The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-09-15

The Lady Eigia CatastropAe-was Any
body - Blsmsf
We published In yesterdays HERALD nearly
an entire page giving full and authentic &c
count Of the shipwreck and loss of the steamer
Lady Elgin on Lake Michigan, made up from
the statements Of the rescued officers and pas
sepgers Of that Inflated vessel. We do no
propose to horrify our readers at this time with
repetition Of the details Of the perilous affair,
nor intensity It with pen and ink sketches Of
Imagination; the plain, unvarnished statements
Of the passengers are Of themselves sufficient to
appal the stoutest heart.
We are surprised, yea, astounded, to learn
how lightly the Western papers treat the mat
ter as to the cause of the fatal disaster. We
publish the following as the mildest specimen
of the manner In which the case is dismissed
at Is enough to say that as far as we can judge,
there could have been 10 one to blame, and 1t
must have happened had 1t been any other yes
cells or any other commanders" Let us examine
into the merits of the case and see whether
there was mo one to blame"
The Lady Elgin was q steamer of one
thousand tons burthen the United States
steamboat law requires vessels OF this
class to have four lifeboats capable of carry
ing 6fty persons In each. The Lady Elgin at
the time Of the disaster had one yawl boat
capable Of carrying ten persons, two lifeboats
capable Of carrying thirty persons in each, and
one small boat capable of carrying six persons.
Here, then, Is one important infracion Of the
law Again, the United States steamboat law
passed in 1852, section s, Says
That every such vessel carrying passengers shall Also
be provided with good life prservtr suila ole
ma 81 noa ven susPeo % sne ior each
always be kept In accessible places such
vessel and in readiness for the Of the passengers sc
After careful and impartial perusal of all
the statements and accounts of the catastrophe
in question, We have yet to learn that there
was single life preserver on board the Lady
Elgin, or /. there was of the salvation of single
life by such fundamentally. Assuming, for
moment, the affirmative of this point for argu.
ment's sake, were the life preservers made of
suitable material and kept in accessible places,
in readiness for the use of passengers Again,
was the Lady EIgin lost through the negligence
of her officers? What are the facts
The steamer left Chicago for Milwaukee
at ten o'clock at night; the skies were
Of inky blacknese; the wind howled fu-
riously and everything porterded furious
storm and the boat was overloaded with human
freight; Notwithstanding these facts the captain
persistently undertakes his voyage With all
these facts, and added to them, we have yet to
learn that Capt Wilson had taken the precsution
to have extra lookouta for vessels scudding
across his vessels track as the EFFICIENCY of
the case demanded, nor was the steamer run at
diminished speed. A bali had Just been held
in the grand saloon, and hardly had the sounds
Of music died away, or the brilliancy of the oc.
casien ceased to animate, and while joyous
thoughts and visions were occupying the minds
of the passengers, when suddenly . crash
changed the scene, and soon It was ascertained
that fatal collision had taken place. The
scene that followed beggars description, and we
win not repeat It's details; ii was sad. disas.
trous and appalling; over three hundred souls
were suddenly plunged into eternity. Il no
one to blame for this fearful loss Of human life!
We assume that there are those legally and
morally crlpable for this sad result
First, the captain Of the steamer, for reasons
already adverted to.
Secondly, the United States Inspector OF
Steamboats, for the district Of Chicago, whose
duty II was To enforce the requirements Of the
law, In 90 far a. the Lady Elgin was deficient
in life saving apparatus, as 1t has already been
proven that she was.
Thirdly, the owners of the steamer are re-
sponsible in damages to those who have been
losers by the sad occurrence. Let us read the
United States steamboat Law approved August,
1852; II reads thus
Section 90. And be Il further enacted, that when
ever damage sustained by any passenger his bag
from explosion Gss ., SsSs, y .ss
the vessel shall be liable 10 each and every 90
injured 70 tho full amount Of damage, y hpPcs
, as Any csss comply VIA 'Ae Pr''''4 ~ '@
We emphasize the latter clause because the
owners Of the Lady Elgin are rich; and al
though their paltry dollars cannot bring back
the life Of single one of the III fated steamers
victims, nor compensate the loss BY the
widows and their children, yet recovery Of
damages by the losers by this AFFAIR may In
measure act as an example for the guidance Of
others employed in the steamboat passenger
traffic, and who erjoy the patronage Of too
connding public.
A SrGS OF SAfETr.-The Richmond Enquirer,
a. the organ Of the Breckenridge democracy
Of Virginia, betrays, in its unwonted violence,
its sense Of danger. Placed between the two
fires of Bell and Douglas. 1t strikes right and
left with more energy than discretion. The
simple truth is that the conservative forces Of
yirninia hnua iha Sfafa In iheir banda and