Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-04-22
The Loss of he sea.Rird.

The narrowing particulars Of the burn
ing Of The Steamer Sea-Bird, in Lake
Michigan, twenty miles from Chicago,
have already beea given 10 your readers
as they have reached US by mail and tele-
graph. Probably fully one hundred peo-
pie were hurried into the presence of thar
Creator by this terrible disaster. As to
the number Of persons who were lost,
accounts vary, n of the passengers esti-
mating the number of passengers and
crew At about fifty, and another at one
hundred and twenty-five, but the latter esti-
mate Is probably most nearly correct. OF
these persons but three are known TO have
been saved, the Others slImeeting death
in his greatest horrors-some roasted to
death in burning stste-rooms, others es-
Gaping the Hre=hend only TO be driven BY
thezf&nnes from the boat to the waters of
Lake Michigan. there to perish, partly by
cold, partly by drowning.
Since the disaster st Angola there has
been nothing which has so profoundly
moved the public sensibility as this tsrri.
BILE news, and, like that awful accident of
travel, ~this4occasion is being improved by
newIPsPer WRITER'S steamboat inspectors
and others in the suggestion of reforms
in the mode Of travel and the precautions
for safety Ills probablyin realitylvery
OppoTt9Re for the safety of lake passenger
travel In the year 1865 though seemingly
not Atal6efthat itsHery epeuinR should
thus be dsrkened by so ruinous and terri
bic an accident ; for this very example
and warning will makeeYery other Kteam-
boatUhceF6 oubfy and trebfy careful du-
rfnn-fhn- wrrrnswAurEA 81 Al
IN sayingt hls we do not cast any reflection
upon the officers OF theses Bird, who do
not seem 70 have been blKmeWorthy in
this matter. Theyado not seem 70 have
been ataAkresPoAsibls for he calse of the
IRE and the testimony of surTiYOrs is that
Wills they could do but little they car
tainly disPlssed great courage, presence
Of mind and dsxotion 70 duty. But new
er.hele2 the fate Of the Sea Bird will be
. warning 20 every vessel master on the
lakes, and it will teach every one of them
increased care and ~precaation in the dis
charge Of his duties.
SoEs 5ofsfheI recommendations which
result nom This disaster appear to US rGth-
sr caused BY the excitement and terror of
the news than to be the result Of sound
Judgment Among them is the order
which, it is said, will soon be issued by 3
competent authority, ordering all engin-
GERS on alarm Of fire, TO stop their engines,
and MOTTO start them again without . per-
onHf-o order from the captain OF TIE boat.
Thhrts 1rEgested by the alleged fact that,
IL the Sea Bird had been stopped, the
boats OF the steamer could have been
launched, and would have taken most Of
the passengers sshore. But, on the other
hand q boat may very often, if headed
right and run with all force, be run
sshoEe before the fire reaches her engines,
80 that there may be circumstances in
which the course taken, or attempted TO
be fsken, pnthe Sea Bird, wouldbethe eaSi.
est possible. It seems TO us that It would
be much better to leave this to the indiyid-
uAl good sense of captxiRs and engineers,
who can, in all ordinery eases Of fre,
communicates with each other very quick
y, thzn-to o an arbitrary rule which
in half the cases of fire on the lakes will
do more harm than good.
The SeasBird1 accident, one Of the most
terrible in the history of lake navigation,
will, We trust stand to all vessel owners
and Officers as . warning and an example,
just - the Angola horror ought to be, if
Ia not . perpetual lesson and terror to
careless rsilroaders- Viewed in this light,
this terrible calamity may have its
good results.-GseueIand Leader.