The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-20
Ship New Era.
DEAL BEACH. N. j., Nov. ", ls5

DhAL BEACH, N. j., Nov. ~, 1861.
10 JAMES GORDON BENNETT, ESQ.,, EDITOR OF rHg
NEW YORK HERALD.
having 80 In yesterday Journal Of Commercs
an article sgaed "E o. Smith, o. the News Yacht,
wherein he gas the Board Of Unde writer's In
general, ard Captain Bowns IN particular, ,or no
giecs IN furEihing suiasle mears for the rescue Of
tfe smpw'ecksd passengers OF the illtated ahip
New Era taao the liberty, through your paper, to
correct some or his mistakes. II is not expected
that the Board Of Undeswr or any private pr
ties, are 70 keep up an ex xpensve establishment for
purposes however laudable and humane, ss govern.
uent has msds ample provision for the rescue OF
shipwYecscd mariners and passengers. Mr.. Smith
-ays that So motive OF interest o. policy ahsl ter
him from rti,crnting the declaration that every soa
who remained alive after the A, hi.es reached the
wreck could have been tsksn of aud saved II tnsv
had had one good surf boGt on board tie stcamer.
snd appeals TO The captain and others fos the cor
ieotneas Of bis assertion. Ne. Smith neglects to
'eli us how all this might have baen doue. He 1,
certainly not SO ignorant as to suppose tbst the ship
could have been boarded from the Sc ! varo Suo.
pose, then, thai lie had passed tia cakers on the
outer bar he would have been In the ssoa situation
that the jersey surf men had been In all day. I
was informed D. Captain John Brown and Others
that they could have passed tie surf to tho
OF the ship at any time during Monday but inst
The thip had settled so far in the slnd Us not to
form any barrier to the sea, which vas swce ,iaz
her deck at every surge With such violence that no
boat could approa h ths ship. Mr.. Smith says tina.
the Excelsior vas fitted out under the supervision
OF Captain Bovine, the agent Of the BoirJ Of I'm
derwriters, expressly ID 40 to the relief of the
vAnE n fact a.. that L.
bered with great anchors ard cables, steam pump
ard boilers, AID other apparatus fer getting tne
ship of saving properly as usual In such cases,
she WAS NOS intended to rsecue oasseagc 8, nor
Naa 1t known, wnen she leiJ New York, that the
passengers were in peril. II was wholly untrue that
Captain Bovine informed the Captain Of the Achilles
mat ne mad not = % men tlat could pull oar Hs
bsd Oh board the Excelsior eleven able seamen, with
Captain Clock, Snd 4 crew OF five men, ali Of whom
had more or lees experience as wreckers and sea-
men. Captain Bovine called for voIuotaecs after
the men refused to cross the bar; and will here
state, tDat Captain Johu Brown, John L. Farman,
Edward Warden Jacob ". MGR Ii and others ali
old and experienced surfmen, aud men ot reputa-
tlOn AID character, nave expressed 1t as ther 0yi
nion that had Captain Bovine attempted to cgoss
The bar thaA htgnt he and his boats crew
must have inevitably perisued On what gr ouud does
Nr. Smith predicate his charge that tue saving
Of lite eas secondary consideration vita Captain
BnwDe, or the Borrd of UaderwiiteIs! Capt B1 Sne
sers hsd it been possible to roach them. WHAT does
Mr.. Smith meaD when ne speaks of ruff aaiy beach
c1mtetS, VINO in the dRrknsee of nj KIT s.rip the
dead OF their clothing to wGru their own pirasica
carcEstsW The psople who reside on this coast
are fes' ectable citz sns, who are ccns onnsd 20
give their bes efforts az all times TO relieve the su
ierings Of Sreckei seaen and passer gers and tots
,nsinuation is gross slander upon them. The
Board o, urder writer's have agents along the whole
coast OF New Jersey who themselves are the Tners
of surf bJats, and who have at their comm md aUV
Number of others, by which they can reach wreck
long bet0.e thc swiftest stea a,er from New Y0.s.
What better provision cpnld they make, even IL the
as, acd not their 0wn Interests, compelled them
provice foT tic rescue of paseen1ers? Agayn there
has not been wrs X ashore here for years, where
taken or undcr the immetitase gfgt. taqspo; hsca
one Of the agents Of the Underwriters; aad further
more, instead OF looking wholly to their En later
este, AID removing their own property, they have
slways taken oT pessengers luggage Brst, an1 with
their MOI. II Ia very easy thing 20 stay oil at
q convenient and safe distance and SAY what might
have be IN done.
The reason why the boats could rot spprosch the
wreck was as / have stated above. The sea was
breaking over her deck half as high as the ship's
tops. boat nigh: have gone undar tic cataract
Of Niagara with equal safety.. know the Board OF
Up6e writer's ls COMPRISED OF ecme Of ths be.s OF
meD; they need no yndica.ion from any one, mich
e.s from me; bat with Capt. B,yne aud the resi-
dents of tie JeJscy shore it il different; they have
been uaduced and viiilted 50 often that coulf not
fcsbear sayii something In theif defence regret
some ADLER pen than nine has not undertaken tho
tax. / have known Capt. BOVINE for rinetcsn
years, and know that he POSSESSES every attribute
becoming sailor and u gense mau. | ap persona
y acquainted with mos. Of the residents OF the
Jerse shore from squan Beach to Sandy II ,ok, and
more hospItsbIe and bumar people, or more d4r
ing set Of men, do not exist. Yours, vsrs respect
fully, CHEsrER Fox.