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egg　shell　and　the　egg　shell　might　be　blown　away　by　the　wind；　but

if　under　the　same　influence　they　would　go　the　same　way。　　Logs；

floats；　boards；　various　things　the　witnesses　say　all　show　the

same　current。　　Then　is　not　this　test　reliable？　　At　all　depths　too

the　direction　of　the　current　is　the　same。　　A　series　of　these

floats　would　make　a　line　as　long　as　a　boat　and　would　show　any

influence　upon　any　part　and　all　parts　of　the　boat。



〃I　will　now　speak　of　the　angular　position　of　the　piers。　　What　is

the　amount　of　the　angle？　　The　course　of　the　river　is　a　curve　and

the　pier　is　straight。　　If　a　line　is　produced　from　the　upper　end

of　the　long　pier　straight　with　the　pier　to　a　distance　of　350

feet；　and　a　line　is　drawn　from　a　point　in　the　channel　opposite

this　point　to　the　head　of　the　pier；　Colonel　Nason　says　they　will

form　an　angle　of　twenty　degrees。　　But　the　angle　if　measured　at

the　pier　is　seven　degrees；　that　is；　we　would　have　to　move　the

pier　seven　degrees　to　make　it　exactly　straight　with　the　current。

Would　that　make　the　navigation　better　or　worse？　　The　witnesses　of

the　plaintiff　seem　to　think　it　was　only　necessary　to　say　that　the

pier　formed　an　angle　with　the　current　and　that　settled　the

matter。　　Our　more　careful　and　accurate　witnesses　say　that；　though

they　had　been　accustomed　to　seeing　the　piers　placed　straight　with

the　current；　yet　they　could　see　that　here　the　current　had　been

made　straight　by　us　in　having　made　this　slight　angle；　that　the

water　now　runs　just　right；　that　it　is　straight　and　cannot　be

improved。　　They　think　that　if　the　pier　was　changed　the　eddy　would

be　divided　and　the　navigation　improved。



〃I　am　not　now　going　to　discuss　the　question　what　is　a　material

obstruction。　　We　do　not　greatly　differ　about　the　law。　　The　cases

produced　here　are；　I　suppose；　proper　to　be　taken　into

consideration　by　the　court　in　instructing　a　jury。　　Some　of　them　I

think　are　not　exactly　in　point；　but　I　am　still　willing　to　trust

his　honor；　Judge　McLean；　and　take　his　instructions　as　law。　　What

is　reasonable　skill　and　care？　　This　is　a　thing　of　which　the　jury

are　to　judge。　　I　differ　from　the　other　side　when　it　says　that

they　are　bound　to　exercise　no　more　care　than　was　taken　before　the

building　of　the　bridge。　　If　we　are　allowed　by　the　Legislature　to

build　the　bridge　which　will　require　them　to　do　more　than　before；

when　a　pilot　comes　along；　it　is　unreasonable　for　him　to　dash　on

heedless　of　this　structure　which　has　been　legally　put　there。　　The

Afton　came　there　on　the　5th　and　lay　at　Rock　Island　until　next

morning。　　When　a　boat　lies　up　the　pilot　has　a　holiday；　and　would

not　any　of　these　jurors　have　then　gone　around　to　the　bridge　and

gotten　acquainted　with　the　place？　　Pilot　Parker　has　shown　here

that　he　does　not　understand　the　draw。　　I　heard　him　say　that　the

fall　from　the　head　to　the　foot　of　the　pier　was　four　feet；　he

needs　information。　　He　could　have　gone　there　that　day　and　seen

there　was　no　such　fall。　　He　should　have　discarded　passion　and　the

chances　are　that　he　would　have　had　no　disaster　at　all。　　He　was

bound　to　make　himself　acquainted　with　the　place。



〃McCammon　says　that　the　current　and　the　swell　coming　from　the

long　pier　drove　her　against　the　long　pier。　　In　other　words　drove

her　toward　the　very　pier　from　which　the　current　came！　　It　is　an

absurdity；　an　impossibility。　　The　only　recollection　I　can　find

for　this　contradiction　is　in　a　current　which　White　says　strikes

out　from　the　long　pier　and　then　like　a　ram's　horn　turns　back；　and

this　might　have　acted　somehow　in　this　manner。



〃It　is　agreed　by　all　that　the　plaintiff's　boat　was　destroyed　and

that　it　was　destroyed　upon　the　head　of　the　short　pier；　that　she

moved　from　the　channel　where　she　was　with　her　bow　above　the　head

of　the　long　pier；　till　she　struck　the　short　one；　swung　around

under　the　bridge　and　there　was　crowded　and　destroyed。



〃I　shall　try　to　prove　that　the　average　velocity　of　the　current

through　the　draw　with　the　boat　in　it　should　be　five　and　a　half

miles　an　hour；　that　it　is　slowest　at　the　head　of　the　pier　and

swiftest　at　the　foot　of　the　pier。　　Their　lowest　estimate　in

evidence　is　six　miles　an　hour；　their　highest　twelve　miles。　　This

was　the　testimony　of　men　who　had　made　no　experiment；　only

conjecture。　　We　have　adopted　the　most　exact　means。　　The　water

runs　swiftest　in　high　water　and　we　have　taken　the　point　of　nine

feet　above　low　water。　　The　water　when　the　Afton　was　lost　was

