Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-10-22
NEW YORK. THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER o. 1910
tina, no guilt is impatable 10 the pilots. tis evil
dence will also read.

tina, guilt is imputable 10 the pilots. tiis evil
dence will also read.
have resided for the last nine years at oswego ON
Lake Ontario, engaged the navigation lakes and
being visit my friends in the city New York
10 embrace the opportunity Of once more VISIT
ing sandy Hook the adjacent shores and the con-
Nuseu y gae-seenes familiar to my youth. In COM
pahy WIN my brother and another gentleman both resi-
bays.o, no . on sunday morning about two O'Clock
| bound on cruise. There board seven pilots,
ana he usual crew o. he boat We arriv at the Hook
p IN when consultation ofthe pilots held IL as
sdeIed highly imprudent to remain out any longer, the
sea having become so tremendous only TO render
Impossible 10 board vessel but the weather had become
extremely thick that we not YES
sci at half mile distance We bore up ran under the
Hook, when we came to at half past IL O'Clock IL stated
IN the accounts OF the loss of the Bristol that m
sLewas within miles ohc Hook at the time that We
were SIX miles from Sandy Hook, the light bearing
northwest and every eye strained to get a.gh of some
vessel The pilots remained outside the Hook, burying
their little craft under heavy long the dictates
Of prudence and sereseryaon would permit, and long
after there wes any probability of r being serviceable
to any one. would further remark, that pilot put
On board the schooner Powhstan four miles outside the
Hook, ats O'Clock and remarked at the time, that
such a sea-,
From this testimony, il appears that the pilots
were out on their station beyond the Hook, ON the
look out as was their duty. But because they were
not so keen-sighted as 10 see ship which carried
no light and but little sail dark foggy they
must be CO odemned and denounced; while the cap
tain OF the Bristol, whe, wien the storm had lulled
towards the morning into moderate weather, candy
pumped his vessel on weather shore, is solaced
with iblic sympathy! If guilt attaches any where,
II must be to him. But however naturally anxious
he may have time to exenerate himself from blame,
even he did not pretend in the least degree, as
learn from the letter Of Mr. Phillip Hamilton to i'm
culpate the pilots. Mr.. Hamilton, in his capacity
| OF Assistant District Attorney, proceeded to the
neighborhood OF the wreck, in consequence of in
formation lodged at the United States Dist let At.
terneys Office, that larcenies had been committed of
| property which had driftcd ashore In the dis
charge Of his duty, he resided twelve days in
the same house with the captain and of the cabin
| passengers Of the ship 'Ilis conversation with
them turned chiefly on the subject of the Disaster
and from their statements he became firmly
vnesd 'nat no censure was attributable to the pi-
| lots. And, narrower, he continues " his duties on
the occasion afforded him the most favorable oppor-
| tunity OF obtaining the candid views, not only OF
those who were competent to Judge, put the state
meat Of those who saved, and all conc urrcd in
| eXemPtinr the pilots from reproach." This testi-
| moRy, even the New York delegation will concede,
is entitled TO the highest degree Of credbility Its
statement, couched In general terms is fully con-
| hrmatory OF the other evidence / have adduced.-
Combining the atoms of proef il appears that the
Bristol was not wrecked pilot ground; that she
went ashore in the teeth Of head wind; that non
oi the ordinary precautions were taken to prevent
the disasters that her officers grossly negligent
OF their duty, and that signal light hoisted
While, on the other hand, il proved that the pilots
were on duty outside the Hook; that the night was
dark and tempestuous and that it was impos sble 10
ascertain the proximity Of ship unless through the
intervention Of light, which in this was not
/
certainly not obnoxious to censure.
