The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-13
INHUMANITY AT SEA.
Brutal Captain - Arrival of the Steamer
snmnrln-sIaIemenLO of her Pnssengers.

Brutal Captain = ARRIVAL Of the Steamer
Samurin-StatemenL of her Passengers.
The steamer Samaria, of the Cunard line
plying between New York and Liverpool, arrived
at her dock, Jersey City, yesterday morning, at
O'Clock, after pleasant voyage of eleven days
from Liverpool. 1t will be remembered that the
Samaria departed from Liverpool on the Goth of
February last en- route for New York. and while
on her voyage, in mid ocean, she broke her
screw-shaft, and was by this accident compelled
to pursue her route under sail alone. 81.
The Samaria, with the American mails on
board, and full list of passengers, after the
accident that befell her propeller, lay like log
in the sea- making no headway whatever, and
with her stores of provisions, which were only
calculated to hold out twenty-five days, gra-
dually being eaten up and famine staring her
freight of humanity in the face, the prospects
were anything but fattering. For days and
weeks she lay In the ocean utterly helpless, but
on the 18th of March, at 10 A. NJ, q steamer
was deserted in latitude SO deg. So sec. north,
long. 81 deg. "A sec. west. The sea being
smooth, with very little wind, large steamer
which was afterwards ascertained to be
the Manhattan, of Williams & Guion's
line, hove in sight on the westward horizon, and
gradually approached the disabled Cunarder.
Captain Martyr, of the Samaria, fired several
guns and hoisted the commercial code signals,
''Engnes disabled" and Il wish to commune
cate" and also lowered the maintopgallant sail
to attract their attention to his disabled condi-
ton, but the stranger, without paying the slight
est attention to the signals or the booming of
the minute guns, suddenly sheered off and pur-
sued his course, evidently trying to run away,
but rocket being sent up she displayed her
ensign rs token of recognition, and was soon
lost to view. The officers of the Samara and
the greater portion of the passengers on deck
who were anxiously scanning the steamer, aver
positively that she could not have been more
than six miles distant, as through the telescope
persons were discovered moving about her
decks and three or four were seen in the
rigging.
II
the officers of the Manhattan, in refusing to sue
cor their helpless brethren, the Samaria was
favored with series of stiff elbows" from the
north and east, and with her canvas furled to
the breeze she made the Irish coast on the Goth
| of March, but owing to terrible land breeze
| she was compelled to lay to. On the evening of
| that day boat was sent landward manned by q
portion of her crew, under the command of third
| officer David Brown, who was directed to seek
| Kingston Harbor at all hazards and secure
| pilot. This he did, and ON the 30th the Samara
anchored in the roads and discharged her mails
| and passengers, which were subsequently trans
! ferTed TO the steamer Java, of the same line,
| whose arrival at this port last week has been
| duly announced.
The action of Captain Forsyth, of the Man
| haitian, has been severely criticised, both in this
country and England, for the seemingly in
| human conduct; and from the bitter feelings en-.
gendered it is not at all unlikely that he will be
called upon TO answer for his course The pas
| sengers and officers of the Samaria speak bit
teriy on the subject, and treat with contempt
his letter in which he states that ''there was
nothing in the appearance Of the steamer to in,
dicate distress as it was too far off to make out
any signals" To refute this explanation o.
Captain Forsyth, the master of the Elizabeth
Yeo in n letter states as follows:-
| am much surprised TO observe the account giveI
by the captain of the Manhattan. | can hardly in
dorse the statement OF the passengers and ofileer
OF the Samaria, as was in sight OF both steamer!
at the time, and my ship was some three miles fur
ther north than the Manhattan. / could see he
signals (but could not read them), and also hearC
the repoTts OF the guns fired by the Samaria ant
saw the smoke. fully expected the latte
was going 10 the assistance Of the Samaria and wa
much astonshed that she bore away ana proceeded
on her passage, as IL was quite clear that the Saml
ria was in q disabled conditisn. j. X. SCOTT,
Master of the ship Elizabeth YeO, OF Bristol, 70
New Orleans.