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[QUOTE="Mark Baber, post: 275507, member: 79063"]
[b][i]The Times, 17 December 1888[/i][/b][i]

[i]The Times, 17 December 1888[/i] 
 
[b]PROBATE, DIVORCE, AND ADMIRALTY DIVISION 
--- 
(Before MR. JUSTICE BUTT and Trinity Brethren) 
--- 
THE ERITH[/b] 
--- 
This was an action brought by the owners of the barque Explorer against the 
owners of the steamship Erith, to recover damages for the loss of their 
vessel by a collision which occurred about 3 30 a.m. on the 8th of November 
last. The plaintiffs' case was that the Explorer, bound from London for 
Valparaiso with a general cargo, had, on the evening of the 7th, come to an 
anchor about a mile and a half below the Nore lightship and was so lying 
with two anchor lights exhibited---one in the starboard forerigging and the 
other on the spanker boom---when the steamship Erith ran into her starboard 
side and sank her. The defendants' case was that the Erith, which was on a 
voyage from Rochester to Sunderland in water ballast, was proceeding on an 
east by north course making about four knots, when the Explorer, without any 
lights visible, was seen right ahead at a distance of about 30 yards. The 
helm of the Erith was at once put hard-a-port and her engines were stopped, 
but before an order could be given to reverse the engines the collision 
occurred. Some of the defendants' witnesses admitted that they saw the 
lights of the Explorer after the collision, but said that they were burning 
very dimly. 
 
Sir Walter Phillimore and Mr. W. Baden-Powell appeared for the plaintiffs; 
Mr. Finlay, Q.C., and Mr. Aspinall for the defendants. 
 
MR. JUSTICE BUTT, after carefully considering the evidence, found that the 
anchor light of the Explorer was duly exhibited, and pronounced the Erith 
alone to blame. 
 
-30-[/i]
[/QUOTE]

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