The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-03

THAT light ia red. The nearest light west OF 1t is
on Iron-Bound Island" .s sfs7ef
The skipper went into his room and brought forth
an admiralty chart. on which ne traced with his
bony finger the course that would be taken by tine
mariner in entering Halifax harbor, and the dan
gers which lay BY the way.
'srhe best mark to be followed in max
ing the entrance ID Sambro Lighthouse. on
small island on the cape, on the western
side OF the harbor. latitude a degrees 80 minutes
and longitude % degrees 80 minutes. The light is
2l0 feet above the level OF the sea- detachment
OF artillery are always stationed there with two
twenty-fcur-pounders and when the weather ID
rough they Gre at regular intervals to warn sp-
preaching vessels OF their position"
"What do you think was the reason OF the Attain
TIC not taxing the right direction In shore o.
''sHE MUST HAVE LOST HER war,
and the weather must have been too rough for any
lights to have been seen. The light on Cape sam
bro cannot be seen at greater distance than ar
teen miles 10 the dearest weather. and In haze It
could not be seen at all at half that distance
The skipper and the reporter slowly greped out
OF the cabin and parted on the deck. The latter
then wended his way back to Buring slip and into
the Office Of the Pi0tage Commission, at the corner
OF South street. Here he found Captain George w.
Blunt engaged In looking at an immense chart or
the Nova Scotia coast, which was stretched out
upon . table. After receiving him the Captain
picked up tho train OF his thoughts and uttered
them aloud thusly:-
"Why. sir, in regard to. this accident, don't
think that any navigator however good he may be In
his science and experience, tell where he is on
Q stormy night like that OF Monday by an 0bserva-
ton taken on the day before; and don't think
the captain of vessel should be below in any case
wi aho IA Nv frov Ian md Ia has
in shore. His position should be on deck"
"What about the report that
THBY SAW LIGHT
which they supposed to be that Of the Sambro
Lighthousei"
"There ia no proof that they saw the light. 1t is
probable that they depended altogether upon their
observations Of latitude and longitude, the uncer-
tainty Of which must at this season OF the year be
very great. The atmospheric refraction is apt to
put the instruments in fault by at least variation
OF ten miles, and he is good navigator who makes
his position out so nearly as that. When ship Is
heading toward land, and within thirty miles Of
1t, he should feel his way very cautiously
and have good man at the LOOKOUT" Turning to
the map-"N0w, this coast Is very dangerous do
not think that there is any light at Mars Head. II
there is one 1t must have been placed there since
the publication Of the charts which have, and In
III pIOUADluJy ~ muSb HuVc DccH uOm
one In such close proximity as that OF Cape SAM
bro, which Is fixed and white. 80 that they could
be easily distinguished. The next light to the
SambrO Light on the chart is twenty miles to the
westward. and is red"
THE CAUSE OF THE CATASTROPHE.
ITO what from your knowledge Of the coast would
you attribute this catastrophe ~
"Of course would not like to say much on that
point until we are possessed Of fuller facts But
think the cause must have been in the too great
confidence Of the captain in his knowledge OF his
position. No master OF ship has right to be be-
low in such an emergency"
"Can you remember the circumstances OF any
snipwrecks which have occurred In that locality ~
81 think It was In 5S that the Humboldt ran on
the rocks on Cape Sambro. Captain Lyons, an ex-
perienced and very clever ofncer, was in command,
and they put into Halifax for coal. man boarded
her claiming to be pilot. Captain Lyons asked
him for his license, and he said he had left 1t
ashore. The Captain had at first mistrusted him,
and he was now about to take the command from
him, when the ship struck and went down. The
pilot turned out to be fisherman, and he caused
the underwriters o loss Of $500
The reporter bid the Captain goodby, and, soon
afterwards, called upon Messrs. Williams Guion,
at their once Id wall street, in whose employ the
master Of the fatal vessel had formerly been.
They gave him very good reputation, saying that
he had had command Of four Of their Steamship
the Manhattan, Nevada, Colorado and Wisconsin.
He began as q junior officer, and won his way up
to the highest position.