New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-19

Anonymous writer's have made very severe and
damaging comments in reference to the terrible
disaster which befell the Evening Star. They
seem to be completely refuted by the best pos
sible evidence, such as that Of Capt. Lyon, which
we publish in another column The subioined
communication which appears in the New York
Times of the llth inst, having character, at
least SEMI Official is nevertheless entitled to con-
sderaton. We are satisfied however, that its
allegations and its arguments are alike inyaldated
by the published testimony Of the engineer and
of Capt. Lyon to say nothing of that of Others of
the survivors and of trustworthy persons as well
acquainted with the facts as the writer of this
letter:
THE STEAMSHIP AMI. .FIREMEN's COAL PAssERs' AS
ISOLATION.
SECRETARY's OFFICE, No. AZ WEST ST.,
October 10, 1866.
To the Editor of the New York Times
The appalling news which has Just reached us
of the wreck of the Evening Star is calculated to
arouse the most serious apprehensions for the
safety of life and property in the minds of the
insurance, commercial and travelling community.
| Perhapsit may not be known to the public that the
| hands who manned the Evening Star were what is
commonly cated "greenhorns," as regard the
ships crew and engineer department. This at
| first sight may appear startling announcement,
but it is nevertheless true, and state so as secre
Ltry OF Ile tUeLDGn -paSSeTS' ASSOClablOD.
The question may then naturally arise, is it right
on the part of owners of ocean steamships to
intrust life and property into the hands of such
wholly inexperienced men? ! think not, and |
| feel convinced that you, as a public journalist,
who takes interest in the welfare Of the general
community, will agree with me.
The gale in which the Evening Star was
wrecked, from all the accounts we can learn, was
not by any means so severe or terrific in its
character as that which the Pacific mail steamship
New York encountered during the first twelve
days of last January, on her way to this port
from Aspinwall; and have spoken to gentlemen
| who were passengers upon the New York, who
say that had it not been for the experienced hands
on board the ship must inevitably have beenlo
To say the least it is a warrantable presumption,
Judging from the gale the New York encountered,
that had there been as experienced hands upon
the Evening Star as upon the New York, she
would not have gone down. 1t is notorious fact
that the Evening Star was chiefly mannedby
foreigners, recently from Ireland and Germany
and, as | can prove, in some instances not more
than month in this country, and never accus-
toned to the sea. Hence, every rational man
must conclude that such men were totally inca
pable of understanding the orders of their officers
in the frightful catastrophe that has sent many
poor souls to premature and watery graves.
This is particularly the case SO far as the Ger
man portion OF the crew is concerned, who coulC
neither understand nor speak the English Ian
guage. What frightful, what an awful rehec
ton it is for the friends of these poor people wht
have been lost to know that their safety wa
intrusted to men who could not speak the Englisi
language, and thereby understand the orders 0
their officers. No matter how experienced, nj
matter how good seamen and navgators, the cap
tain and officers may have been, what could the
do when assisted by men who did not understan
them in their language? In such an awful momen
a look, push or gesture was of no avail, an
yet-and | regret to say s0-this, it would appea
from the circumstances of the case, has ocCuIre
! from the penny wise and pound foolish polio
of some of the owners of the Evening Star, VIII