New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-16
TILE LATE SHIPWRECK.

To I've Editor 0 The v. y. Tribune
SIR: VIII nothing grow out Of It nothing 70 guard
against such horrors for the time TO comei No
nothing A month hence and the terrible example
will be forgotten Nothing will be dcne-O nothing
nothing
Power beyond control, and above Accountability
Faith it's high prcrogotive Sovereign power in
the United States is strained by limits which must
not transcend Even the subject Of Great Britain
has rights and guarantees which are regarded as IN
yiolable.
But the Captain Of ship, once his foot is on the
quarter-deck and his vess, underway, takes into his
dieretion the lives Of all the people that are embarked
in bis ship They must run whatever risks he may
choose to impose. What, though long familiarity
with the sea has rendered him inscnsble to Is dan.
gers He has before been entangled among icebergs
and has escaped through them more perchincc,
"hy good luck than by good guiding" He has
dsshed the top Of his speed through the densest
facs and escaped collision with the vessels that were
bibly scattered over bis path. He his dashed through
tbose dangers before and escaped-why should he not
d,.h through them again
And so the men and women and children must
stand the hazard Of hit or miss The Autocrat Of
sea-waier has willed it so and they mus; abide the
deadly issue. Ii they gain the rirk, the voyage Is
shortened il may be few honrs. If they LOSE they
mus, 20 down into the choking ws.ers-they must
shrek and die
Much as The governing powers VI lsnRiailu arc Gu
gagged in schemes Of rapne and ambition, they have
attended 10 the protection Of travellers on the
grea, deep than have the worse and meaner persons
who WELD the governing powers OF TINS republic.
Swallowed up, BODY and soul in their own selfish
purposes the thought Of these will not rise 10 any
great or humane work. The lowest and LATEST OF our
brute animals IL reused from bis lair by a sudden
shock but the Of the shock psss away and he
quickly returns 10 his mire Behold the emblem not
only OF our public servants but of our stupid public
itself
No man, perhaps, could sketch out a system Of
legislation that would all at rco. the terrible me-
ce- sites of this subject. But system having this
object in view however crude at frst would soon be
CORE cted by experience and thus grow into the re-
auisiie usefulness. For example, vesses might be
furnished with exterior bul~srks II use the name 10
express thing that has, believe, never yet existed
which could be shipped and unshipped at pleasure.
The elasticity of these might receive the shock in
case Of colisO with other vessels with ice
bergs or rocks. They might be of various applies
ioD, and used IN all cases where protection Is preers-
bic to spesd
lyon know little OF naval matters, and you pro-
nose impossbilIties."
feed that this lie not 81 unreasonable opinion TO
form Of me and Of this article Yet, as somebody
,sid long ago, "i,rike but hear.
That man has the power TO achieve any object that
il reslly useful for him. have long accepted Is
fred principle and all the obsery alton have been
able to make ranging from the greatest down to the
least Of human Affairs have invariably tended 10 con-
firm that principle in its widest scope. Can we bore
through The base Of that granite mountain Yes;
The railway you would construct will be usefgi
thing. Can We er-telegraph the Atlantic undoubt-
edly you can if the work be eminensly useful to
man. Can We journey to the neighborng planets, or
even 10 our own noon The answer Is: no, We
could not live those planets, and therefore no ut-
iiy in the voyage. Would il be .sfEl to protsc!
vessels from wreck : Answer me that question, and
viii answer ysu whether it would be practicable or
not
vii, not elaborate my ideas TO the means tina;
would accomplish this great end. The forest pioneer
does not contrast the succeed chamber and ito ele-
pant furniture He clears the way for men, and
Be vatsd to DO the rest little would be done 10 the
world The elastic shield 10 be shipped and unsnP-
ped a. necessity might require l have limited a.
above and shsll do more, 81 least in this paper:
Surken water casks as anchors to windwsrd a oid
tIpecient on lee shore, and il d 3 machine tiat
think has failed only because Of its impereeaons.
Tkpee csshs might be secured to the ends OF strong
timber holding spart gate 90 the swing which when
II proper depth could be close and thus present a.
immen.e surface Of resistance TO the water ma.
chine like this might be adequate to noe vessel
aeainst the hesvest storm on the .ors' ise snose
But in al Cases the authority Of the captain should
be exercised under defined Emik. seriee OF regu!s