The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-09-21
The Late appalling Disaster at Sss-rhs
Facts ~ they Reach Us.

Facts ~ they Reach Us.
Our columns to day are almost exclusively en-
crossed with the details connected with the late
terrible calamity-the loss of the Central Anne
RIGA In addition to the particulars published in
our Sunday edition, we give such further intor.
nation as reached us In the course Of yesterday
These will all be read with avidity, for the cir
cumstances attending the loss of this splendid
vessel are of go unusual and apparently causeless
character, that until they are fully investigated
public curiosity will continue on the stretch
Thus far oil concurrent accounts saddle the
blame Of this disaster On the chief engineer.
Nothing is more certain than that steamer, If at
all seawortby, and If her engines can be kept
going, can be held in such postion-head to
ga as ii is called-as win enable her to ride out
safely storm Of almost any degree of violence.
As long rs the sea breaks over her bows there is
but little danger Of Der tmbers yielding to the
strain 1t is only when all control over her is
lost, by the stoppsge Of the engines, and she re.
ceives on her side the full force OF the waves,
that the straining Of her timbers really COM
mences, and that she is in danger of
springing aleak. Had the engines Of the
Central America been kept In going order
through the gale, there Is bat little doub!
that the noble vessel and her precious freight Of
lives would have been brought safely to port II
is an sgonizpg reflection for the friends OF those
who have persisted, that neglect or duty on the
part Of single individual should have interfered
to prevent this result. From the statement of
Captain Badger-one of the rescued passengers
Of the steamer-it appears that the s.oppage Of
the engines ives caused, not by any unforeseen
casualty, but by the grossest and most unpardon-
able careletsness He says that the fire and
engine department neglected 10 pass coal from
the bunkers TO the Gre room fast enough TO keep
up the fires and TO that Circumstance is TO be
attributed the stoppaee Of the engines, which the
fremen were never afterwards able TO set going
There can be no question upon whom the re-
sponsibility Of this fact rests In all emorgon-
cts such az that which befel this vessel, Il Is
the duty Of the chief engineer to see that all the
hands In bis department are al their posts He
must have been well aware Of any relaxation
Of activity on their part; and whether
bis ina.tention to the fact arose from
When the statement was telegraphed on here that
the chief engineer had deserted the ship, we had
a suspicion that he was In some way 10 blame for
the disaster. Captain Badgers narrative leaves
no further doubt upon that point The manner
Of the engineers escape from the vessel In the
same boat with the women, Is 20 indicative of his
character that we think IL useless TO waste terms
OF indignation and scorn on such person. Cap
tain MCGOWAN fully expressed the sense enter
tanned Ivy the public of bis conduct, whan, 10
taking on board the Empire City the ladies aud
children rescued by the brig Marine, he refused
10 receive on his vessel man who had acted In
such cowardly manner.
The Empire City brought on yesterday TO this
port ninety two out Of the one hundred and for
y. nine surviving passengers already enumerated.
The others have gone overland 10 their
homes from Norfolk From the information
derived from these persons, who all concur In
stating that there were no other vessels In sight
than thoee mentioned when the steamer went
down, IL Is fairly 10 be presumed that this list in
cludes all who were saved. Still, judging from
past experience, ss in the case Of the Arctic and
other wrecks, there Is possibility that more Of
the passengers may have been picked up by YES
sells passing near the scene Of the disaster.
In addition to the accounts already published,
we give to day such further statements from the
rescued passengers az serve TO show the extent Of
the calamity and Of the suferings endured by