New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-28

The freduent occurrence Of accidents al sea Is now
becomu matter Of the utmost importance. The
ocean is highway in the strctest sense of the
word. For one vessel which used formerly to cross
the waters which separate Us from The old end new
vorlds we have now hundreds Formerly, the meet.
ing Of vessels was the exception nov il Is the rule.
Formerly vessel frequently ,rsversed the distance
between England and America without meetin.
another At the present time such meetings are con-
s.sntly taking place and each day the danger Of such
collisions becomes more imminent. The marvellous
exfepsion OF commerce 10 such that the ocean paths
daily become more crowded The sea IL lon er the
cause Of separation which Horace describes. II is
bridged over by thousands of veszes How is H. then,
that are just much at fault with respect to pre-
cautions against collision were in be infancy OF
navigation We have reduced the danger OF land
travelling TO a minimum why should not more be
done than has been done 10 diminish that Of travelling
by zeal clever student Of statistics showed, the
other day. that however fearful may be the accidents
BY railways the average damage 70 be expected by
any individual from thss mode Of transit is narkaby
small. A person, he proved, might travel very many
thousands Of miles by rail way without mourning much
danger
The question arises how it WAS thatno better " look
"out' was maintained on both vessels. Thick fOgs
take place frequently enough 10 London during the
winter but we do not run each other down in them,
although the streets be crowded with vehicles. A
steamer is as easily handled as omnibus; why
should accidents be perpetually happening TO one
class Of instruments Of transport, which so seldom
happen TO the otherl On railway where the chance
of collision is comparatively small we have steam
wbstles lights of all cosrs, fog signals, and contri-
vances Of all sorts to enable the trains to avoid dau
ger. Is it not disgraceful that so many accidents
should occur where precautions are 30 much more ne
cessery and much more essilS taken than IN
railway II fog signals necessary in a railway
where every train should be travelling for the time on
irs own groove how much more necessary are they
in the ocean where each vessel is free TO adopt
any line which il chooses The whole system
Of ocean travelling needs revision. The sea is no
longer 10 be considered means OF separation but
az a link of communication between countries. Co
luubus in steering his solitary bark the Atlantic
ran in no dar ger of collision frem vessels coming ron
the land he was about to discover We, on tue con-
irary are forever mourning the danger OF such meet
ipgs And vet we seem, with respect To precautions
danger to he very little better OF than Coldm
bus was In the midst of wide tracklesso ocean, with
no chance OF meeting coming vessel the discOverer
Of America kept as good look out as modern
steamer which may every day that il Is prosecuting
its voyage expect TO meet with collision. Let Us
hone that The loss of the Arctic will stimulate
igafors 70 adopt measures Of precauon viii are be
coming more necessary in precisely the ratio in which
our commerce increases.