The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-09-19


We have been able to obtain in relation to the
loss Of the California mail steamship Cen raj
America, which fouDdered at sea on Sa urday a.t.
OF over six hundred passengers and crew bue one
hundred were saved, according to our present &C
counts. We hope that when the full detailscome
to band, these accounts, which have become more
che iiSg since the first announcement of the loss
OF the ship, will be still brighter aud that we
shall be able to make additions to the list of the
saved.
Ii would seem from the facts at hand that the
loss of the CT nrsl America was one of those ter
rible calamities which no human foresight or
skill could prevent. She was built only four
years ago, expressly for the service in which she
was engaged; she was rated "A l." and such was
the confidence of her owners In her stability that
she was not insured Her commander, Mr.
Herndop, was one of the most sklItul, intelligent
and accomplished officers IN our navy aud his
loss is of itself a national calamity. The ship
was well supplied with provisions, and should
have been strong enough to resist any Ordinary
gale, as she had just been thoroughly overhauled
The passengers were Of different class from
thoee lost in the Arctic. They were not wealthy
gentlemen nor effem nate professional men nor
comfortable merchants ustomed to lite of ease
and luxury, but hardy miners aud men accustOm-
ed to privatioIs dangers and Inconvenience of
all kinds Your thorough Californian carries his
life in his hand ard never loses his selfposses-
sion, even 10 the presence of the most imminent
peril. All these circumstances make the calamity
at once surpri.iug and overwhelming, and prove
that 1t must have been brought about by one of
those terrible commissions of the elements when
man receives the most awful examples of the
nothiDgDess OF the highest efforts Of his skill in
the presence of that Power which rides upon the
whulwind and directs the storm. This stout
ship, with all her defences ard safeguards,
bearing in her bosom hundreds of precious
lives and millions of treasure-freighted vita
the hopes and the joys and the fears of thou
sands of hearts-lies powerless before the storm;
and in moment she is seen no more.
The calamity is the more dreadful because the
the people on board were all our own people,
and in their fate is bound up the joys and the
sorrows Of hundreds of families all over our
country; and although it may at first eeem
heartess to think of or alude to the treasure, in
the face of such sacrifice of life the fact is that
the loss of the money on boatd this ship is but
little less distressing in its effects than the loss
of human life by the same cause. There are
hundreds of women and children in all parts of
the country who depend for their daily bread up.
on remittauces from their natural guardians, who
are at work in our I'll Dorado, striving 20 raise
themselves and their families above want. Aud
it is especially the fault of our people in small
communities that they do not understand the ne
cessity of helping each other in so delicate a
way that, while the giver shall have the re-
ward which always follows the doing of good
act the pride of the recipient shall not be offend
ed. Thus these poor women aud children are
put in position Of extreme misery. Again the
loss of 20 much money at q time of great finan-
cial pressure must have the worst effect upon our
bsnks and through them extend to the traders
who depend upon them for accommodation. How
true it is that SORROWS never come in single
spies bu. in battalions"
The loss of the Central America il the first
disaster of any great consequence that has hap
ptned TO the mail line since il was organized
nov neatly nine years-dming which time is has
conveyed over two hundred thousand passengers
and iour hundred millions of specie. 1t may
have been that this good fortune has led to
lsxity Of the discipline which is SO necessary in
AL departments OF 50 important and extensive a
business; but of this we cannot Judge until the
derails of the late disaster are before us
1t would SEEM however, from the reports of the
Southerner, the Empire City aud the Columbia,
that the Central America was overwhelmed by
one Of those extra tropical gales so common off
Cape Hatterss In August and September, aud
that this gale-or wbirlwind more properly
speakiDg-was one Of unexappled intensity. Toe
commanders Of the Columbia and the Empire
rough scamen, and perfectly familiar with the
WINDS in tnose laitudes. They agree in stating
that they have never before experienced such
weather. The wind bles from all points at the
same tine, veeriog about from cast southeast To
wcst-Lorthwest A steamer In such a sea- apd
blown about by opposite wind currents, must be
utterly powerless. The stoutest ship cannot
stand the force Of sea unless her bead can be
kept to it The Central America was very deep
in the hold and very broad in toe beam-built to
carry crowo OF passengers; and the great eur.
face she would present to the sea, broadside on,
undoubtedly neutr allied the efforts Of her officers
70 keep Der saoat. Nautical history has &C.
counts Of several remarkable hurricanes Ia which
the poser OF the wind m extmpufed in mar
vellous manner. One Of these occurred 10 1850,
in the West indies, when twenty thousand lives
we're lost, ard rocks we're taken from out of
the sea In seven fathoms Of water
and cast upon shore. Since 1921 there
have been eleven hurricanes Of this cha.
rac'er but they have generally extended as far
Do'tbward as 'be coast Of Maine. II would ap.
pear that tnis gale commenced at the eastward,
near Nsasau and did not eyfs nd north NJ tha