Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 9.djvu/142

 THE BELGBNLAND. 127 �a dark night, and with a clear atmosphere, at least two miles. The character and location of these lights conformed to the regulations of the bark's nation- ality, which are the same as those of the British board of trade. About 1:45 o'clock the lookout sighted the white mast-head light of a steamer right ahead, distant, as he thought, about a mile, and reported it at once to the mate, who cautioned the men at the wheel to " keep her steady and be very caref ul," and the bark held her course. Ko side lights on the steamer were seen from the bark, but, as the vessels approached each other, the white light of the steaiher gradually drew a little on the port bow of the bark for three or four minutes, ihe mate of the bark, seeing the steamer's sails, and that she was heading directly for the bark, Was close aboard of her, and reasonably apprehending that a collision waa inevitable, ordered the bark's helm hard a-port. In a few seconds the steamer's starboard light came into view, and in another instant she struck the bark on her port side, cutting her in two obliquely from the , after-part of the fore rigging to the fore-part of the main rigging. �(3) The Belgenland was steering K. W. by W. j W. by compass, and making about 11 knots. Her second olSeer had charge of the deck, and his watch was composed of 10 able seamen, two quartermasters, the second boatswain, and the fourth offlcer. One able seaman M'as stationed on the lee or starboard side of the bridge as a lookout. The second offlcer was on the bridge. The fourth offlcer was stationed at the after or standard compass, which was near the mizzen-mast, but at the time was on the bridge, having come there to report a cast of the log. A quartermaster was at the wheel. The rest of the watch were underneath the turtle-back or top-gallant f orecastle. The steamer was 416 feet long and about 38 feet beam. The bridge was 150 or 180 feet from her bow, and was six or seven feet higher than the top of the turtle- tiack, which was about 25 feet above the water. The steamer had her fore, main, and mizzen try-sails, fore stay-sail and jib set and drawing, and probably her jigger also. She heeledto starboard from 10 to 15 degrees. �(4) The only lookout on the steamer was on the bridge. None was on the turtle-ba,ck, although it would have been entirely safe to station one there, for the alleged reason that the vessel was plunging into a head sea and taking so ihuch water over her bows that he would have been of no use there. �(5) The bark was not seen by those in charge of the steamer until just at the instant of the collision, when the second offlcer saw lier head-sails just across the steamer's bow ; the lookout in the lee side of the bridge saw her after-sails and stem. �(6) The moon was up, but was obscured by clouds. There was no fog, but occasional rain, with mist, and the wind was blowing from the S. W. to W. S. W. �(7) Objects could be seen at the distance of from 500 yards to a mile. The mast-head light of the steamer was sighted and at once reported by the lookout on the bark, at the distance of about a mile; the port light of the bark was seen by a steerage passenger on the steamer, looking out of his room just under the bridge, and reported to his room-mates long enough be- fore the collision to enable the second steerage steward, who heard the report, to go up the companion ladder, cross the deck, and reach the steamer's rail. ��� �