ON THE STEERING QUALITIES OF SHIPS. 71 



were on the bridge. One man was on the look-out from the starboard side 

 of the bridge. His ordinary place was on the forecastle-head, but he was 

 not placed there that night, as there was a heavy head sea, and the vessel 

 was shipping water. His attention was called to a light by the look-out 

 man. It was almost ahead about a mile and a half off. He could not at 

 first distinguish whether it Avas red or green, as it was dim ; but when he 

 made it out to be a green light it bore two to three points on the port bow, 

 and it was only three or four lengths off. He heard no order given to the 

 man at the wheel when the light was first reported ; but when witness found 

 that it was a green light he ordered the helm hard aport. If the steamer 

 had starboarded at this time she would have gone right over the yacht. The 

 ' Owl ' had been going at the rate of six or seven knots ; but when she col- 

 lided there was Jio way on her, the engines having been reversed. After tho 

 yacht went down the captain ordered a boat to be got out, but subsequently 

 countermanded the order, on the ground that more lives would be lost, as it 

 was not fit to go out. At the close of his examination the witness stated 

 that he would not have gone out in a boat on such a night as that, even if 

 the captain had ordered him — a remark which appeared to greatly astonish 

 the nautical assessors." 



Ho ported his helm to bring his ship round to starboard, but he also 

 reversed his screw ; and as he says nothing about having again starboarded 

 his helm, it would appear that from the time of reversing the screw until 

 the collision (time enough to stop the ship), she had moved straight for- 

 ward or inclined to port. Had ho not reversed his screw, but kept on full 

 speed, it is clear the collision could not have happened, for at the time tho 

 collision did happen his ship would have been more than her own length 

 away from the spot where the collision occurred. Ho admitted himself that 

 to have starboarded his helm must have brought about the collision, so he 

 ported his helm and reversed his screw, which, as it had the same effect, did 

 bring about the collision. 



From the Committee's report just read, it appears that a ship will turn 

 faster, and for an angle of 80°, in less room when driving full speed ahead, 

 than with her engines reversed, even if the rudder is rightly used. Thus 

 when an obstacle is too near to admit of stopping the ship, then, as was done 

 in the case of the ' Ohio,' mentioned in my paper last year, the only chance 

 is to keep the engines on full speed ahead, and so to give the rudder an 

 opportunity of doing its work. 



These general laws are of the greatest importance, but they apply in dif- 

 ferent degrees to different ships ; and each commander should determine for 

 himself how his ship will behave. A ship's ordinary steering-power may 

 soon be learnt in general use, but not so the effect of stopping ; there is 

 thought to be a certain risk in suddenly reversing the engines, which any ono 

 in charge of a ship wiU shrink from, unless he knows it is recognized as part 

 of his duty. 



It is also highly important that the effect of the reversal of the screw 

 should be generally recognized, particularly in the laAV courts ; for in tho 

 present state of opinion on the subject, there can be no doubt that judgment 

 would go against any commander who had steamed on ahead, knowing that 

 by so doing he had the best chance of avoiding a collision, or who had 

 ported his helm in order to bring his ship's head round to port, with the 

 screw reversed. It seems to me, therefore, that it would be well if steps 

 could be taken by this Association to bring the matter prominently before 

 the Admiralty, the Board of Trade, and those concerned in navigation. 



