New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-18
RECKLESS RUNNING OF OCEAN
STEAMERS.
,orrs.poudepee of The n. Y. Times;

Corr..poudepee of The n. Y Times
LoSDoN, Friday, Feb. %, 1855.
We left Boston on the 18th OF February; had an
upcommouly fine 10 Halifax-arTiving there at
midnight Of the 14th. Leaving Halifax on the morn
ING of the l5th II vas understood 10 De the h'enuoA
1 the autain 10 take u far to the southwark IN hopes
TO keep below the ice.
Reaching the Banks, we took south-easterly winds
and erccm tered thick ogs, and thus we were running
during Sunday forenoon, the l7th beading Soa,nl ati
csstefv carving naintopsai, reefed toreopsa, ana
all fore.and-aft calls, with fair strong wlnd, ana
going very rapidly, fourteen mes a" hoHr, oeue'e,
by the og-S tog all the time so dease tHa' riS'oH
tie sea eTtended seldom so far as the sa'ps 0H" eaS
te0re US.
II was chilly damp, and altogether unpleasant on
deck. the ship p'unging and rolling good DEAL ana
few of the passengers shOging themselves. Inc cap
tain stood constantly under the ice OF we "'GtnJ i
rsdql,.box looking ahead; the officer of the deck
walked near him. keeping lis eyes on the lookouts'
two Of whom stood az the cat-heads ana one on each
uaddc-bax. Another man was stationed near u,
mainmast and the third and fourth officers renewed
each other a. quartermasters, near the wheei. NO
he'll no gonp no steam rhiStiiRg no gHR:friRg, ana
the r. emeinder of the watch on deck were permitted to
lounge or cauk under she ter. Thus we went driving
on more Iapidy than the Arctic Or the Nesta before
their fatal COLLISION and with less precaution-es pre-
caution but not less vigilance.
think il was about , o clock. | was standing be-
TIVE en- the padde-boxes with friend, looking forward,
when heard the captain quietly say to the oticer OF
the deck, "All hands, Sir, shorten SAIL Atthe SAME
moment BE- stepped backward and touched the engi-
ne r's alarm bell.
The Inokout. had said nothing the wind hal not in
creased: the fog bad not thckencd. "What can this
be for r. said |, looking 10 windward he Wa'ch on
dt ck were Glowing up, men standing by sheets ana
hayards, and the boatswa'n vas pPlng up tne sleep
err when cast my eye forward on the turoid water
See there il n bit Of ce;" il was not larger than
tnber: "it's the first have seen; and there Is an
other-oh that is what the captain saw he Ii AFRAID
we are approaching a body fit. There-there there
IL more; OBJ there It il. plenty of il "
a. IL ,,r+f - sbp 81 No
be remembered "Hord port !" was repeated ar
the engineers beI sounded, "Stop-turn back the
sail7 swung aback or tapped dlyi but iu moment
the Arabia was rushing, let at full speed, into the
close white field Office; in another moIneu clear wa
ter was beyOr d our vision on any side.
The captain rang stop, and the engine rested as
the ice struck the paddles Aiter the shp had LOOT
headwav, they were again turned forward slowly,
While the crew fuTled the sails. Slowly we parted tne
surgng surface OF ice, which so broken that the
pieces averaged in sze not larger than bucket
slowly moved on, heading southwest, until at length
we ran ont into clear water again. About fifteen mn
utts afterward the loOkOuts forward shouted More
icew Tie helm put down 10 bring the wlnd
against us; paddles stopped and backed as before
slowly, we had presently run ships lengths,
Judged into the field" Again the ships was
made south west and the engineers bell was rung to
turn fOrw ard slowly. walked to the stern and ean II
over the counter to il the paddles at al ID
iured. hile was in this position heard On excam
alton and raising my head, behed the most frghttul
object that in more than fifty thousand miles sea-sai
inc ever encOuntered-rtgh abreast Of US, and not
huadrtd yards distant. get spectral in tie fog, a
dead, ghashy and arblem,hed rhite iceberg, lust
oI0ut as large abOre wdter as the CITY Hall IN Nec-
York.
We passed it quickly and silently; many of those on
deck even, did not see it. few minutes aftecward
the shin ran into clear water and went driving On
sfi headir toward Boston however, at full speed
An hour later passengers went 10 our dinner. The
steward had exerted himself as usual on Sunday.
gh Nel
enough perfdiOusly killed Charlotte Of Russia, aud
then demolished caffoot halakOfs and blanc mango
Redans highly credtable to the ships confectioner
The jews and Gentiles withheld for the day, by the
good law Of the sea- from their usual recreation Of
gambling eXeTte0 themselves to unusual hiarty, to
Kill the tiresome enemy, Time. IT, approaching from
wpdwaId, we had upon the berg we had 80 closely
shaved as We first did into the fedice, beyond doubt
every man and woman of would ourselves have been
long before dinner time food for cOdtishes
Had we, in the circumstances under which were
running before first the ice, met the disaster Of
the Arctic and had the captain of the Arabia after
ward reached New.York alive, it would have gone
hard with him, if his lie were not demanded the
only meet punishment for such recklessness. For be
was driving hs ship with all the speed he could COM
maud blndly forward in the fog, aud il would at any
time, have been quite impossible to avoid collision
with anything first directly before her. Only the
usual night lockout. set Before, when | have
been crossing the Banks in fog when no ice
apprehended men have been placed alolt aud even on
and the stearn.w histle sounded at short intervals
Even in railing vessels have seen these precautions
taken, as far a. possible. Such precautions had been
taken if recoect rightly by tie master Of the Arctic
and Of the Veste yet the master Of the Arctic was
severely and ncessanty berated by hundreds of
scribblng landsmen, because he did not them
more freely and constantly. That was the Judgment
Of wiseacres after disaster
Before we reached Liverpool, a paper was drawn
and largely signed by passeugers- denOuueng the
Ttcklessness Of Captain Stone of the Arabia Not at
all; but eulogzing, in the most fulsome manner Of
such "testimonials," bis in getting his ship
safely through the ice and enumerating as his every
magma bic qualification Of the perfect shipmaster inn
keeper, hospital nurse ladies' cavalier, and good fe
lows' companion.
declined TO sign il. Need / say whyl There IRE
occaFous in which the testimony Of passengers to the
sobeness wa,chlulness GOODNESS and untE1ng energy
of shpnaster, may be Of essential service to him.
proper, useful and Commendable but in the majority
Of cases there testimonials given by who
know much of seamapship a cow does Of Theol
ogy, and yet pass judgment upon grave points which
tie most accomplished seamen would hesitate over.
Under most circumstances these Testimonials simply
make the unfortunate object Of them ridiculous in tue
eyes OF those whose Judgment s of consequence 20 him.
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SOUTHERN EMIGRATION TO KANSAS.