Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 6.djvu/932

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

920 FEDBBAii REPORTER. �about five miles an hour, when she first saw the lights of the steamer. They aver that it is customary for lighter craft approaching the port of Baltimore to give the eastern side of the channel to larger vessels, and espeeially to large steam- ers, as they can be more safely navigated on that side ; that when the lights of the steamer were first seen, ail her lights were visible, and that when she was between a mile and three-quarters of a mile ofiF the tug gave two distinct and clear blasts of her whistle, indicating that the steamer should pass on the tug's starboard side ; that no response was given by the steamer, but she continued to approach, showing both her side lights, when the tug again gave two blasts of her whistle, to which the steamer responded with two very faint whistles, but continued to show her port light, as if going across the course of the tug, when, perceiving that the steamer had not heeded her signais, the tug starboarded her helm, and the steamer passed her about the steamer's breadth off on the tug's starboard side, and came into collision with the schooner, the collision taking place outside of the western edge of the channel. �The Brewerton and Craighill channels form a continuons water-way from the Chesapeake bay to the port of Baltimore, the first being in the Patapsco river proper, and the latter in the Chesapeake bay at the mouth of the river, and nearly at a right angle with the first. They are from 250 to 400 feet wide, and were made by dredging out the natural channel. The navigation of these channels requires careful seamanship and an exact observance of every rule intended to prevent collisions. Applehy v. Kate Irving, 2 Fed. Eep. 924. �The rule governing steamers, and the signais they shall give when about to pass each other in these channels, is ex- pressed in the eighteenth rule of the act of congress : "If two vessels under steam are meeting end on or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, BO that each may pass on the port side of the other ; " and also by the pilot rules for lake and seaboard navigation : �"Eule 1. When steamers are approaching each other ' head and head,' or nearly so, it shall be the duty of each steamer ��� �