Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1853-05-12
THE BURNING OF THE OCEAN WAVE

10Y y" Ss'usuSy moInlnRi Lake OntarlC
witnessed another Of those terrible calamities
which have become so common Of late that thew
Tail to arrest attention unless accompanied by
unusual recklessness or more than common los,
. OF life. The Ocean Wdue steamer with so souls
on board tool fire when on her downward trim
: from Hamilton, about 40 miles above Kingston;
and although within mile and half of the Ca.
madam shore, was burnt till the weight Of the
machinery sunk her. She was new steamer.
this being only her second season. What was
'She cause Of the fire, whether she was properly
provided with buckets and life-preservers,
whether officers and crew did all that men could
do fer the preservation Of the property and life
committed to their charge, we are not very def
initely informed. The fatal end we know.
however, and 1t throws suspicion upon some
= body with our present limited knowledge Of the
Facts we cannot say upon whom-the result
was the loss by fire or water of % of the 80
persons on board. The Extra Ogdensbure
Sentinel says: giving Mr.. Blackman, one of the
crew; As authority, that while the wreck was
burning, high-pressure steamer passed with
cut rendering assistance, merely inquiring the
name Of the vessel. Was that high pressure
steamer manned by men, or devils, that they
could pass by where score of human beings
were awaiting evident destruction ? IL the
statement is strictly true, probably the Captain
did not think much about it. He might have
thought that with one steamer less on the lake.
freight might be half cent ton higher so he
let them burn, asked the name for useful
knowledge sake, and went about his business.
We don't know all the facts and it is wise to
wait for them before drawing concusions.-I
But, all men who value life half as highly as
they DO their property, will suspect that not on
N..s s,n l.l Il al,
met only on the California coast and on the
lines Of Western Railroads but on our great
lakes as well, and all about us, recklessness is
the rule, and carefulness the exception. Al
The i:.c Chicago collision. the Engineers and
Conductors Of both trains, and the Superinten-
dent Of the machine shops of one Of the roads,
were found guilty of the most cul pable care
lessness. Had the Coroner's Jury done its
whole duty, we suspect it would have found
still others gulty-to.wit, the employers who
entrust such important charges to men capable
Of forgetting their responsibility. If things
keep on as they are, we shall think more high
~ Of those whose fears make them home-keep-
erso-who dare not travel for fear of accidents,
and stay by their own houses; suspecting that
Death is the Special Superintendent on all Rail-
road and Steamboat lines 1t is not weak to
avoid noted "murderers' alley" after night
fall; nor is it silly TO be afraid to ride on rail
ears conducted by madmen, with an Engineer
who don't care fig for your lire---whO never
has read an important rule of the road, though
printed on the timetable which he has thumbed
every hour of the day. 1t is not old womanish
to give up pleasant trip on the lake, if you go
in boat which has every facility for taking
IRE, and none at all for quenching it when the
flames burst forth. If a Railroad line is deser-
ted because it is no longer safe, the Directors
will soon enough learn to be careful. If the
travelling public turn away from every route
which is strewn with the sacrifices of our in
creasng recklessness- recklessness will speed
lily 70 cut of date, and we shall be treated as if
our lives were worth the price of our tickets.
N. Y. Times, 4th.