, 1873-04-03


tho why. In tlloao daya OF nautical sclonce,
when 1t Ia possible to plaeo a veBaol within
milo and a hnlf Of gtyon spot In tho mid
oconn, It soonR strange tint tho Atlantic should
not havo mado tho harbor. II thero WINS any
uncertainty In tho minds Of tho officers, by
roason of clouds or foge, tlloa it was tcir plain
duty to llavo romanod off tho coast until day.
light could solve their doubts Ii tl,oro vaa no
uncertainty In their minds, thon thero was
surely a radical and inoxcuaablo error In tic
reckoning, which ahould not 1iaye occurrol
Second, when tho investigation of this disaster
tAkos rlaco, thcro can DO no doubt that 1t will bo
shown that ono of ita principal cauaos waa tho
fatal policy which prevails in many Of tho now
ocean lines of making speed aud shortnosB Of
timo tho principal recommendations for tlloir
boata. THO instructions to mako timo. regard
less Of danger and sometimes oyon of ordinary
prcoaution,fit will probably bo found, contrib
utod to tho loas Of tho Atlautio as nlucE, aa any
otllor causo. Tho ollor lines, like tho
Cunnrd and North aormau Lloyda, look only to
strength and safety, and tho question Of spool
III lnado secondary to those. Tho rosult
is, that thoy mako moro money out Of thor
strength nnd safoty tllan tho now limos out Of
their spool, and at tho sumo time they inBrrat tho
liyos Of tholr passengers. Tho old Cunarl Line,
although 1t has lost two Of Ito minor. steamers,
10 boliovo laB not lost tho llyos Of any paasen-
gors.
Third, wo nro not awaro wnut nny cunstl
tuto tho specific dutios Of m ocean pilot on ono
Of tho steamors Of tho White Star Limo, or my
othor. Whatoyor thoy mny DO, tho responsibility
Of IN ocnan-going steatnor roats upon tho Cap
tain, until tho coast pilot comes aboard md
takoa Charge of tho boat. Tho Captain is
supreme in command. Upon such an occasion
ns thfa therefore, when tho Captain Of tho Allan
tic lad decided to doyiato from his courso
and run into tho harbor Of Halifax for coal,
knowing TINT tho coaBt was dangerous ono,
and moro dangerous than ovor on such dark
and tempcstuouB night, ho should not llavo
giycn up his watch ut midnight and rotirod to
Bloop. He should hayo remained at Ills post all
night, or at least until tho steamer was safely
within tho harbor Of Halifax, past all possibility
Of danger. Tho worry fact that tho stoamor was
going into Halifax to conl involves probably an
othor Cause Of tho disaster. Sufficient coal should
hayo boon takon aboard ut tho outset for tho
voyage. notwithstanding tho high price Of coal
iii England. Coal happens to be cheaper ut Hali-
fox than at any other place, md 80, probably for
tho sake Of few dollars, moro or loss, an insult
hcient supply was laid IN, and in tho attempt to
got into Halifnx hnrbor, to procure more coal,
tho vessel was lost, with its precious cargo Of
human life.
There can DO no doubt TINT tho facts wo hayo
montonod-tho fatnl errors In reckoning, tho
policy Of making apced instoad Of safely
tho characteristic Of tho line, tho nog-
lcct Of duty by the Captain at IN
exceptional timo, and tho insufficient
supply Of coal-contributes to the loss Of this
steamer, and tho responsibility for them must 10
established by official investigation. It will also
bo proper subject for this Investigation to de-
huo. Tho Atlantic was but two yearS old. Size
VAT 42o foot III length and 10 feot boan1, tho
length boiug t1luu nearly eleven tlmos as great
as tho width. Although constructed Of
iron, with eix wator-tiglt bulkhcadB,
ut tho very first shock she wont to
tho bottom 60 suddenly that aomo Of
hor passengers woro drowned in their berths.
There arc still loft tho oceanio, Baltic, Republic
Adratio. and tho Celtic, tie latter just finished,
all built in tho sa1no manner. How many Of
these arc sea-wortly7 Whit guarantee has tho
public TINT these also will not 60 to tho bottom
at the very first shock2 II there is any fault OF
construction In those steamers, growing out of
tho fact that they hayo boon built mainly
to malio time, tho public have right to know It.
This limo has boon heralded with great flourish
Of trumpcts ns superior to any othor On tho
ocean, It is not good omen that, in the threo
yoara Rnco 1t commenced operations, one Of Its
vessels haa boon lost, with larger loss Of lifo
than has happened for many yoare to an ocean-
going steamer. II it DO true, as stated that the
agents OF this line have pasaages now engaged
for $4,000 omigrants, there ia all the moro need
for thorough investigation into tho sca-going
qualities Of theBo voaEols.