THE RULE OF THE ROAD AT SEA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2065, 14 June 1878, Page 3

THE RULE OF THE ROAD AT SEA.

I A paper was read by Captain Colomb, R.N., on some of the true bases for a rule of tbe road at sea, at the meeting of the United Service^ Institution m March last. Captain Colomb said that the controversies as to the rule of the road at sea and its relation to collisions were to many minds a weariness and a trouble. He thought that much of the controversy had been unnecessary, and that some of it had done more harm than good. In tne main he was persuaded thai, progress had been made, and that, however difficult, it might be to trace it m the records of collision since 1866, there were fewer disasters of that kind now than there would have been if these controversies had never [ arisen. He viewed the progress of legislalation on the rule of the road at sea since 1860, concluding that, on the whole, the tendency was towards truth/ He then investigated the behaviour of Bhips nnder variations of helm and speed, applying these laws to the case of crossing ship;, demonstrating his belief that some movements always tended to danger, and others towards safety. He then sought to show that neither the authorities nor the Courts, nor the seamen themselves, were aware of the difference between the movements. Appeal was made to the fact of collisions, to show that the vast majority of them involved dangerous movements, and that the theoretically safe movements very seldom preceded collision. He thought he was not giving anything but the Boundest advice when he eaid that even m ordinary coses of doubt, and | certainly m all cases of crossing with dangerous proximity, ships should turn towards each other as the Bafost course. Hiß doctrine, ;in fact, led towards teaching that it was practically safo to direct all ships to give way to all others, though he did not think it should be pressed to that issue. Having regard to the depositions which had been taken, they showed that whenever a right movement preceded collision, it was either by the wrong movement of the other, or was not taken till too late. The remarkable fact was also disclosed that right movements when taken at the last moment did not make bad collisions. Sometimes the damage was confined to spars, at others the bluff of one bow took the bluff of another. It did not appear that ships were often sunk by right movements. Upon the whole, whenever they turned, and whatever records they took up, they always found the strongest condemnation given to wrong movements, and the greatest approval given to the theoretically rigbt movements by the facts of the case. It was not eaßy to make fine distinctions, especially m times of proximate danger. Hiß teaching would tend to these very simple dieta — that the appearance of a green light was always a signal not to port, and that the appearance of a red light was always a signal not to starboard and if any faith whatever could be

placed m the records of theße cases, an.l any - truth m the theoretical data confirming them, q sach teaching should enormously reduce the number of collisions. The argument was I that if the safe movements were taught, and upheld by the Courts, and the unsafe movements were condemned, there would be an almot immediate diminution of collisions at a Bea[Br Telegraph.]