NAVAL OFFICER SUED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11670, 10 April 1916, Page 4

NAVAL OFFICER SUED.

DAMAGE TO A SCHOONER. How a petty'officer from one of H.M. patrols boarded the good ship Rose off Portland Bill in tho old style was devscribed in an Admiralty case at DqrCticstiT recently.' 1 The owners of the schooner- Rose, of Appb'dore. Dbvon. .sued sub-Lieutenant Frank Perciv;*!' Bormnn. R.N.R.. in command of H.M. steam trawler John Donovan, tor £.>() damages, alleged to have been caused by the trawler's colliding with the Rose. ft was stated that the schooner was on her way from London to Barnstaple, laden with coal, when the trawler came alongside for examination purposes, and. according to the mate of the Rose, came up under the stern of the Rose, stopped her engines suddenly, then went ahead again and rounded head to the wind and struck the schooner on the port quarter. Mr J. H. Holjhs. th.> master, said he was awakened by the Vmmp of the collision and ran up on deck. .A. petty ofbYor from tho trawler had leapt aboard and was taking a rope for'ard to make it last. Witness told the commander of the trawler, standing on his bridge;, not. to make the rope fast, as it would bring the Rose's bow round to the windward.

He nlso asked liim to drop astern, as if ho slopped alongside lie would sink the M'iiooinT, and ho w.-is doing damage* ::ll the time. ;ss his sicrn w;is chafing her enveritic, on heard. He at Inst thre-'-enod to cut tin* rape if lie did not let it go. The c-otomender then order?'.! the man to lei go The voce, and the trawler went astern, but afterwards came. ur> to take her petty-officer off. Witness described the damage. Sub-Licuteunnt Bornnni said there was no answer when he hailed the Rose, and. as she was i'orsiing ahead, he ordered tin- potty-officer to get out from the bluff of the bow into her nn'zzenTiggiiit,, take the line and make it fast. .fudge O'Connor held that the trawler was to blame and u,ave judgment "or the pltninifv>- tor C&l 10s.