The Placer herald., 1857-10-31
The Central America.

hundred ill-fated but brave men, has been
the painfully absorbing theme Of the week
the public mind being entirely engrossed
with the mournful details of the calamity
that has sent pang to many hearts, and
cast the gloom Of funeral pail over the
whole State.
Tho public prints have been occupied in
laying before their readers the history Of the
fearful shipwreck and severely auinadverting
upon the company owning the unfortunate
vessel. They are represented as having en-
dangered tho lives Of their passengers in
sending them to sea in an unsafe craft, and
not providing for an emergency that has
proven so fatal in its results.
We can assent to the charge that there
has been criminal careessness on the part of
the company, not in providing an unseawor
thy ship, but in the failure to have all parts
Of her machinery in perfect order. The
Central America, as is we'll known to every
one who has travelled the route, WAS new and
considered equal in strength to any steamer
ahoat; and w,hstanding the fierce shocks Of
the waves, while lying in the trough of the
sea for the time she did, is conclusive evil
dence that the reputation was not unworthy
| The loss Of the ship is to be attributed to the
failure of the pumps. These instead Of being
in condition for service when the leak was
ascertained, were found out of order and
almost useless. The water gained, tho fires
were extinguished, the engines stopped steer
age way was lost, the ship fell off into the
trough Of the sea, and from that moment
in such storm, was doomed to destruction
Had the officer whose duty it was to know
whether the pumps were in good order, dis
charged his duty faithfully, the Central
America to-day would bo proudly careering
on the bosom Of he ocean, aud weeping
friends would not mourn for those entombed
in the caverns of the deep
The Empire City, notoriously unpopular
and considered unsafe, rode out the same
storm that engulphed the Central America
She too, leaked badly, but the pumps did
their duty. Had they failed, she would
have gone down in a much shorter time than
the more unfortunate Lar.
The Norfolk, an old steamer was lost in
the sme storm, and under the same circum-
stances. Her pumps gave out, the engines
stopped, and being left to the mercy Of the
waves, soon went to the bottom.
The error, the crime then, Of The s;eaw-
ship company was, not in having z oil
boat, but in having officers so crminally
careless as not to have the vessel prepared at
all times, for the dangers Of the sea.
This terrible event shonld have the effect
to awake the company TO tha Importance of
providing the best vessels that ship builders
can produce The thousands of passengers
and millions Of treasure that constantly bass
over the route, demand that the steamers
should be second to none that navigate the
waters Of the glohe.
1t will be benefit obtained at scrrowfu
cost, but by this dire calamity we expect to
see mail ked improvement in the steamers
subsequently built for the California line.
plsAcREEp.-Ihe Jurwn the case Of tile
People VS.. Marion NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
murder-disagreed and were discharged
A change Of venue on motion subsequent
ly made was denied. The day for new
trial is now yet fixed.
HUTCHING's MAGAzINE.-This Magazine,
for November, is received 1t contains a
likeness of Gen Sutter, and engravings of
Suffers Old Fort and Mill; also represen-
tations of placer mining two hundred years
ago. The reading matter, as usual, is in
teresting and instructive.
A DEAD BODY FoUND.-The dead bcdy
of a man, believed to be John Green, a
Swede, was tourd near Garden Bar, on
Bear river, six miles above McCourtnev,s