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