New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-22
THE EVENING STAR.

tated steamship, the Evening Star, is naturally
apt to elicit discussion and inquiry as to the
character of the vessel in which nearly three
hundred persons, many of them cur friends,
relatives and associates We're consigned to q
premature grave, Vessels have been lost be
FORE it is true. The quiet bottom of the sea
is populous with human corpses, and opulent
with Indian gems and the rich freightage Of
commerce. But all that We know of the dan.
gers of the deep, all that we have read of the
hurricane and the shipwreck, only serves tc
intensity the horror produced by each new
catastrophe. Year by year, too, we have been
educating ourselves to the belief that the
genius and the skill which had achieved SC
many victories over the forces of nature, would
| gain final triumph in securing immunity
against the perils of the billow and the tenn
pest. Perhaps it is this anticipation SO often
| disappointed, yet SO often renewed, that ag-
| gravates our sorrow when we hear of a ca
lamity like that which befe1 the Evening Star.
Perhaps it is the conspicuous contrast be-
tween the hope and the reality, that makes US
| willing to attribute the misfortune mot to in
| superable natural causes but to deficiencies
which might have been supplied or neglect
which might have been avoided-to want of
proper precaution on the part of the steamship
owners, or of proper skill and experience on
| the part of the officers and crew.
But whatever may be its cause, this DISPOSE
ton certainly exists, and it is manifested with
especial distinctness in the case of the Even
ing Star. The New York papers are filed
with statements intended to show that there
was negligence somewhere-perhaps even
| culpable negligence the melancholy
inference is drawn that but for this asserted
delinquency the Evening Star might have
safely ridden out that terrible storm in which
she persisted. The New York Times goes so
far as to state that this is the impression re-
manning on the public mind and that it is
confirmed by statements made by trustworthy
witnesses. This is very grave aspect of the
case, and it puts the owners Of the vessel on
their defense. It is true that they are not
on trial before any tribunal to whose interro-
gatories they are legally bound to respond
but in case like this proper respect for
public opinion Will unquesdonably induce
them to produce the proofs that they are free
from blame.
Without attempting to prejudice the case,
and only that our readers may know the man
ner in which it is treated in New York, where
the witnesses, who have thus far spoken, are
accessible, We recapitulate the main points
which are urged in support of the idea that
blame is to be attached to the managers of
the line. The New York Times says that its
reporters obtained from Mr.. Harris; Purser
Allen; Chief Engineer Finger; John Long,
water tender; Ghauncey H. Mason, steerage
steward; George Smith, quartermaster and
two OF three sailors, statements OF facts, as
the Times calls them, on which the following
view Of the case is based. The crew, so it is
stated, were convinced at an early stage of
the storm that the vessel was unseaworthy,
and then the Times says:
In January last she was severely handled in
storm, losing her captain and being very nearly
wrecked. 1t was on this voyage that the passen-
gers united in publishing card in New Orleans
paper. certifying to the unitness of the vessel to
make an ocean voyage. That card was repro |
dueed in the Times few days since. Subsequent |
to this, the vessel on another voyage, was run |
ashore and SO badly strained that on her arrival at
this port she was put into dry dock for repairs. |
When she left here on her last trip she carried TWEEN
tymen less for her crew than she had done on her
previous trip. The fremen, the eoal-passers and
the crew were all less in number than before and
most of them were greenhouse Good men for |
his work demand from $50 to $50 per month and |
nearly all belong to an association of such la |
oorers.
It is asserted that the company declined to
pay these prices, and consequently, no asso-
station men would sail in the ship Their |
places, therefore, we're filed with stgreen-
horns, who knew nothing of the sea and
we're almost useless in a storm The ac-
count of the Times continues thus
On Tuesday it began to blow very hard. The
ea had been SO rough all the way that but few
lassengers could leave their rooms, The breeze
oon freshened into a heavy gale, and the gale to
tempest. Still the ship was kept on her course,
nd no attempt was made to put her before the
and until it was too late. Toward dark they tried
, head her around but the sea was running tre- {
aendogsIy high and in trying to cross the waves
ne rudder chains got out of place, and the ship
became manageable. There 2CdS no other gear a
as9 % me i'1tdder-the ship and The EUes bf teco
G'sd seqeatyttpe people hung upo,s that
'S . 1esddef ehgsfs; When this got fouled,i
ne vessel was at the mercy of the wind and t
waves. The mate tried to get the chains clear,
md in so doing had his hand iammed and The :
idn flesh and nails torn from the fingers of his
iShb heAds 1AiS sup HOW lay IN Uhe trough OIL
he sea, and the waves were breaking over her
ltra1ning and twisting her at every Joint The
leans IN the deck opened and the water poured
INTO the cabin, the engine room and the hold Ry
I O'Clock at night she had shippedso much water
nat al hands, passengers and crew, were called up
o BAH her out. Attempts were made to work the
Jumps, but the donkey engine did not operate WELL
lnu the pumps did little or no service. a hole
vas cut in the deck and the passengers worked
or hours in baling out the water, the women
,heerfuiy rendering helping hand. At o'clock {
was found that the water was gaining on them
70 last that 1t was useless to work longer. The men
we're exhausted by their labors of the night j
mere were SIX feet of water in the hold and was
ti rising. Previous to this, at about IL O'clock 6
ne engines had ceased working. The engineer /,
insists that the engines worked till within an hour
u the final catastrophe--6 A.. II. of Wednesday Q
the crew are unanimous in saying that she {
eased working at midnight. An occasional reYo- !
alton OF her wheels may have been made, but SO
flgnt was the head OF steam kept up that the I
ng1ne would stop on the center and perform the ,
ematnder of the revolution in the weakest pos
bie manner. For all service the engine ceased {
'orking at midnight. Some of the crew say this |
as owing to the fact that there was not force :
nough III the engineroom to keep up steam and
nat some OF the overworked and frightened men
nandoned their posts. AT daylight the ship was
wreck and at 6 o'clock disappeared beneath t
le waves.
These are very serious accusations. They :
hould not be made lightly, and they should
OF be credited unless substantiated BY indis-
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