The gentleman from New York (unintentio ally
no doubt,) pays high compliment both to the pilo;s
and to their boats. In the case of the Bristol he
hurls his dcnunciations against the men, because
they did not exhibit powers Of vision far
ing those with which other have been gifted BY the
Creator; and IN the case OF the Mexico, his invec-
tive equally severe, because the boats did not
glide rapidly and smoothly through the obstructoHs
Of large Of ice, where vessels Of the strong
est structure could not be forced, without imminent
a Rne ali. 49,
could not effect passage where the power Of steam
had failed, reason sufficient is thought to be foun
for condemnation. What were the circumstances
| IN the case OF the MoXicol Even granting, as has
been asserted, that she had signal Of distress wing
that she fred signal guns for pilot without sue.
| oess-the guns, IL Is granted, were not heard by
| steamboat which passed within FIVE miles Of her;
yet the pilots to be censured because they could
not effect impossibility, and get through
impossible barriers Of icel The boat which was to
have taken the place of tie one already out and
which was exhausted Of its complement Of pilots,
though making every effort, and risking life and
property, could not get TO There were MANY
vessels besides the Mexico which could succeed
IN obtaining Iilots, and yet met with Disaster
| The skill which saved them, would, il exsrted,
have preserved her also-whcre there was ne CT
disaster might be anticipated. That the failure Of
the beat in getting out Of the Hook not ow Ing
any want OF effort the part OF the pilots but solely
TO the impossible barriers presented nature there
is ample proof shall read two or three anidavits
\ in corroboratien OF the statement have made. On
sunday the first Of January, 1897 is said hat the
Mexico was standing off and on, looking for pilot.
"Abou, that time" says Richard Yates captain Of the
steamboat Brighton when the navigation nearly
port without aid OF steamboats, Mr. foster the owner
OF the ship Maria, called the ship
the ice. Wecngsged to do so, ~ds possible Shortly
after had concluded the engagement the pilots belon
ing to the pilot boat Washington, andtwo other be-
longing different boats applied to give them tow
they were about starting or to get as FAR of toward,
Sandy Hook they possibly could We told them OF our
engagement and we could render them any assistance
Measure. They sioh
than three hours when they got In the
SO much 90 that We could not render them any nssis
lance The steamboat John Jay also entangle1 the
ice and damaged her wheels much that she
manageable The pilots on board the Washington far
from being recrean from their duty made OF every
excrtion the risk OLIVES and property and il ms
belief that IL had no, been for the elements and the
every vessel sandy Hook would have got pilots AZ
ter towing the ship to sea- the pilot board the
steamboat We saw great many vessels inside and
side the Hook with pilots hoard Those which were
outside dare venture in without the aid Of
and being the only steamboat there thought the
prudent To take first vessel in tow and make
the best Of way New York The packet ship George
Washington being nearest and she being bound for New
York. made for her. put the pilot Of the Maria Mr. Do
alson on board II her took her in tow and towed her
to the ice far York bay when the ice drove both the
ship and the steamboat down through the Narrows and
both ashore sts,en island the bluff deem
this act OF justice to the psts, and especially such of
them az have been severely censured NY the commun
y ct large for having neglected their business that
| cssion.r
| These careless pilots, whose neglect caused the
loss Of the Mexico thus left amid the ice strug-
Cling Tor preservation Of their own lives, and con
sequcnty incapaetstcd by the uniavorable state Of
| the elements from rendering assistance TO others
| Thus left without any means OF extricaiing them
| selves, by their own ingenuity and exerions, from
| the dangers in which they were involved, how
they saved from the perls that menaced theml The
evidence Of Abraham Bristsd will furnish more in
formation the history Of the pilot boat Washing
| ton:
State city. and county Of New York. ss.-Ahraham
Brsed of said city, hpmaster being duly sworn saith:
las, winter, when our navigation rendered
impossible by the ice to all kinds Of vessels except
steamboats, the first OF January, my passage from
New York TO quarantine my attention called to the
dangerous situation OF one OF New York plo, boats
the Washington. which was AZ thrt time drifting by the
ice Robhns's reef with three board snd but
small boat to them, cndeavoring IL possible to
get to owed them TO the quarantine wharf where
The saamloa n. cnlcs Can't Eonniain innk Ih.-