurred
I'm his former letter. written in Sep
tember 1889, he says of this same steam
er's light:
"I am of the opinion that an electric
light carried in the manner as described
is strictly illegal and is in violation Of
section 4233, Revised Statutes, rule 7.
Such light If used only as a searchlight
momentarily when needed might possibly
be permitted, but to be constantly ex-
posed is dangerous as well as an illegal
one, as you will see by examination of
the law. Accidents have occurred by
the use of the electric light on steam
vessels, obscuring the regular signal
lights, both white and colored. One such
accident occurred in December last in
Norfolk, Va, and the inspectors there
suspended the license of the master of
the steamer which carried 1t. The case
was never appealed, thereby conceding
on the part of the steamer company the
illegality of carrying such light
"The case referred to was a collision
between the steamer John Romer and
the steamship Guyandotte, which oc-
CURED on the night of December 26, 1888.
The conclusion of the inspectors report
on the case read as follows:
"'Rule for the prevention Of colli-
sions on the water says "The lights men
toned in the following rule and no other
shall be carried in all weather between
sunset and sunrise" The lights which
shall be carried are then recited.
1.-The Guyandotte did carry other
lights. She carried a powerful electric
light at her bow and Capt. Kelly says
that this light was used from Tim Point
on down the river until after the COLI
sion.
There does not appear to have been
any special occasion for the use OF this
light, for the testimony says that the
night though dark was clear. We find
that by the use of this electric light
Capt. Kelly did contribute to this colli-
sion. We also suspend the license
of Capt. John A. Kelly for the space Of
so days, for using light not authorized
by law, thereby contributing to the col
lision.
"'Your attention Is also called to the
fact that the Government at an expense
q = aa- kA