New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-10
ml. nrnu stenmship Ohio.
us STEAMSHIP OH,o, New-York, Jan. 8, ls'


account Of the late voyage of the Ohio. nope
wbatever may feel bound to say to you VIII DC
received with proper feeling, as act s''ic''y
from a sense of duty in contradicting some o'
xour statements calculated to inJure my rePu'S-
aioD, and that Of my ship.
you say. "The Ohio was dispatched on this
voyage carrying between three and four hunored
souls. with but four boats all OF which were not
capable Of bearing more than seventy hve or one
hundred individuals
n,ovided with boats as most packet ships Inc
3jos ~ ship carrying from three to four hundred
.~.s.engers and crew Of one hundred or more
heinz provided with a sufficient number OF boats
40 carry all off in case Of wreck, Is absurd Inc
boats Of the Ohio are large, strong, plnk,sterned
boats and, according to your own calculation,
should have at least sixteen or twenty oil these
boats TO accommodate the passengers and crew.
aud with double the number of passengers, as IS
frequently the case, would require double the
number of boats. Now, please tell me- sir
,ybere IN board the Ohio, | can conveniently
stow thirty or forty boats Better send tender
with me at once. Again, you say
"Her pumps were altogether Inefficient, as tney
proved in the hour OF danger" g..
The Ohio is amply and well provided win
Dumps. which were in perfect order when she lelt
Havana and which under ordinary circumstances,
cv; but human foresight cannot provide against
III dangers incident to a sea life, otherwise we
would be as safe at sea as in our bedrooms on
shore. Then,
"Being vessel Of several thousand tuns bur
den. she left Havana with but single engine,
whose capacity was evidently unequal to the pro.
pulsion aud preservation OF so large mass OF
metal and timber IN stormy weather
This is bare assertion, made without any know,
ledge of your own. My impression was, when
A.. 1vllo cr1pnx
fcient and must have some stronger proof 70
Che contrary than your assertion, before shall be
convinced that behaved imprudenty In attempt
ing the voyage. However, we will leave That
ship. masters, ship builders and engineers; aud
they agree with you, then the great advantage OF
double engines over single falls to the ground and
steamship owners may save themselves this enor-
nous additional expense in future.
"she was inadequately supplied with spars and
canvas to ride cut the gale when steam failed, &c.
II the frigate Congress should unfortunately be
Sismasted during her present cruise, Will any one
blame the government because it did not provide
her with steam apparatus before she left The
Ohio is O steamship, and her rig is precisely what
Is required for a coastng vessel never more than
five or six days at sea, and in danger Of getting
short OF fuel If were going to make long
voy age in her, where economy of fuel was OBJ
3ect. should rig her differently.
"The leak and the water that proved nearly
fatal were not detected, we understand, until the
fires were almost extnguished by the rising flood
under the furnaces
Is the captain bound to inform his passengers
whenever he detects anything wrong on board his
ship? knew of the leak hours before comnu-
nicated il to any one. | was reluctant to alarm
the passengers and if it had trequred their SER
vices, twothrds OF them would not have known
the ship had leaked at all
"a vessel like the Ohio was kept afoat and
brought into port, after she had been so strained
as TO break two or three of her hog braces, by
fhe efficient use of four ash buckets, or in other
words. balled out, &c.
Will regard TO the "hog braces" we were all
deceived-none were broken-and if all had been,
1t was matter of little Importance. These hog
braces are extra fasteniOgs, with which bat few
ships are provided. Relating to the " ash buck
cts, they did us good service, certainly; and, In
the handling of them, no man worked harder than
yourself. but you appear to have forgotten that
large number of passer gers were faithfully and
constantly working at the pumps, to which we
were quite as much indebted as to the " ash buck
cts. These pumps were never out OF order, ex
cept when choked with coal dust then a few min
utes suihced to draw the boxes and clear them
when they were again at work. Well do recol-
lect the music of their cater throughout the long,
long nights and days of our suffering. An unwli-
Ingness 10 discourage you all, who were DONG
your best TO free the ship from alter with the rude
Implements put into your hands, alone prevented
my informing you that had far more confidence
In the service of the pumps, than In your " ash
buckets
No one appreciates more highly than | do the
services Of our gallant friend, General Howard ;
but the General must do the credit to admit
that the suggestion for the organization which he
carried out so efficiently, came from me; and II
the General ever issued a general order on board
my ship, disbanding his forces, can only say he
forgot for the first and only time, what was due to
me as captain of the ship pledge you my honor
never heard of this general order until read it
in your published account
Mr. Reverdy JohAson's kind and consderate de-
portmeut toward me, can never forget and do
not believe he ever said told him the ship would
go down in two hours. l declare, most emphRt
cally, thst never said so-and, that l never
thought so.
After the gale was over one Of the engineers
not the chief engineer-did say in reply TO play
full question proposed to him, that at one time he
would tot give twenty. fvecents for the ship. AS
% his fear with regard to the machinery "dashing
out the ribs and sides of the ship every engi
neer denies having expressed any such apprehen-
sion, arh | do not think there is one of them silly
enough 20 entertain for moment any notion so
supremey ridiculous.
again repeat MIR. Mayer that make this re.
joinder with no unkindly feeling toward you; and
now tina. you have had time to allay, in some
measure the very natural excitement under which
you were lsboring at the time you Published that
account, if you will take the trouble to examine
1t carefully, l think you will admit that there is
good deal Of exaggeration in all the details,
growing out of scanty and incorrect information
furnished you by others. The Ohio is expected
20 be ready for sea by the Goth inst After all she
has gone through, | have greater confidence and
take greater pride in her than ever. hope some
time to have you with me, when you will feel
compelled to admit that you have done injustice
70 as fine ship as ever hoated
am, very truly, your friend.
JAS. FINDLAY SCHENCK, Lieut.. u. S N.
Commanding steamship Ohio.
BRl sTz MAYER, Esq, Baltimore
A Remarkable Voyage.