Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-11-06
lna,h.r Hsla.auEi 4 Sea.

Tie perils Of those Who go down 10
TIE sea il ships" Gre reoeiEing striking
illustration. he burning OF he bien-
vile, which has been chroaieled 80
la,sly. has now ia sister horror n the
news which cones % us from Key West
on the destruction By Gre Of the Atlantic
Nail CompAny's steamer Missouri on
Abaoo, Bahamas, In a gale Of. wind. We
can calculate the extent Of the disaster By
the appalling number Of lives sacrificed
and the amount Of valuable property de-
siroyed. Out Of eishty-sight souls but
twelve are reported saved, leaving q hst
Of seyenty-six 20 be added % the dismal
catalogue Of victims Of the flames or the
waves which have had such plentiful addi-
tions Of late. This list includes all the
officers. The Missouri sailed from New
York, having been, il Is stated, overhaulsd
and certified by the United States inspee-
tors since the loss Of the Nets, which oo-
cured In August last. Bat certificates did
not avail her. Whatever virtues they
may possess do not overcome the iaulti-
ness OF construction which makes a YES
sci at once a bonfire when the torch OF
flame is applied. We learn that the lire
was discovered in the pantry st nine A:
NJ, an hour when everybody on board
the doomed steamer was astr. The GER
tifcate did not provide q ready hose and
plentiful supply of water, apparently,
or else It did not prevent the pantry from
flaming up like pine knot before water
could be Of avail.
We do not know what measures were
taken TO save the vessel, so, in mercy TO
the dead, we must wait before passing
Judgment; but we are told what was at
tempted toward the saving oflife, There
we're six boats. Three Of these when
lowered capsized, and two Of them were
burned beside the vessel. From the
wildness of the sea, which was on at the
time. this capsizing was to be expected,
for, in addition TO the nervousness which
often seizes men in such moments de-
handing all their GOODNESS, there is to
be taken into consideration the fact that
the crews of such vessels are generally
uninstructed in the rapid lowering OF the
boats and their management in n heavy
sea. 1t is apparent, indeed, that but
for the GOODNESS and intrepidity Of O
passenger, Mr.. Culmer, not living be-
ing would have survived to tell the tale.
The sixth boat lay upon the deck with
out davits or tackle TO lower her proper
". She was lowered, however, and thi:
heroic man took the painter in his hand
and jumped overheard as soon as the
boat was launched. He then swan to
the boat, and having got into it, pulled
her alongside. and so allowed eleven
fellow beings TO join him. He knew
how TO manage boat in the surf, and SO
piloted to the shore the only remnant o.
the vessels living cargo.
When the Australian steamer, the
London, went down in the Bay of Bis
cav, with Brooke, the tragedIan, among
the great number lost, it was by the
knowledge ofjust such man in manag
ing boat that the few survivors wealth.
cred out the fearful tempest that ragged
There were ample Accommodations for al
in the boats of the Missouri; but, some
how, the boats seldom save anybody,
They are fixed up, hung on the davits
and might as we'll be sleeves, for all the
good they do in saving life in such mo
ment as came to the Missouri. The
crews know nothing-little or nothing
about their management, and then wher
life is lost 10 scores the companies lay
the blame to Providence. As with the
life preservers of the Metis, the certif
Gates only father fraud. 1t is melan
choly, indeed, to reflect on these things
We shall have an inquiry,no doubt; bu
there is little to be expected therefrom
unless in INSTANCE on compliance witt
certain mechanical conditions, the highe
machine, man, who superintends all
shall be, in every department, capabl,
OF doing his duty under the most trying
circumstances.
Among those lost on the occasion wa
Colonel Evans, late agent of the Associ
ated Press in San Francisco. We ca
but dimly guess at the horrors Of th
scene which saw the stormy waters en-
gulf what the flames roared to devour o.
that fatal morning but if any lessor
can be learned from the miseries W
should take care that it is needed. IN !
Paper.