The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-15
The Loss 90 tAe Arctac-saSbey - CaSe. LUos
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reference 10 the safety OF Captain Luce, and .
few Of the missing passengers and crew OF the
Arctic, win be read with intense satisfaction
We iervently trust that il may be regarded as
an omen Of the safety Of others who's friends
are now deplorinD their loss Ind ed, as the
means which saved Captain Luce and his CON-
psnions were open tn all, we do not think Ii
over sap guine to lock forward hopefully to fur
ther tidings of equally joyous import. Be-
sides the three boats, not yet heard from, other
RATS were doubtless constructed, and the
chances are strong that those who chung to
them for support in the last hour may have
been picked up by passing vessels. 5 me Of
them may have been taken to Europe; and
much time may vet elapse before their safety
can be heard o. n this side the water. To all
therefore we would say: Patience and hope!
The more we learn Of the circumstances Of
the disaster, and the more closely the various
accounts are canyassed, the clearer does it ap-
pear that no language can be too strong to rep
rebate the conduct of the crew of the lost
steamer. There cannot now be any reason
able doubt that, had the seamen of the Arct G
done their duty, all the passengers might
have been saved. Details which Captain Luce
has supplied complete the picture Of the scene
from noon to five of the afternoon on thu
9th we know enough to be safe in
calling on the community to give some
practical effect to the Indignation every warm
hearted man must feel at the wholesale cow
ardice and cruelty Of the crew of The United
States mail steamer Arctic. We shoald be the
last 10 press for verdict if there was any
chance of fresh evidence giving new aspect
to the affair but we are convinced-and
nothing can now alter that convictioa--shat
the first act of the sailors and firemen when
the danger was discovered, was to secure
their own safety by seiziBg the boats-that
they exerted their superior strength to prevent
tn passengers from awaiting themselves Of The
same resource--'hat they pushed off from the
ship, without one woman OF child, leaving al,
| on board to perish. For this conduct it is no
excuse to urge, in the c0wardly language OF
one of the survivors, that their life was as deac
to themselves as that Of others; for, in the
first place, the period Of time which elapsed be
tween their departure and tue loss OF the ship
was amply sufficient to provide RATS which
would have afforded q reasonable chance of es-
cape to all; and, secondly no sailor has
right to prefer his own safety to that of those
entrusted to his charge. He is bound to pro
tect every one on board his ship, even at his
own risk; and when women and children are
endangered, he must be something less than a
man to fail in so sacred duty.
These sentiments are not ours alone. They
If f0s ,hnfnn MI nd
echoed throughout the land. We say fearless
ly that had Captain Luce blown out the
brains of the first men who tried to save them
selves, leaving our dear fellow citizens to drown
with the wreck, the whole world would have
applauded the act. 1t is dreadful to think tina,
single revolver in the hands of mau of nerve
lght have preserved to US Mrs. Collins, Ell
ward Sandford, and SO many Others whose loss
the whole country still deplores: and this ut
an expense which nobody would regret.
The past, however, cannot be remedied. The
present is ours how can we use ftp
large number Of our low-citizens desire
that inquiry should be made whether
these ccwardiy sailors and fremen can
not in some way be brought to justice for
deserving their ship, and thus causiBg the
loss OF so macy lives. If the Attorney General
or District Attorney could contrive to bring
the law to bear it would make his fortune. II
it cannot be done, we must have q law for such
cases in future. In England, whenever an acct.
dent Of this nature occurs an Investigation
takes place instantly before commissioners, az
which the crown officers are bound to assis.
Thus in cases OF railway accidents. colliery ac-
cidents, shipwrecks or the like the truth is al.
ways ELECTED, and the guilty or negligent
punished. Such a system would do a world OF
good here 1t would be worth o email fortune
10 hear some OF the sailors of the Arctic cross.
examined by O'Conor or Hoffman.
1t is clear that from the moment the accident
was discovered, there was q total lack Of disci
pliDc in the ship. We are better able to Judge
of the cause of his untoward state of things by
Captain Luce's thrilling statement The law,
as we understand it, is quite sufficient to enable
a man ofjudgment and energy to avert so fatal
al accident. A captain is fully authorized to
shoot an insubordinate sailor: nay more, when
the lives Of his passengers are at stake he Is
bound to protect them a. whatever cost to such
Of his crew "a oppose OF tail t. execute his or
ders. This, we take it, is quite adequate for any
emergency. A captain only needs to have his
plans prepared beforehand-as every captain
should--to act promptly aud with determine
ton, to secure under any circumstances the
obedience Of mis- crew.
News from Mexico
While it is oar duty to spread before our
readers whatever news may be received from
Mexico, still we must throw out the caution that
information from that country must generally
ne taken with much distrust aud suspicion.
The government Of Santa Anna has always
considered the circulation OF false Intelligence
tn cover disaster No ono of the L. ri tjmata ole