The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-11-07
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ESDAY. NOVEMBE 6, 1887.

STEAMBOAT MURDERS. For months scarcely
week has passed that did not bring us the saddenine
intelligence of lives lost, persons burned and scad
ed, and property destroyed, by some terrible Steam
boat disaster. So frequent have they become, they
are passed over with little attention, unless attended
with uncommon sacrifices of life property. But
the late melancholy fate Of the passengers on board
the Steamer Home has produced throughout the
country than the usual degree of excitement
many of whom were influential and highly useful
members of society, and whose friends are deter
mined institute inquiry into the causes Of the de-
sruotion of so many they loved. We hope the in
vestigaton which is soon TO be made, may be
thorough, and that it may deveope the wckedness
of those through whose ncompetency and neglect
the accident was occasoned. The echo of the cries
AZ mora .han one hundred individuals who perish
ed by the explosion OF the Ben Sherrod on the Mis-
sissippi had but Just died ufon our ears "heh 'ho
walls of hundred more victims come u Us '''"'
the breezes Of the South, both of wn,ch disas'~'
were caused by the of intoxicating drink. -
barrel of whiskey was unheaded and placed before
the firemen of the Ben Sherrod short time pre-
vious to the explosion. The survivors of the pas
sengers of the Homo, in card signed by them, and
published in u Charleston, S. g. paper state that the
Captain incompetent to discharge his duty,
and Mr. Cady in his account Of the wreck says the
Captain, when the storm on, 'lay drunk in the
cabin" Another boat few hours ahead of the
Home safely outrode the storm Most of the Steam
boat accidents at the South and upon the Western
waters, occasioned by the intemperance Of the
officers and men in charge of the boats. Accidents
by steam rarely occur now at the North, and they
are becoming less frequent as temperance princ Piles
gain adherents among those who do business upon
the waters
Many hundred lives lost in this country year
y by accidents like these-soely from the habits o.
nemperance on the part of those entrusted with
the Of boats. Probably not less than 500 per-
sons have persisted upon the waters belonging 10
the United States during the past year by Steamboat
disasters. In England Steamboat navigation is reg
uatcd by law, and we seldom hear of accidents at
tending Steamboats, there. Congress local egis-
atures should interfere and laws for the regu-
laton of Steamboat navigation in this country, and
thereby the lives of many of our fellow cit-
zens,
The following is the Card of the surviving pas
sengers of the Home, above alluded to-
AT meeting of tho undersigned passengers saw
ed from the wreck of the Home, held at Shelton s
Hotel, at the request Of William Patton, the agent
we agree
That we believe the boat was unseaworthy, and
that the captain became incompetent from intoxica-
ton.
That we bear united testimony to the good con-
duct of the engineers, and mate particularly.
John Salter, Andrew a. Lovegreen,
Cyril &. Cady, Darius Clock,
b. b. Hussey, Charles Drayton ir
Henry Vanderzee, James Johnson IT.
John Bishop, Alfred Hill,
18th October. VIM. s. Read