COLLISIONS AT SEA. 



COLONEL. 



In remarking upon the third assumption, that the rule* of the road 

 by n%ht may be defective, we enter upon wider field of inquiry ; 

 and although we purpose going aomewhat fully into the question of 

 lighu at M in H* proper place in thin work [LloHTS AT SEA], we 

 remark here how very plainly the tabular abatraet given in a previous 

 column show., that if any system of lighting vessel* under way did 

 exist in 18M, that system required amendment Some considerable 

 improrement ha* indeed been made, after long and elaborate investiga- 

 tione, by the Board of Trade, through ship-matters, pilot*, boatmen, 

 Ac., and erideno* from all porU of Great Britain; yet we can ahow that 

 great defect* still mar the perfect working of the new regulations; and 

 it to probable that the greater number f accidents by night from 

 eolliaon will still (a* in 18M) abound on the part* of the oout which 

 are beet lighted, nich a* Dungenew, Beachy Head, the Start Point, &c. ; 

 for it U reasonable to nrppoee, that the more vessels congregate at 

 thoae headland*, the more muit the confusion of light* increase, as 

 they are at jresent ordered to be used by Bailing- and steam-vessels, 

 each iteamer having three and each Bailing-Tenel two lights. To din- 

 tinguiah a steamer from a sailing-vessel, the jaw wiaely requires the 

 steamer to carry a white light <m Ike matt, bendet the green and red 

 light*, one on eaeh side; while the sailing-Teesel carries only the 

 coloured light*, except when at anchor. Now, imagine a vessel 

 suddenly entering a channel much frequented by steamers; every 

 steam-vemrl in sight will cause anxiety to every nailing or steam 

 master, because the white light is seen all round, and the intensity 

 of the various-coloured lights is so uncertain, especially in hazy weather, 

 that a ship near at band may exhibit coloured lights which are scarcely 

 visible, while one more distant may show strong ones. Now, con- 

 fusion and anxiety would, it is evident, be caused to a mariner mainly 

 by the number of white light* indicating itramer*, each of which lights 

 would require scrutiny to ascertain its connection or otherwise with 

 coloured lights of a vessel under way; but what is now proposed 

 would completely remedy this. 



The following improvements, exceedingly simple in themselves, and 

 very easy to be adopted, are submitted as a perfect and unobjectionable 

 night system : 



I. Lei a vhitr Ivjkt altcayt be eoittidered a danger li;ilct. 



'2. Let steamers and sailing-vessels carry the screened coloured lights 

 as at present ; namely, green on the starboard side, red on the port 

 side. But let these lights be placed abreast the foremast ; at present 

 they are often fixed upon the quarter, and consequently become shut 

 in too soon. 



3. Let all vessels, sailing or otherwise, when within soundings, carry 

 also by night a white light. 



4. Let steamers carry their white light at the mast, or hiyh on the 

 fore-stay; and sailing- vessels carry it at the bowsprit end, or somewhere 

 lute as convenient amidships. 



5. Let all vessel* at anchor carry a white light, showing all round, 

 but not placed so high as to be mistaken for a steamer's : the absence 

 of the coloured lights will always, as at present, show that it is only a 

 vessel at anchor. 



8. Let all white liylilt of rettelt under way lie to fixed and tcreened at 

 otily to be teen irithin a quirt of tiro point! on either bora ; and in case of 

 a fast vessel overtaking a slower one, and in her wake, let all white 

 lights of vessels under way be screened so as to be visible from abaft 

 within one point of the line of keel astern. (This can easily be done.) 



These precautions being adopted, no confusion can embarrass a 

 master mariner, because on entering a port, if a hundred vessels be 

 there under sail or steam, he, so far as regards danger of being run 

 into, need only notice the white or danger lights ; these being " shut 

 in," and there being a good average and trusty look Vut forward, 

 confidence will not forsake a shipmaster or pilot, and the safety of his 

 vessel will be in his own control ; at jtretent it it not, although the 

 present system of shutting in a coloured light is good to far at it goes. 

 in using, however, the danger light, some assistance can be given 

 similar in effect to that produced by day, having for its object the 

 power of immediately indicating and ascertaining what each matter it 

 about to do. 



7. Let it therefore be a law that each commander or pilot has, 

 between sunset and sunrise, always a hand-lantern ready lighted and 

 standing on the paddle-box or near him, as most convenient ; and being 

 of one wick, having three faces (such are used on railways) ; the 

 centre light being white, the left-hand one red, and the one on the 

 right hand green. On seeing a danger-light near, if he intends to keep 

 straight on, let him flash or swing his lantern with his white light 

 towards his opponent's; if he is about to starboard his helm, let 

 him exhibit his green light ; if to port his helm, let him show his 

 red light. 



A few additional precautions or modifications may to some appear 

 necessary ; but the principle of a danger light is in our sea services 

 necessary to the public safety ; and while our object in giving to the 

 public the actual state of the question is rather to ingyri't than to 

 dietatf, it in fully believed that, by attention to some such system as 

 the above, collisions at sea may be rendered nearly impossible both 

 by day and night, except from ctilpatlc negligence. 



