322 Report of the Committee on Colour-Vision. 



Now I say that there are a number of well authenticated cases 

 where disaster due to colour-blindness and to defective sight 

 actually occurred, or was narrowly averted ; and it is surprising 

 Admiral Colomb does not know of them. I would also ask 

 whether Admiral Colomb knows of a single case out of the 

 thousands that have occurred where, after collision, the colour 

 sight of the officers and men was tested by an expert. Would 

 it not be as well if Admiral Colomb were to eliminate this cause 

 before denouncing it ? One might have thought that, as in most 

 shipping enquiries, the evidence as to the colour of the lights, 

 and as to the distance at which they were first seen, is bewildering 

 in its contrariness, the first step towards a solution would 

 be to examine on the spot the far sight and colour sight 

 of the witness ; but those who adjudicate at these enquiries 

 think differently, and take it for granted that the witnesses 

 coming before them have perfect far sight and perfect colour 

 sight. It is my opinion that if the eyesight of sailors on colliding 

 vessels were tested in Court, we should find that the cause was 

 in many cases neither ignorance nor negligence, nor due to 

 i 'lubbers," but that it would be found in the colour-blindness or 

 defective sight of the officers and men on watch. 



Capt. A bnet thought Admiral Colomb must have realised the 

 fact that there are mistakes as to the colours, and was a man 

 very much open to conviction, and ready to adopt improvements. 

 He could not think he was antagonistic to anything in the 

 way of advance. 



The Witness : In opposition to the opinion of these eminent 

 gentlemen, I will quote the opinion, in which I fully agree, 

 expressed by a gentleman who wrote to the Liverpool Daily 

 Post in the following terms : — 



" Is it reasonable to believe that steady married seamen with 

 families depending on them, and who have had years of experience, 

 suddenly lose all judgment and common sense, and steer their 

 vessels on clear nights, sometimes in broad daylight, so as to 

 deliberately ram each other, thereby losing their lives and ships, 

 and the lives of the passengers ? Surely not. In none of the 

 other professions or callings can we find anything approaching 

 a parallel case ; therefore, in some cases their eyesight must be 

 defective." 



If Admiral Colomb would only take the trouble to examine 

 personally a colour-blind officer, I feel sure that this subject 

 would have in him a distinguished convert and an able and 

 powerful advocate. 



The Chairman : Have you any special evidence to give as to 

 accidents ? 



The Witness : Yes, in Pamphlets ] , 2, and 3 I have related many 

 cases of accidents due both to colour-blindness and to defective 

 sight on the part of those in charge of the vessels. The Liver- 

 pool Board of Trade use the ordinary Board of Trade tests. 



