The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-31

The storm Of Thursday night seems to have
exerted all its fury on those 'who went down
to the sea in ships on that cheerless evening.
The first sad returns we have from the scene
of the Storm Kings widest orgies announce
the total loss of the propeller Metis, Of the
Providence line, on Friday morning, off
Stonington, Conn. The Metis came in COLI
sion with schooner in the darkness and
storm, and sank in O short time, leaving
1t is easy to realize the CONSERVATION among
those on board and the hurried rush for life
preservers. Our Sound and Hudson River
boats are among the most beautiful floating
structures in the world, and at the same time
the most eminently deceitful. Pacing their
spacious and splendid interiors the traveller
forgets for o time how frail the separation be-
tween him and eternity, yet when the signal Of
an accident is announced, the resounding
blow of a collision or the heavy bump
upon sunken rock, then, indeed, all
on board wake up to the terrible
realization Of the vessels pitiful weakness.
They ore in truth mere shells. and no wonder
sion with one of them should break through
her light apd brittle frame and render her at
once o total wreck. There is no blame, as far
as can be seen, attaching itself to the officers
of the vessel. The storm of wind and rain
was above their control, and in the darkness
all things became invisible. The remarkable
and interesting feature about this painful dis
aster is the marvellous manner in which the
survivors Of the wreck escaped. We are told
they clambered to the upper woodwork of the
vessel, and that that portion, by what must
be supposed some violent wrench from the
storm, became separated from the hull and
foated them away in comparative safety to
shore. In former shpwrecks we have heard
of the hencoop of q ship being loosed from its
fastcnings rendering itself the means Of saw
ing many clinging life; but here We have
the entire upper story Of o vessel lifted bodily
off its natural base and support and proving
itself the providential agency Of floating a
number of lives in safety to shore. Down
went the hull amid the high and angry
waves, and off went the light superstructure
as gayly as q cork boat. But this did not save
many from finding watery grave. The con-
fusion must have been great. From what can
be learned, it was every man for himself, and
in such state Of affairs they who are weakest
and least alert are bound to go to the wall.
What we are ct q loss to discover is who had
charge of the lifeboats. It is stated that one
of them came ashore with one Of the directors
of the company and five deck hands, from
which it may be inferred that the crew were
foremost in saving their own lives and the pas
sengers were left to shift for themselves. This
is the old story. In justice to the captain and
the agent of the line, however, it is reported
that they refused to enter the lifeboat anf
contrived to get ashore on piece of the wreck
We might ask if the lifeboats of our Sound ant
Hudson River steamers are constructed ex
clusively for the use and safety of the crews
The steamboat Stonington and the revenu
cutter Moccaasin did gallant service in stand
ing by the wreck and picking up all the strug
Cling passengers they could find. The hotel
did their utmost for the comfort Of the un
happy survivors, many Of whom are from thi
city. In another column will be found th
| fullest particulars Of this unhappy occurrence