Another very important suggestion as to collisions at sea was 

 published in the ' Nautical Magazine' in 1887. Mr. George Herbert, as 

 already noticed under the word BUOYS in this work, proposed to so 



arrange or dispose of the traffic in the English, ami St. George's 

 Channels as to give to maritime commerce what in its nature it| 

 mate* closely to a tram-road system. The smile of ineu-dtility ami 

 doubt is too readily raised in nautical men, nor can we be astonished 

 if the minds of those who were trained in the old sea school are as 

 yet unprepared for the great change* which every day's experience 

 render more than probable. But we must be guarded, and not encourage 

 rooted prejudices on subject* which require all our wisdom and vigi- 

 It is scarcely a reproach to the present age, that the scheme of 

 penny .postage, the screw steamer, the electric telegraph, Ac., met 

 with distrust. In this instance it is enough for us (and with that 

 impartiality which ought to influence statements of the present mn 

 dition of arts and science) to record the beginnings of a change \\ Im-h 

 may take years to perfect; to make known suggestions, whi< -h, it it In- 

 found possible to be carried out, may greatly facilitate the transit of 

 passengers and merchandise through the most perilous parts of a sea 

 voyage, and prevent collisions, fifty-eight of whk-h occurred in the 

 English Channel alone in the year 1856, eight being attended with 

 total loss. 



Mr. Herbert's proposition seems to be founded on a remarkably nimjilt- 

 assumption ; namely, that we almost never hear of a vessel running 

 foul of the Eddystone Lighthouse. He proposes, therefore, to moor 

 light-vessels of a peculiar form (a general sketch of which has been 

 given under the word BUOYS) in the English Channel, precisely in the 

 generally received line of fairway, ami to cause all ships and vessels 

 I'oiiuil down Channel to keep to the northward of this line, and all 

 bound up Channel to navigate on the south side of this limit. To 

 place light-vessels along this fairway line from Dungeness to just 

 beyond the Scilly Islands, each light-vessel to be moored on the 

 meridian of a degree of longitude. By this means the light-ships wouM 

 in the latitude of the Channel be only about 38 miles apart, ain 1 

 would be marked with a conspicuous number indicating its longitude. 

 Vessels in the fairway track could never in fair weather be far out of 

 sight of some one of those lights after sunset. 



That some such plan as the above would be a boon to shipping can 

 scarcely admit of a reasonable doubt ; but when we remark, further, 

 that Mr. Herbert's plan is extended to highly interesting details. such 

 as having a store of provisions and water at the westernmost ligli ' 

 for the relief of those so frequently detained by adverse winds for 

 several weeks, and to relieve whom, at present, the Admiralty are 

 obliged occasionally to send ships of war ; to have effective fog-signals 

 at each light-vessel ; to have a submarine telegraph to the westernmost 

 light, in order that arrivals may be announced, these, and various 

 other ingenious and valuable suggestions, seem to be worthy of an 

 impartial investigation by the Board of Trade. In the cause of 

 humanity, as having reference only to the question of collision in 

 the English and St. George's Channels, surely the endeavour to prevent 

 accidents to life and property on so great a scale should not be impeded 

 by merely speculative and perhaps visionary obstacles, and possibly by 

 the unfounded disparagenftnts which noreltict, as such, too often 

 evoke. 



The responsibility of introducing some such scheme as the 

 would weigh lightly when placed in the balance with the responsibilities 

 which far more heavily attach to supineness and indifference. 



COLOCYNTH, or as it is called on the Continent, coloquintida, or 

 bitter-apple, an annual plant. [CucuMis, in NAT. MIST. Div.] He- 

 ferred in ' the London Pharmacopoeia,' to the genus Citriillut (Schrad.), 

 the fruit of which is about the size of, but rather lighter colour than. 

 ;in orange ; the rind smooth ; when the rind has been removed, a white 

 spongy pulp or pith is found within, which constitutes the officinal 

 part, or the colocynth, the seeds being rejected. The rind is generally 

 removed before reaching Europe, except the larger variety from 

 Mogadore, used for exhibiting in show-bottles in druggists' window*. 

 One hundred parts of decorticated apples consist of twenty-eight parts 

 of pure pith, and seventy-two parts of seeds. 



The active principle is a peculiar bitter principle (Colocyntliin), 

 which is of a resinoid nature, more soluble in alcohol than wat 

 solubility in water is much increased by union with extractive, com- 

 bined with which it exists in the pulp, so that nearly all the '. 

 are yielded to a watery extract, which is generally employed for its 

 administration. The compound extract, in the formation of \\hnh 

 proof spirit is used, and to which are added other purgative .substances 

 and aromatics, is, however, preferable, and it is thereby rendered 

 milder yet more certain in its action. 



It is a purgative in very constant use, either, alone, or more com- 

 monly united with mercurial purgatives: it is employed for the 

 removal of constipation and visceral obstructions ; at the commence- 

 ment of fevers and other inflammatory complaints it is of decided 

 utility. As an overdose has all the poisonous effect of a vegetable 

 acrid, it must be used with caution. 



COLOMBICACID (C^H-O,, f). An acid, little known, e,,, 

 in Colombo root (Coccuttujialmatut). 



COLOMBIN (C H M 0,.?). The active principle of the Colombo 

 root It is neutral, crystalline, and only slightly soluble in cold water, 

 alcohol, or ether. 



COLONEL, the commander of a regiment or battalion of troops ; 

 he is the highest in rank of those called field officers, and is imme- 

 diately subordinate to a general of division. 



