The New York herald., 1872-09-01

duty Of either the captain. or pilot, who
were both supposed to be at duty at the time
the collision occurred One old sailor had the
temerity to say that 1.-The captain of the steamer
has an insane prediction for running down small
vessels while at sea-" dsregarding the law OF hu-
manity that the strong should protect the weak.
1t is obvious that a steamer in good order Is more
easily handled in heavy sea than can be q sailing
vessel and therefore. say those who ought to be well
posted on the subject, the Metis should have kept
out OF the way OF the schooner at the risk OF
delaying her progress for few moments There is
no question but that the vessel was properly
equipped with lanterns, agreeably to the regula-
tions in such cases made and provided. Nor is it
matter OF dispute that the night was very black q
circumstance which, by the way, should have made
the lights more easily distinguishabe II there were
NV WHAT THE PILOTS say
The pilot, Mr.. w. W. Palmer, who was in charge
OF the wheel house at the time, says that he saw
the schooner from three to five minutes before the
accident and M tha she was then two points on the
pass to the right OF the schooner he says, but the
steersman OF the schooner as she came up, put his
helm hard down. throwing the vessel into the wind
and causing the collision.
Pondering sagely over these facts. an old pilot
conclusions the pilot Of the Metis did NOT
desire to keep out OF the way OF the schooner OF his
own votion or because he wished to please the
wheel OF the schooner was anxious to
commit suicide and drag the crew OF the vessel
with him. In palmer language, continued the old
SALT ''either one man was desperate and reckless
villain or the other was confounded fool.
don't halt between the two opinions. do you ~
Proceeding with his comments on the published
reports OF the occurrence, he said that he could
scarcely understand how in the dickensn it was
hull OF the vessel when she sank He understood IL
to be law OF physics that when heavy body sank
slowly In heavy sea d It created Great d. whirlpool, into
near. According to the conversation of the pas
sengers, however, there was no vortex, and the
hurricane deck sided as easily Off the steamer a
book would slide from O table. at couldn't have
done sol" exclaimed the Opnionated old man,
waxing as he spoke Of the natter sss
properly secured" "But then parties whom
know to be reliable tell me that they have exam
Hill beach, and that they have found It decayed, so
that it must have been unfit for service"
Metis was an old vessel hardly used and not strong
enough for use other than as a ferryboat in smooth
was cerny S1pe as' po
wasn't sleepy was blind. In either case neither
OF them had any business to assume the
to Judge hastily, though; perhaps the officers and
men Of the schooner might have been pack OF
idiOts-sometlmes sailors are. I'd like to hear the
public Judgment on this matter"
This concluded the conversation.
WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY GENERALLY.
It's sentiments are the same in substance as
those which l have heard expressed by dozens Of
seafaring men in Newport, New London,
i
an opportunity to broach the subject and ask for
an opinion. The verdict Of the sealaring community
is one Of unqualified condemnation Of the officers
of the steamer Mets.
ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTS FROM PASSENGERS.
Among the accounts Of the disaster additional to
those which were teIegraphed last evening is the
orthodox clergyman from Shirley Village,
Sass sesseasy ss sss oeson Sas
laid quietly in my berth. After little while heard
tumult outside, and colored waiter cried out for
n hniR lfu on1
go to the hurricane deck. They tried to do so but
there were no facilities to get there. casped on
Where there was crowd Of iu people men and
women. They seemed to behave themselves coolly.
dumped into the water and seizea Mattress but.
finding that was insufficient to sustain my weight,
grasped a foating hatch, on which remained
four or five hours, until was picked up by the
lfeboat under command OF Captain Larkin. The
wind was very cold, and was chilled 80 that be-
came deathly sick. There were SO many boats and
barrels barrels noatIng R about through the water that IT,
barrels swashed about SO that have no doubt they
struck some OF the weaker ones and caused them to
the neboat to the cutter Moccasin nearly all we we
found were dead-at least all that We found after
ten O'Clock In the forenoon.
A FORTUNATE ESCAPE. e4s-T
The happiest in all the community Of Watch Hill
was Mr.. David P. O'Brien, who occupies the posi-
He was en- route to Providence to spend q vacation,
and was accompanied by his wife: At the time Of
They were not frightened, though-far from it.
would exhibit in walking down Broadway, cooiy
might De % little daealty 'oSssa outside, asad and
to behold that the boat was sinking and that he
failed to disturb the equanimity Of Mr.. O'Brien
He whistled wearing Of the Green, ,, and returned
to his room, informed his plucky little wife that
they were compelled to change their quarters.
Securing two life preservers, he tore sheet into
strips, and with their aid and that of q piece Of
curtain cord, which he had captured somewhere,
he bound these said-to-be safeguards securely
about her person. They then sailed forth arm in
arm into the main saloon on the upper deck, but
afraid that they might catch cold.
COUPLE JUMPING OVERHEARD.
ducking to half Of one, and o'Brien assisted his
lady to reserved seat on the raft She occupied
to to- experience the delights Of another salt water
bath, she tumbled overheard, and was not seen for
many seconds. The phosphorescent light on the
who was worrying about her whereabouts, and he
again lent her helping hand, 80 that together
husband A1 more S"0s Seriously % than than s'u the wife,
He took her to the ocean House. where
she she a was cared cared. for. and he - returned , ned to
sence Of his coat and vest, which had followed the
drift OF the raft on shore, and further exploration
stateroom. He extracted pocketbOok containing
SAL from the latter garment, cut few preliminary
caperS OF Jig ana returned 10 MS nOtel q nappy
and contented man. SO much for Mr.. O'Brien.
INCIDENTS OF HEROISM.
There are many incidents of herOism reported in
connection with this terrible disaster, but among
all none stands more prominent and deserving OF
recognition than the conduct OF Captain Burton,
commander of the steamer SO far as his treatment
OF passengers was concerned, and OF Captain Hull,
the agent of the line they were most attentive to
their safety, and did not think OF themselves until
the very last moment The same may also be said
of the crew, except four or nve, who, with one of
the directors of the lne got into one Of the life
boats and made for Stonington. The director
ferred to ia Colonel A. $. Gallop, OF New York. and
on his safe arrival in Stonington he made the fol-
lowing statement
The Metis came in collision somewhere near the
head OF the Sound with schooner, causing quite
shake to the steamer and awakening many OF the
passengers, including myself l partially dressed,
but all being quiet turned in again. After quite
a time had passed was aroused by CAPTAIN Hull,
who told me the vessel sinking. This was,
perhaps an hour, and possibly more, after the col