Peking-Fushun Arbitration is over, having lasted an unconscionably long time considering the simplicity of the issue involved. The steamer Peking, it will be remembered, was on a voyage from the-River to Hongkong and Canton, and' her captain anchored at about 4.30 p.m. on the 6th of May last somewhere to the southward of Elliot Island, about 80 miles from Shanghai, in consequence of a fog having come on which made'the navigation dangerous, While the Peking lay at anchor, her bell, large one, was kept ringing, Half an hour after she had anchored, whistling was hestd, and ultimately the steamer Fushun.was seen, She was coming at considerable speed straight for the Peking, and there was no time to do anything to avoid a collision. The Fushun struck the Peking a right-angle blow: nearly amidships; there was just time for the officers and crew of the Peking to scramble over the bows of the Fushun before the-Peking sank. The. Fuskun's stem was crushed in, but she got safely up to Shanghai. The rage of ette steamers, the one an and the other Chinese, agreed to leave the question of the liability for the the collision to first to know it ground Mr. the arbitration of the Chief Judge of Drummond could dispute for liability the British Supreme Court, Mr. Hannen. for the collision. The text of the Fu-'The hearing began on Thursday, the 23rd shun's case is to be found in the remark June, and was only concluded yesterday, which the captain of the Fushun made when Mr. Hannen delivered his decision to the captain of the Peking after the entirely in favour of the Peking. collision: "Why did' you not sound There was practically no conflict of your whistle? One blast of your whistle evidence as to the circumstances of the would have stopped my engines." Mr. collision, and to most people it seemed Drummond brought several witnesses strange that the owners of the Fushun should have disputed their liability at Schultz' position they would have made that if they had been in Captain all, There are official regulations, acall the noise they could, including the cepted by all maritime: nations, for use of the whistle and the syren, and preventing collisions at sea, which apply blowing off steam. But according to to this case. The first is that "in fog, the regulations the whistle is to be used mist, or falling snow, whether by da; when the steamer is under way, and the or night,... a steam-ship and a sail-bell when she is at anchor. If Captain ing-ship, when not under way, shall, Schultz had blown his whistle, it might at intervals of not more than two minutes, ring the bell." The second pay, have prevented the collision, ut if the collision had occurred, he is: "Every ship, whether a sailing-ship would have been to blame for doing it, or steam-ship, shall, in a fog, mist, or and his duty to his owners, us well as falling snow, go at a moderate speed." to the lives in his charge, was to follow Tt was proved that the Peking's bell the regulations, it, Hannen saya: was kept ringing, so that she was all "T think it is manifest that it is not right. The question of what is mode-an act which would have occurred rate is_a very difficult one, as to any officer of competent skill and Admiral de Horsey poitits out in his experience.' On the contrary, it was able little book, Tule of the Road at an act which most competent men Sea. "Many commanders," he says, would have avoided doing." As long "of large ocean steam-ships will call 10 as the regulations remain as they are, or 12 knots a moderate speed; and so a captain is bound not to blow his it is, compared to their 14 or 15 knots; whistle when at anchor in a fog. but, nevertheless, it is a speed fatal to Captain Baxendale in his evidence put such ships as lie in their route. The the matter very tersely to Mr. Drum-speed at which a train can safely run, mond: "If I went to the Board. when obstructions may possibly be met, Trade to pass for a master, and I had is clearly dependent upon its amount your idea of this case, I should never of brake-power and upon the distance get through." signals can be seen. Similarly, the 'A good deal of surprise has been speed of a ship in a fog cannot safely expressed that a number of men should exceed that at which she can be stopped be found to say that they would have on finding an obstacle in her path." used their whistle if they had been in He proposes that this article should be Captain Schultz' position, and.it is a altered to the following very good thing that Mr. Hannen has So far as may be practicable, no ship put his foot down firmly on this ques-in a fog, mist, or falling snow, shall go tion. It would greatly increase the at 80 high a as will t her risks of navigation on this coast, if it way being stopped in' sufficient time to were understood that the regulations prevent collision on meeting another for preventing collisions at sea might vessel. be neglected with impunity. They It must be remembered that wherever may not be perfect; Mr. Hannen in-it is possible to anchor, there is no deed said, "I think this case has shown compulsion on a captain to keep under plainly that the regulations are not way in a fog at all. Obviously, if he good as they might be;" but they does go on, he does it at his own risk.
By far the largest proportion of the altered, and it would be a very dangerous are binding on all sailors until they are
accidents that have occurred on this thing if any one were to be excused from coast have been from running in a fog.
Ifa captain decides to go on running perfect Mr. Thomas Gray in hie Obobeying them, because they are not
when a fog settles down, he should not servations warns the sailor "that if in do more than creep along at such a fog, mist, or falling snow' he uses the pace that he can quickly stop his ves-fog-whistle and horn to make any sel, if n; but Mr. Hannen finds other sound-signals than those specially. that the Fushun was going at 7 to 7$ named in Article 12, and if a collision knots through the water; or, as the follows, he may be held to blame for wind and tide were with him, " at the departing from the Regulations; and rate of nearly 10 knots in a fog in if so, the collision may be held to be which he cannot see 300 feet ahead of due to his wrongful act of default." him." Mr. Hannen notices the significant fact that upon the question of adhered to Article 12, and Mr. Hannen Captain Schultz rang his bell, and thus
speed Mr. Drummond, who appeared for the Fushun, did not dare o touch has quite rightly found that no blame attaches to him for the unfortunate col-through the whole case. lision by which his steamer was sunk.
The Fushun, then, was running too In the sympathy the Arbitrator express fast in a fog, and it was difficult at sed for Captain Croad everyone who
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.