Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 2.djvu/109

This page needs to be proofread.

103 FEDERAL REPORTER. �fhat shortly after the steamer's lights were seen her green light disappeared, the red light alone remaining in siglit ; that Boon after that both lights came in sight, and remained visi- ble for a short time, when the red light disappeared, and the green light was alone visible, and so remained to the time of the collision; that soon after the red light disappeared the steamboat gave a number of quick toots of the whistle, and almoat immediately the schooner, which had not changed her course, ran into the starboard side of the steamboat just for- ■ward of the paddle boxes; that the collision was occasioned Bolely by the fault of the steamboat in not keeping out of the way of the schooner, and in attempting to cross her bows. �The case of the steamboat, as stated in the pleadings, is that after passing the Stepping Stones the course of the steam- boat was changed so as to head for Execution Light, after that change headingnorth-east; that after running on that course for about four minutes the schooner 's green light was seen, and reported bearing two or three points on the starboard bow; that for greater caution the helm of the steamboat was starboarded, alteringher course so that she headed about half a point to the northward of Execution Light, and that the two vessels were then proceeding on such courses ; that there was no danger of a collision; that the steamboat kept on her course until the vessels were about 150 yards apart, when the red light of the schooner came into view, and the green light almost immediately disappeared ; and that it then ap- peared that the schooner was changing her course and head- ing for the steamboat; that several blasts of the steamboat'a whistle were immediately blown, and the bells were rang to slow and stop, which were obeyed, but the schooner kept on and almost immediately the vessels came together; that the schooner at no time showed a flash light, and that she changed her course so that at the collision she was heading nearly west ; that when and after the red light of the schooner came in view the steamboat could have done nothing to avoid the collision, but that even then the schooner could, by star- boarding, have gone clear under the stem of the steamboat. ����