New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-31

their gratitude to God and to entreat continu-
ence OF the promised mercy
Sad as has been the Ere, the Day Of Christmas,
1850, was perhaps the most joyous that viii ever
be passed by most OF the voyagers GU the Ohio
The sea continued calm though the wind was
fresh and fair Orr crippled and strained engine
was not pushed but was aided by all the canvas
We could crowd on the snip, which was now. sit
our own solicitation, as well as according to the
judgment of our captain directed towards Norfolk
Va. An observation in the morning and at noon,
showed us TO be about s. miles distant from Cape
Henry, but by the aid of wind and stesm we were
before nightfa well in under the lee Of the land,
in smooth water. After dark, the wind again
freshened to brisk, ugly gale, with dirty and
lowering sky, and in my FIRST watch OF two hours
for baliDg water, feared that we might again be
forced to clay to- as the officer Of the deck found
1t necessary to strip the ship of canvas After
midnight however, as we drew closer TO land the
wind essened, and when came on deck'in my
second watch, at 4. III. | found the sky as clear
as silver with brilliant moon and multitUdes OF
stars. At l went below and % bed, for the frst
time in four nights, and slept Delightfully."- until |
heard It announced that the lighthouse was vlsl-
bic, and four pilot boats in sight About o'clock
we got inside the capes but 1t was not until
some time after that our staunch iellOw-cltzen re-
lieyed US at the buckets by issuing the following
general ORDER,
@Thursday, Dec. Is 10 O'Clock, AM
The organization OF y0lunieera for The s"iaty OF tne
chip Ohio hereby dsbanded amer The term Of those now
or duty shall The pilot has charge e the snip ana
she is saved. You are entitled TO the 5anEs OF ne Pas
sengeTs Of the Of the vessel and OF the families OF
those who would have been lost but for you Last OF s
you are entitled respect for having proved yourselves to
oyeTcanoe il BENZ. c. HOWARD"
This organization, which had been 60 wisely
made and steadfastly preserved by Gen. Howard,
unhestatingly pronounce TO have been, together
with the pkill and vigilance OF Schenck, the chlei
means Of saving the vessel and do not hesitate,
therefore, Is one Of the survivors OF that appar
emily doomed band. to offer him thus publicly the
humble need of my gratitude and praise. These
remarks in no manner lmpugn the Wise discretion
and efficiency of the commander of the vessel,
but only show, according to his own opinion, the
services by which his fine ship was saved, when
steam p G.s9 10 longer available, and when new
risk had thrown the task of efficient action into
the hands Of organized aumbers rather than those
of enlightened seamanshiP.
Norman could have behaved more CALAMITY or
directed more wisely than Schencb, but mad he
undertaken hia voyage in this vessel with few
passengers she would now be lying foundefed at
the bottom OF the Atlantic was curious TO est
mate the quantity of water we discharged IN one
of our two hour watches, and according to my cal.
culatop with liberal deduction, am convinced
that in the period indicated, we freed the ship
with single bucket of fully 2, 800 gallons. Dur.
ing the whole period of our labors we discharged,
according to the opinion OF one OF the oihcers, wa
ter enough to have sunk her Blk times
I shall close this rough and hasty narrative with
some reflections upon the manner In which the
lives Of the officers, passengers and crew have
been triAed with by sending SO large and badly
provided vessel upon the coast OF the Jnlted
States at the epoch of the winter sostice.
l. We understand that the Ohio has never been
coppered and has been constantly worked Tor 10
months without repose or repairs.
Al fcba cd
between three hundred and four hundred souls,
with but four boats, all of which were not capable
of bearing more than seventy five or one hundred
individuals
g. Her pumps were altogether inefficient, as
they proved in the hour OF need
a. Being vessel OF several Thousand tuns bur
den, she left Havana with but a single engine,
whose capacity was evidently unequal to the pro:
pulsion and preservation of so arge mass OF
metal and timber in stormy weather.
s. She was inadequately supplied with sPars
and canvas to ride out the gale when steam lalled
and she was therefore, thrown into the trough OF
the sea at the mercy OF the waves
6. The leak and the water that proved nearly
fatal were not detected, we understood until the
fires were almost extinguished by the rising Hood
under the furnaces.
I, A vessel like the Ohio was kept afoat and
brought into port latter she had been SO strained
as to break two or three OF her hog braces, by
the efficient use OF four OucFetS or, IN otuet
words was 6aiied out during such tempest as
b as rarely occurred on our coast, by implements
intended entirely for another purpose
e Steam packets designed for the transportation
Of passengers, treasure and Government mails
should De, at every moment, guarded at n. points
from the ordinary and extraordinary dangers of
the sea but this ship failed in every particular.
in sails, in steam, in pumps, in boats. No posi-
BILE risk that can be avoided should be reoklessly
incurred. On Tuesday morning her engineer de-
clared that he would not have given twenty live
cents for the chance OF her salvation. He watched
the straining of her massive machinery as she
surged from side to side, and every moment ex.
peoted to see it break and dash out the ribs and
sides of the ship but her great original strength
ash buokets-and the nerves and muscles OF OIL
fcers, passengers and crew alone saved her
These are grave subjects for reelection. we
point them out in sorrow rather than in anger, and
trust that no greedy spirit Of gain haste or econ
omy will hereafter be allowed to tamPer with
such human freight as was nearly submerged
during this week beneath the waves OF the At
lantic AS we steamed by the ship on our way
to Baltimore, in the Georgia, nine cheers burst
from the emanoipated passengers for our gallant
friend schenck and his officers, but not voice
was raised to do homage to the Ohio.
Very respectfully your obedient seTy .sI ,,,vrp
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