The New York herald., 1871-08-01
Pathetic Stories Of Missing Mem.
bers of SOrrOwing Families.
The FEELING OF GLOOM AT BROoKL YN.
BrOOklyn's Record of the Dead
and Wounded.
Scenes and Borrowings on Sta
ten Island Yesterday.

NOW that the terrible excitement which moved the
city yesterday has given way to o calmer yet
more portentous feeling, we can pause to consider
the nature, cause and extent OF the catastrophe
which SO thrilled the community with grief and
horror and threw deep gloom over hundreds Of
hitherto happy homes. Calamltous occur
rences, the result OF extraordinary and un-
loOked.I0r movements OF the forces OF
nature, leave behind them widespread grief
which melrs In tears; but the destruction
OF human life, when caused by carelessuess, wifu
ness criminal neglect, appalis the mind, lays fasu
hold OF the Intellect and engenders rage Any neg
lect OF the ordinary precautions necessary for the
safety OF life Is then regarded as murder af0re.
thought; indeed, bunder under such circum-
stances is worse than crime. This is the verdict
OF the populace and all the laws framed Will
not make them amend II. The awful sacrifice OF
life the full particulars OF which yesterday
spread before our readers cannot be charged
to Providence. He who rules the waves and carries
the winds In the hollow OF His hand must not be
mplously blamed for the wholesale slaughter OF In
nocent men, women and children. Nor Will 1t do to
say that steamboat explosions "thc natural re-
suit OF high civilization" as a befogQed journal yes
terday stated for the comfort OF its readers. The
evils that so often overtake Of our own max
In the long years OF the future
THE STORY OF THE wEsTFIELD
massacre will AFFORD food for reflection and ITS har-
rowing details 10 to the wise moral. Over the
slckehlng narrative mtllon eyes now drop tears
OF sympathetic grief, whe those who witnessed the
human holocaust and escaped to tell the tale will re-
member while life lasts that scene OF woe. 1t IL
therefore important that each fact and circumstance
Of the sorr0wful sunday should be clearly ana sue.
cir afoH lilo fha avvili f,fp froot
and agonizing expectation held sway it was impos
sble to entirely perfect account OF cause
Of the catastrophe accurately mark It's extent,
but we now able to state with precision the
primary cause Of the massacre. though the East
River still holds the secret OF the number OF the
dead.
And that the story or the steamboat murjer'
may not be forgotten in the hurryng events Of the
time let 1t again be briefly told:-Sunday, July so
1871, though cool for the and threatening
showers, was warm enough to tempt from the close
places OF New York and Brooklyn thousands OF
people VINO painted for ana onged to least their,
eyes on the magnificent scenery Of the harb0r and
bay. AS on almost every Sunday afternoon during
the summer months, multitude wended their way
to the Battery. for the purpose Of crossing
the beautiful island sparkling and shining in the
bay. llt ,
THE STATEN ISLAND BOATS
are not particularly pleasant to travel in-thc con.
yeyances or monOpolists are seldom distinguished
for comfort. But they are large and cOmmodlous.
though old ana cherries. The boat at the slip on
Sunday at one O'Clock, waiting for the signal to
start on her extra trip the island, the West
field, Captain Isaac vreeland, aud Engineer Henry
Robinson, c0,ored man. Taut and safe, the
boat was considered to be dt for the business
Of carrying passengers. And doubtless the Westheld
was q safe vessel as far her hull concerned.
II tbec af ba nj xa of cnaI IN
ance compared with the condition OF the boiler. a
magazine would be safe IL there were no powder In
IT, The boiler was tnkered and the tinker was
botch. For many years people passing to and from
Staten Island sat above that piece OF thn and
trembling iron unconscious OF the fact that Jot OF
water the less within It might at any moment
cause crash q rush OF scaldine steam and indis-
criminate slaughter Yet all the officers OF the conf
pany we're ready to swear that the boiler was per.
fecty SAFE The history OF the boiler Is interesting
whether new or second hand cannot now be dis
covered, but 1t was put In the Westfieid when she
was launched In Brooklyn in 1852. IL was twenty
four feet long, ten feet In diameter ana twelve feet
In width Of front, with return nues.
A GOOD BOILER
In dimensions, surely. or course, the government
onlccrs gave the owners OF this nre kettle certlG
cate Nine years, however, Is pretty long time FOR
IRON TO resist the corrodlng attacks of steam ana
time. It was often Inspected, but NOTWITHSTANDING
the inspections one fine morning It looked so weak
In the forward part that the boat was laid up ana
the companys tiukers put patch on tue douo'iui
spot. A government inspector Afterwards wrote on
parchment that it was all right signed MS name
underneath and pasterei big red seal In the cor
ner OF the document
On the 18th inst. "a stnguarly suggestive day.
rn,ei states onicia named Jonn X. M9'thews s<