The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-21
THE STEAMER OHlO'S DISASTER.

| d i
Reply to Brants Mayer, esq, to Capt. Schenck
BALTIMORE, Jan. Is, 1850.
To Lieut. Schenck, U S. ~ Commanding The Ohio
| DEAR SrR:-When addressed you, on the
18th inst. through the Baltimore Patriot,
stated that was opposed to newspaper discus
sions in regard TO matters involving scientific
skill, knowledge AMI care. Upon full reflec-
| ton must adhere to the same Opini0n--and
am convinced that dispassionate report, by an
impartial board, acquainted with nautical affairs
and steam navigation, would be the best means
of developing every important fact connected
with our disastrous voyage, and infinitely more
satisfactory than any other mode of discussion
to the great mass of people who are concerned
in the subject But the argumcntative tone o.
your letter seems to demand the proper courtesy
ola reply, and shall proceed to make it in tht
same friendly spirit that has always characterised
our intercourse.
Neither my original letter to the Sun, nor the
opinion Of those on board your ship, in whose
judgmentyon might rightfully repose confidence
reflected in the least upon your discreet ant
gallant management ofthe Ohio. Yet, in rog art
to other matters connected with the control o
this vessel, by other parties at home, a different
opinion was entertained for, whatever danger
abe encountered, it was believed, arose chiefly
from the haste with which, by the temptation,
Of Il lucrative trade, she had been hurried from
port to port during fifteen months of incessanl
yoyaging, and to the extraordinary gale she en-
counte ed under such circumstances.
| In answer to your letter, however shall now
notice, separately tho various points made BY
me and discussed by you, and ! shall strive t.
satisfy.you that they were not heedlessly stated
lst. "We understand" said, shat the Ohio
! has never been coppered, and has been constant
| " worked for fifteen months without reposc OF
| repairs"
BY various statements in the papers of the
day, find that the ship, after her arrival at New
York, from Norfolk, was rs soon as possible
prepared to be coppered and repaired. This
proves conclusively that she had not been cop
pered, and that her owners or directors availeC
themselves of the earliest opportunity after
! the late disaster to do so. The other branch OF
the statement--that she had been run for fit:
teen months without repose or repars-is moi
denied, and therefore take it as conceded anC
as requiring no further argument at present.
Cd "She was despatched on this voyage"
said, carrying between three hundred and fou
hundred souls, with but four boats, all of which
were not capable Of bearing more than seventy
five or one hundred individual'.'
Your rep'y does not deny the number of boat
or their capacity; but you say she is as wei
provided with boats as most packet ships," an.
that the idea of a ship carrying from three Il
eight hundred passengers, and crew OF on
hundred or more, being provided with a sufh
cent number of boats to carry all off in ease o
wreck is absurd" This, / presume, is tanta
mount to saying that the Ohio is MS well fittet
for the risks of the sea, in this particular, as i
demanded by the laws and usages Of trade, ant
the absurdity lies in supbosing that more car,
can be taken of those who go in packet ships
than the law at present demands
| appeal from the commercial usage which es
tabishes law in such cases, to that tribuM
be avoided as highly culpable Suppose
packet ship, with nine hundred passengers ant
crew, should be lost while the sea was calu
enough to permit boats to live, could her owner.
claim to be discreet and careful persons if the,
had only sufficient number of boats to save
the lives Of but one-ninth Of the individuals OF
board! The argument against more than fou
boats would be equally good against having any
boats Mt all except for harbor USE for, ia case o
disaster, what would be the evident result if
ship were wrecked with 800 or 900 per
sons on her decks! The indiscrimnate struggle
to reach and control the boats in behalf Of wives
children, companions and frierds, would result
in horrors from which the imagination, shrinks
and would be added to the common and terrible
death to all who remain passive. What n tan
t,lizing mockery OF salvation it would be tt
learn, in such moment, that we were sur
rounded by eight or nine hundred sinking men
and that there were four boats to rescue them
| II would be cheering consolation, indeed, Il
those who survived and bore the news ashore
| that the rest who went down into the deep hat
persisted according to the well settled principle.
! Of commercial usage"
| The remedy for this is in the hands Of packe
ship-owners, without indicating where additions
boats may be slowed, or making it necessary t
send n tender" along with every passenger YES
sell 1t is more profitable, we know, to trans
port passengers than timber that NAV never b
wanted to float in: but the true doctrine is t.
carry fewer passengers, or at lenst to preserve
some reasonable proportion between the mum
Der of boats and the number of individuals OIL
! board every vessel.
I'd. "fIer pumps." | said, swerc nltogethe
Inefficient, as they proved in the hour OF dan
ger"
Your whole reply to this paragraph is in tn,
following words The Ohio was amply ant
well provided with pumps, which were in rer
OTutI WHcIt sue iciI anu
der ordinary circumstances, would have bcel
i quite sufficient for any emergency; but huma
foresight cannot provide for all dangers inciden
to sea life, otherwise we would be as safe n
sea- as in our bed rooms ut honc.'
This would seem to be an admission Of m
point that they proved insufficient in the hour q
need, though they swere in perfect order whc
We left Havana" for il is only Ia times If uecf
such ny ours. that pumps are required. and onl
, IN extraordinary circumstances that they are r,
sorted to, inasn'nch u- leakipe to any great e,
tent is MOI an ordinary state Of ships.
4th, Being vessel OF sever i thousand ton
/, bur,hen. stated, she left Havana with sirgl
engine. whose capacity Was cv'denly nreqn
4 to the propulsion and preseryaiion Of such
q mass of metal and timber in strmy weathern
I ~ reply, you dissent from my opinion, mn
+ lerye the question to ship masters, ship builder
9 and engineers. aud il they viii agree with yo,
(me,) thrn The great advantage of double engine
. over single engines falls to The ground, mn