The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-11
The Lady Elsin Catastrophe.


The American papers have brought detailed accounts
OF that terrible disaster Lake Michigan by which
three hundred souls were swept at once into eternity.
Such q catastrophe the narrative discloses has
parallel In our own annals. All the conditions, indeed,
Of the peculiar TO the United States IL IL
only in a country possessing lakes large seas and
rivers thousands OF miles 10 length, that steamboat
America. II Is only where the practice had acquired
such proportions that calamity like this could
have occurred. In the States OF the Union the tragedy
that Il The same reckessncss Of life which this sy dis
plays allowed TO prevail, win As certainly not be the
II the story we're not so little conducive to mirih it
might almost rase smile 70 observe the remark with
which the transatlantic reporters introduce the narrative
Of the calamity. The like, they has not hap
pened In America for the space Of three whole years
similar disaster occurred, indeed in 1857, but
since. The truth Ia, however that this flew Of the
perfectly natural An OF three such oaastrophes
number Of casuaes actually attending the pros,oc Of
steamboat travelling In the states II 10 not oen that sin
gle accidents occur on this tremendous scale, but Was
soUputed several years that thousand people at
isast lost their lives annually board the steamers
plying the lakes and rivers Of America. Sometimes
thsee vessels blow up, sometimes they burnt
tmes they get holes Knocked 10 their bottoms
they come In collision with others but, they all
slightly built heavily freghted, and driven through the
water the utmost attanabc OF speed, the
quences OF accident usually appalling. AT tho
foundation OF the evil lies doubt tho reckessnes Of
Anglo Saxon character In which the Americans sgrpass
ourselves. What 10 continental nations tho
doubt but is sad TO see that sentiment 90 valuable IN
some OF is aspects may bring human life TO be rokoned
barbarous empire OF China.
From the London Telegraph, Sept. Isl
The New World rs almost barbarc IN The Developments
2, s ,cc,a, dram. whether IN tragedy or comedy 10
ders nove fearful It's accidents portentous it's
politics more confused. II lives TOO fast, travels too
pidy reckless OF opinion, holds human life cheap and
altogether exaggerated, whether In act idea
trcity An American steamer explodee cylinder
or breaks piston must either blow up bodily or
part In two like The Noyal Charter An Amer rail.
way train never suffers from a mitigated calamity.
II does not thunder the edge 81 a
prccpice IL eaps into . lake Travellers Of all
classes have described the random and desperate
Quoted In remarkine upon this fact we by no means
mpute national 70 the citizens OF the great repub
he Our own coonsv are scarcely lees hecdless AMI
baltimore u almost appears though the free range Of
svast country rendered Indifferent TO danger TO
common sense, and 70 the ordinary responsibilities OF
stence And yet from time time these rnoustrous
catastrophes occur, which teach all how vain and IN
efficient ~ that thoughtless ntrcpdity leading 20 ouch
disasters 9 The loss Of the Lady Flgln
The captains and excnrs or iss Of
courage and fooIhsrdiness with honor. may insist
upon describing hundred lives lost on the MIS-
cloud cst upon Michigan catastrophe a an
convenicnoe," but surely ooonsts inspired
Of the aEcs for The mos, part in their own hands and
admirably ~ they have organized H. We lcannot forget
tina, series q the mos, extraordinary accidents have
occurred In those restricted basins Not many years ago
the steamship Central America vent down 10 deep
water and scarcely timber was recovered Why
The Lady Hgn, 10 s only just 10 remark, although
Canadian built, was probably Of American ownership;
but, 10 spite of this fact, and notwithstanding
deficiency Of boats and hebuoys be feared that On
NADIA initiates In slight degree the recklcpness and
desperation which prevail In the Unitei States Mr. weds
narrative concerning the ny driver who against
railway train and passed coee front OF the engine
that u steam scorched his neck scarcely any respect
an exsggeration. There too much high pressure by
land and water, In the new world Tue who bossied
Of ga One fall of for young country and Of "ths
best thunder IN the universe represented the Wild
reckless spirit of both Americans andi Canadians and
the transatlantic press In m treatment Of occurrence
simply proves how acle IL the task OF refreshing upon an
event without extracting from u the least or tho
slightest practical Interpretation
From the London Post, Sept. 25l
In America everything, from triumph 20 disaster,
Ia vast scale, else nothing that happens Anne
rca except II IL vast scale " deemed worth record
Ing. This Is peculiarly the case with American ship
wrecks River steamers rating the Mississippi, axo
steamers flying along the great chain o. lakcs that scps
rate the United States from British North Americas
bursting and bali the number Immediately dro rod
these few years such common Incidents that
their frequent occurrence seemed scarcely 10 provoke
tsrded such an event IN this country. For the lat
few years. however, railway accidents have taken
their share OF casualties, and somewhat relieved ses
Of America We have nov however, the details o. cat.
asrophe lake Michigan fearful any of the Amsr
can accidents Of past years More than three hundred
human beings suddenly enguphcd IN tho waves Of 90 in
with On Island close the OF the disaster ye, Win
hardly any means Of escape, almost without boat for
refuge rom sudden shipvreck the night too dark sec
many yards ahead the ship which caused the disaster
vessel, winds and too high FOR much coatro over
the natural course OF the tbcsc Incidents
are chraoiers,lc enough OF American cssusy 90 tho
iakcs