New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-11-15

tration Of the steamboat laws in the treasury de.
| paitlnent who was directed to examine into the
causes of the disaster to the Evening Star, on the
50 ult, has submitted his report to the secretary
| of the treasury.
The object in view in making the investigation
| was not SO much to determine the degree of cu-
| pability which should attach to the owners of the
| Evening Star should the examination prove the
| correctness of the common report and universal
belief that the ship had been sent to in an
| seaW0rthy condition, as to decide a question of
much interest to the department, whether or not
the inspectors in New Ork had given certificate
OF seaworthiness to a ship unsOund in hull, en-
| gines, or boilers, and had thus rendered them
selves directly responsible for the loss Of some
| 250 lives.
In order to satisfactorily determine this point
it was necessary to examine into the general his
tory of the ship. The testimony of J. A. RaynOr
Esq, ex'superintendent of the New York Steam
ship Company, to which the vessel belonged, and
also of her builder shows that she was built in
| 1868, the specifications calling for a frst-class
steamship. She was built of good materials, and
apparently in most substantial manner, The en-
gin9, though somewhat DID, was of sufficient ca
paCty and power for the ship, and in neither the
| engine nor boilers did any defect exist, nor was
any damage observed until the breaking of the
steamship about two and a half hours before the
sinking of the vessel.
The vessel was provided with all the life-boats
required by law, six in number, besides addi-
| tiOna wooden boat twenty feet in length. II oc-
Cured to Capt New that she might have been in
jured at some time by getting ashore, or by strain
ing in heavy seaway when deeply laden, and
that, not being properly repaired, the disaster
might have been in measure attributable to
weakness inher hull.
On making inquiries, it was ascertaned that in
Nav last She struck on Pickle reef Florida re-
| naming Oh it fifty hours finally getting OF and
continuing on ler way to New Orleans, appar
emily without having incurred any damage, aud
that she made another trip after the accident en-
c0unering heavy gale in the Gulf Of Mexico,
wit GtItl lnul- tl hn
vas, however, thought best to overhaul her, and
| she was accordingly placed on the ways in July
when it was discovered that the keel was some-
what damaged, and the damaged part was re-
moved and replaced by a new piece. She was
then thoroughly examined and found in good con
| ditiOn and the evidence generally shows that up
to the time Of her last trip from New York she
was good, seryiceablc aud seaworthy vessel
| After referring to the departure Of the vessel
| from New York and the incidents occurring during
the earlierpart of the trip, the report gives de-
scription of the position and condition Of the
| seswhen the storm was encountered.
| 1t appears that about 10 r NJ. on the 3D. she
| was struck by heavy sea on her port quarter
| knocking one Of her seamen over the quarter and
causing the rudder chain to slip out OF the groove
| The ship Immediately fell off into the trough Of
| the sea, and commenced shipping water amid
| ships. Considerable time was lost in securing
control Of the ruddcr, which, in about an hour
| after the accident, was finally secured TO wind
ward, the helm hard down. This, however failed
W DElllg Lne VESSEL up Dy REASON vi Lt AcdfS stu
No attempt was made to get her head to wind
| ward at this or any subsequent time, by drag or
otherwise, and it is difficult to account for the
| fact that none of the usual eXpeditnts known to
| sailors We're tried.
Notwithstanding the violent lee urches made
while the ship was in the trough of the sea, no
evidences of leaks through the hull appeared but
| the heavy seas finally smashed in the forward
/ g8ngWay on the starbOard side, and the water
came in in torrents. Great efforts were made to
prevent its ingless, but without avail, and atten-
| tion was then turned to baiing her out
| Here then is painful evidence of the neces-
sity OF every sea-g0ing ship being provided with a
competent ships carpenter, and furnished with the
proper stores Of timber lumber, ETC., for it is
| probable that had the Evening Star been SO pro-
| vided, a bulkhead of sufficient strength might
have been erected to keep out the seas. The
water forced its way into the engine room, and all
hands were set at work to keep it down, in order
I that the fires might not be eXtnguished, hut with
little success. At about A. NJ, the day OF the
disaster, the steampipe gave way. and about two
hours later, the tires were put out BY the water
After these Calamtes it was seen that all efforts to
save tile ship were useless, and preparations were
made oleave as she was discovered TO be settling
Then followed the inde5crbable, heart-rending
scenes which have so narrowed the public minC
and demanded a thorough and impartial inquiry
4 At about P. NJ, the vessel sank, taking dow
with her about two hundred victims. During tht
examination no satisfactory evidence was adducel
by whlchlt could be determined whether ornOt al
the boats were properly equipped, agreeably Il
an order of the captain.
It is certain, however, that none were found b,
those who were saved provided with anything il
the shape of food or spars; but nasmuck as ont
or two were capsized, it is possible that the,
might have been proysiOned and the store
washed out. lis also certain that, while she hat
all the boats which the law requires, (seven il all,
she had not half enough to save the number 0
persons on board, nor were the boats fitted will
the proper detaChing apparatus.
1t ia believed that the disaster is, in measure
attributable to the mismanagement Of the c0ptaiI
Of the vessel who failed to adopt the proper eX
pedients for keeping her out Of the trough Of tb
sea, but it is possible that he may have been de
TERED from making any attempts BY reason of tn
limited crew.
In conclusion, Capt. New says: The loss of thi
ship is not without its appropriate lesson to ship
owners, and i'll the absence Of any laws attectin
the snbieCt, | sincerely trust their attentiO
will be directed to the necessity which exists TO
furnishing of the American marine generally
to the end that the same may be elevated to tina
? point of pre-emnenCe above that of all other al
ti0ns to which it is invited by the unequalled re
! sources of the country, A degree of positive Sc
) culity of life at sea- insomuch that the probG
bility or possibility of the loss of life in ordinar
= voyages may be reduced to a minimum, is poss
ble OF attainment, and that without much outlay
f and while some Of the larger companies urnis
exceptions by the care shown in the equipment
their ships for the necessity Of legislation on tn
subject it is none the least certain that the enaC
! ment of stringent laws governing our merchal
marine is an absolute necessity. | therefore be
4 respectfully to call your attention to this matte
+ in the hope that radical changes in the eXistin
/ laws may be suggested to Congress.
l., -a-