seven　feet　above　low　water；　or　at　least　a　foot　lower　than　our

time。　　Brayton　and　his　assistants　timed　the　instruments；　the　best

instruments　known　in　measuring　currents。　　They　timed　them　under

various　circumstances　and　they　found　the　current　five　miles　an

hour　and　no　more。　　They　found　that　the　water　at　the　upper　end　ran

slower　than　five　miles；　that　below　it　was　swifter　than　five

miles；　but　that　the　average　was　five　miles。　　Shall　men　who　have

taken　no　care；　who　conjecture；　some　of　whom　speak　of　twenty　miles

an　hour；　be　believed　against　those　who　have　had　such　a　favorable。

and　well　improved　opportunity？　　They　should　not　even　qualify　the

result。　　Several　men　have　given　their　opinion　as　to　the　distance

of　the　steamboat　Carson；　and　I　suppose　if　one　should　go　and

measure　that　distance　you　would　believe　him　in　preference　to　all

of　them。



〃These　measurements　were　made　when　the　boat　was　not　in　the　draw。

It　has　been　ascertained　what　is　the　area　of　the　cross　section　of

this　stream　and　the　area　of　the　face　of　the　piers；　and　the

engineers　say　that　the　piers　being　put　there　will　increase　the

current　proportionally　as　the　space　is　decreased。　　So　with　the

boat　in　the　draw。　　The　depth　of　the　channel　was　twenty…two　feet；

the　width　one　hundred　and　sixteen　feet；　multiply　these　and　you

have　the　square…feet　across　the　water　of　the　draw；　viz。：　2552

feet。　　The　Afton　was　35　feet　wide　and　drew　5　feet；　making　a

fourteenth　of　the　sum。　　Now；　one…fourteenth　of　five　miles　is

five…fourteenths　of　one　mileabout　；one　third　of　a　milethe

increase　of　the　current。　　We　will　call　the　current　five　and　a

half　miles　per　hour。　　The　next　thing　I　will　try　to　prove　is　that

the　plaintiff's　（？）　boat　had　power　to　run　six　miles　an　hour　in

that　current。　　It　had　been　testified　that　she　was　a　strong；　swift

boat；　able　to　run　eight　miles　an　hour　up　stream　in　a　current　of

four　miles　an　hour；　and　fifteen　miles　down　stream。　　Strike　the

average　and　you　will　find　what　is　her　averageabout　eleven　and　a

half　miles。　　Take　the　five　and　a　half　miles　which　is　the　speed　of

the　current　in　the　draw　and　it　leaves　the　power　of　that　boat　in

that　draw　at　six　miles　an　hour；　528　feet　per　minute　and　8　4/5

feet　to　the　second。



〃　Next　I　propose　to　show　that　there　are　no　cross　currents。　　I

know　their　witnesses　say　that　there　are　cross　currentsthat；　as

one　witness　says；　there　were　three　cross　currents　and　two　eddies；

so　far　as　mere　statement；　without　experiment；　and　mingled　with

mistakes；　can　go；　they　have　proved。　　But　can　these　men's

testimony　be　compared　with　the　nice；　exact；　thorough　experiments

of　our　witnesses？　　Can　you　believe　that　these　floats　go　across

the　currents？　　It　is　inconceivable　that　they　could　not　have

discovered　every　possible　current。　　How　do　boats　find　currents

that　floats　cannot　discover？　　We　assume　the　position　then　that

those　cross　currents　are　not　there。　　My　next　proposition　is　that

the　Afton　passed　between　the　S。　B。　Carson　and　the　Iowa　shore。

That　is　undisputed。



〃Next　I　shall　show　that　she　struck　first　the　short　pier；　then　the

long　pier；　then　the　short　one　again　and　there　she　stopped。〃

Mr。　Lincoln　then　cited　the　testimony　of　eighteen　witnesses　on

this　point。



〃How　did　the　boat　strike　when　she　went　in？　　Here　is　an　endless

variety　of　opinion。　　But　ten　of　them　say　what　pier　she　struck；

three　of　them　testify　that　she　struck　first　the　short；　then　the

long　and　then　the　short　for　the　last　time。　　None　of　the　rest

substantially　contradict　this。　　I　assume　that　these　men　have　got

the　truth　because　I　believe　it　an　established　fact。　　My　next

proposition　is　that　after　she　struck　the　short　and　long　pier　and

before　she　got　back　to　the　short　pier　the　boat　got　right　with　her

bow　up。　　So　says　the　pilot　Parkerthat　he　got　her　through　until

her　starboard　wheel　passed　the　short　pier。　　This　would　make　her

head　about　even　with　the　head　of　the　long　pier。　　He　says　her　head

was　as　high　or　higher　than　the　head　of　the　long　pier。　　Other

witnesses　confirmed　this　one。　　The　final　stroke　was　in　the　splash

door　aft　the　wheel。　　Witnesses　differ；　but　the　majority　say　that

she　struck　thus。〃



Court　adjourned。



14th　day；　Wednesday；　Sept。　　23；　1857。



Mr。　A。　LINCOLN　resumed。　　He　said　he　should　conclude　as　soon　as

possible。　　He　said　the　colored　map　of　the　plaintiff　which　was

brought　in　during　one　stage　of　the　trial　showed　itself　that　the

cross　currents　alleged　did　not　exist。　　That　the　current　as

represented　would　drive　an　ascending　boat　to　the　long　pier　but

not　to　the　short　pier；　as　they