New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-23

lth Beyond all Of this there still other relief
bad il been found impossible 10 have maze ssfs mo-
tila Of such fragments. There was an extensive
rspge Of houses the deck Of the Arctic that Win
the sixty at band her main deck 10 the hands
of Il most upskifal Of passengers, could have osen
cut from Der deck in less haa halt an h0nr, which
woud have hosied from the wreck when she SUNK, or
by being cut into pieces could have b-ea lauacned
over by the aid Of the and tackle These decks,
either ice up could have sustained her whole crew
al q passengers and provisions for a week. Taen ny
the ad Of even ole Of the boats, security good De,
gree Of comfort and ultimate hope OF relief, would
have buoyed up all, and few. il any deaths, would
hrve followed the sinking Of the noble ship.
Had measures of Dything like the foregoing been
proposed what ssDe man would have deserted toe
ship II was only when experienced men say no
,Tort was made or ike 10 be made that, awaiting
heselves of opportunities existing and in their DoSer
thew a, by one secured those advantages for them
s.lves-just as meet men POSSESSING higher moral
sense than most seaGen clam, would nave done tnem
selves
lis not my porpose n say or 10 point to whom these
omissions errors or delDquencies arose or who ln-
creased or exaggerated them, but 10 pont out the
facts for the future guidance OF t12e wh) commit
Themselves 10 the deep on either siYs or steamers
Tie uubic beng heightened in the facts OF the case
viii not fsil to zee sho incompetent or nnwor-
thy Of their places or what measure OF conn fence
shall he eater be imposed upon such OF them As nave
survived the disasier.
If spv. like myseB that have lost friends or valued
acqusiutspces can comfort themselves with the
thought that God overrued it all by not voachsanag
10 tho.e on board their accustomed wits, they will
deal gently with the unhappy survivors OF her ohcers
or crew-whle they will draw from il the lesson that
We should despair and 30 10 upht US ron our du
ties 10 ourselves our common humanity, snd So
t,kipg all thar bsfalls us, beyond our control az Tor
the be 81, cody set TO WORK 70 make ths oest Vi wa"
is ct left to Us.
A case is related by our present Mayor wheu' rev
wears since similar accident befel two ships, Stn
one of which he had more or less to do and walcn
received similar injury by falling anchor penora-
ting the ship under water By which she received SO
mich Injury 10 have TO throw over cargo 10 ghten
her by The head. In doing so box OF dry good was
broken open, and piece OF goods being drawn INTO
n G leak ~thout any Intention or human guiance So
fully essuaged the leak that IL gave them no further
trouble in getting into port
What may be doue with : leak by corny going to
work even under very unfavorable circumstances
may be well illustrated by fact occurring on the IA
cite the truth of which will be vouchei Tor by sew
ersl hundred perso in the United States who were
passengers and Witnesses of he transaction.
The p. NJ = Compsny's steamer Republic, in the
snring of 1852, bound to San ErancscJ, got on the
rocks between San Diego and Monterey aud was
badly uTed, bat not 70 prevent her getting 70
her port. She was there shove do~n on one ste
and r. aired and again senrto Panama with some 5oO
passengers. The steamer Panama following her the
hext osy with the mails and about an equal number
of passengers While crossing the Gulf OF CaifOr
MIA some two days ssil from Acapulco and tour or
five from her port she ne ain found TO be leaking
w.
viz ed to keep in close baDg dst4n 20 to be able to
take off the passengers If should be found necessa-
~ She however arrived at Acapulco without aid,
and op stopping her engines it was found necessary
TO her ashore TO save the passengers ami baggage
at as the ship when she sank in An hour or two,
her stern going down to within foot OF her main
deck. her bow being in ten twelve feet water
From that place there hope of escape for most
Of the passengers or but by repairing their ship
The nature of her injury was entirely unknown, bat
was known 10 be on her bottom, near the place tu-
iurtd by getting on the rocks before named. The
Mexican divers, famous at catching dimes
thrown 70 them ia the water, employed 20 no
purpose in exploring for Che injury. Lucky in the
COZ sttDton OF her crew. she HAD the third assist
engine r that thought he could dive as well as
they and volunteered his services for the purpose.
He at once discovered u hole some twelve inches in
size evidently caused by the perforatlon OF point
ed rock which having been firmly embraced, ha re-
maired in the psnks until she again at sea, when
it treacberousy parted company and left her in sink
ing col clifton. -
Having reported the nature Of the injury TO his
chief he again betook bi nself b the pefcraon, rule
in hand and, having obtained its dimenslons anu
shape he again appears before his chief and offers 10
fit piece into it II he could have the services OF the
carpenter This having been granted, he again de-
scepded to the bottom with the plank, covered With
blanket and provided with spikes 10 fasien II in place.
Suffice IL TO say that during the day he secured good
stopper in the hole ana tue following day he success
fully covered il with copper when the ship was pumped
OUT and the passengers, reembarking were permit
ted 10 finish their passage TO Panama. For his VAL
liable services Mr. Birmingham subsequently received
the thanks of the i. NJ. = Co., accomp panied by
spleucid gold watch with the acknowledgment OF his
noble de ed iD.crbed thereon and in the of the
year he by promotion from the third assistant
become the chief engineer of the ship he bad saved
Your obedient servant. PAUL SrILLMAN
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