The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-10 00:00:00

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LONDON, SA TIMMY, JANUARY tO.

THE destruction of the Amazon is probably unsur-
passed, in its terrible impressiveness, by any event
in the records of maritime disaster. The appalling
rapidity of the progress of the flames—the awful com-
bination of howling blast and boisterous surges with
the devouring element—the agonies of the hopeless
victims. tossed in terrified bewilderment from the
slumber of sleep into that of a painful death—the
contemplation prostrates the wind by the force of
grief and horror.
These feelings, we doubt not, affect the owners of
the ill-fated vessel even more keenly than the general
public. Such events awaken an un.sisy tendency to
self-reproach even in the breasts of those who have
nothing to accuse themselies of. Of all surviving
parties, the active managers of the company to which
the vessel belonged are perhaps the most entitled to
sympathy. for. in addition to their heavy hiss, they
have the reflection that the sufferers were, in a man-
ner, under the shelter of their roof.
It is with unfeigned reluctance, therefore, that we
address ourselves to the question whether any pre-
cautions had been omitted that might have contri-
buted to avert the calamity or facilitate escape from
it. It is warmly possible to discuss such a question
without inadvertently using incidental expressions
that may wound feelings unwontedly susceptible
under existing circumstances. By some the mere
mooting of the question mar bo held to imply an
injurious aceusation. But wlere the safety of tra-
vellers, and the welfare and feelings of friends tend
relations are at stake, all such considerations must

give way.
The directors of the Royal Mail Steam Packet
Company have judged wise:y in instituting an in-
quire into the eause of the eouthignition without loss
of time. They have evinced equally sound judgmast
in allowing publicity to be given to the porreedingsl
on the inquiry. *acting thus they have invited
suggestions as to any point they may appear to any
one to have overlooked in conduct rag the investigation ;
and we frankly respond to this invitation, by indi-
cating one or two questions which do not appear to
hat', been put. but which ought to have been put.
. .
JAMES

• • .
It :11111121,1 from the information given by
lo have -

ll weir, one of the seamen wh.. - escaped, .
the Amazon was stopped off Portland two hours, to
throw water on the engines. Anonymous statements
in sonic of the papers represent that the vessel was
twice stopped for this purpose between Southampton
and the scene of her destruction. Now, it does not
appear, from the very full and minute report of the
examinations at Southampton, prepared by our
reporters, and published yesterday, that any
inquiry was made as to the truth of these allega-
tions. This omission could not be compensated by
asking the constructor of the engines and the engt-
neenng superintendent to the company, whether in I
their opinion the heating of the bearings could cause
ignition. At the outset of the investigation it is
not opinions, but facts, that are wanted. If the
statements to which we have adverted are true, the
tendmv to become lusted in the bearings of the
Aniazotis engines must have been unusually great.
and the danger from that tendency also unusually
great. This is a fact that would go farther to lead
to the conclusion that the fire originated in
the heating of the bearings than the mere opinion
of even highly qualified gentlemen to the contrary.
The omission of this question is likely to produce an
nnpleasing effect.
Again, NlKLliontst, the water tender, stated on
examination that he saw "about a dozen of tarred
sacks on the top of the boiler." DUNSFORD, the
quarter-master, stated that the flames were first seen
a coming up the stoke hole near the larboard toiler{'
that the burst was "like a flash of powder." It does
not appear to have occurred to any of the gentlemen
conducting the inquiry to ask whether the boiler on
which NIELIika`KNE saw the tarred sacks lying was
the starboard boiler. Yet that fact was assuredly of
more consequence than NIELROViI-Net4 opinion that
the boiler was not hot enough to set fire to the
sacks, which was carefully elicited.
It would be easy to add to these instances of gum.
tions put which might with advantage have been
omitted. and questions omitted which ought to have
been put. And these mistakes are of a nature to
warrant doubts as to the competence of the direc-
tors who are conducting the investigation to carry
it on in such a manner as to arrive at the truth, or to
satisfy the public mind. This is the more to be re-
gretted, that any inquiry, conducted by gentlemen
who are in a manner interested parties. can scarcely
be so satisfactory as one conducted by persons free
from the remotest suspicion of bias. A tribunal
composed of gentlemen experienced in judicial in-
quiries, appointed, say by the Admiralty, would bo
more likely to lead to conclusive results.
There is one consideration upon which no inquiry
at all likely to be instituted can throw any light,
and which ought, nevertheless, not to be overlooked.
Is there anything in the constitution or business
arrangements of the company that has a tendency
to relax the watchfulness with which danger ought
to be anticipated and guarded against?
We are told that the company insures its own
vessels. net is, a portion of its income is set apart
to meet all losses incurred by shipwreck and other
casualties. Now, if the company insured its vessels
with any insurance company or private dealer in in-
surances, the sunk insured would in no case be paid
without a strict preliminary inquiry into the circus,-
stances of the accident. Payment would be resisted
if there were any good grounds for believing that
due precautions had not been taken to avert it.
Herein the public would have a guarantee for the
sleepless care and caution of the directors. Bat
when the company is its own insurer, it will not be
so exacting on this score as strangers would be.
True, carelessness on the part of the by
causing more frequent and larger an
the insurance fund, has • tendency to di-
minish dividends, and irritate shareholders.
But everybody knows how difficult it is
to stir up shareholders to bring their directors
and managers to book. It does, therefore, appear to
ns that so long as the company continues the prac-
tice of insuring its own vessels, there is a less
certain prospect of the causes of such terribie
fatalities as the destruction of the Amazon being
sternly and searchingly investigated, and conse-
quently less security for the public against the re-
currence of such events, than if it were obliged is
insure with other parties.
We shall be told, no doubt, that this practice d
self-insurance is common to all wealthy and este*.
sive firms ; we shall be told of the injustice Mad
hardship of prescribing to parties engaged in is&
news how they are to carry it on. Bat the somproy
is not in a position to assert in this reaped the owe
right to non-interference as private traits. The
company enjoys special priviieges in *ere et its
charter ; the government which confers that tauter
has a right to exact that in return for
those privileges it shall submit to certain
restrictions for the public benefit. Again. the afar
piny is a ealar.;ed, and very liberally Warm esesema
of the government. It receives a large SOW III••
finally for carrying the mails- The
i=lni
which has thus nvidered it de facto • tif
all but letter and immenger carriage, is entitled is
prescribe to it arras gamete conducive to the public
safety. On the mem ads now mentioned we are di-
reto suggest that the company should no longer
allowed to continue the practice of insuring its
own vessels. It is a gad that this seUissaring com-
pany has sustained moos isms by nesibliss at sea,
and that these losses have him ottreed
b
and more harrowing cleat:midge of humanil pesterhi
o
is the case with any other sn'ortHrhiP rowfwiders•
What have been offered are more moilloothwe for
consideration. lbw time has sot yet arrived ow
pronouncing a final judgment .m the tem of the
Amason, or proposing precautions for the future.
But now is the time for every one who has—or thinks
he bas--any useful suggeetton to der, to mew for-
ward with it.