, 1873-12-09
THE VILE DU HAVnE DISASTER.


1ilo du Havre, las furnished tho frat iutclll-
yont account Of the manner in which tho dis
.stor occurred. and placcB both tho ReamanBhip |
Ind tho humanity Of tho French officers and |
,row In q dtagracofu9 light. 1t appears that tho |
Captain Of tho Loeb !sarn,r as BOON as ho saw
.lat tho steanor WAS coming dangerously near
him, ported his holm, which turned his :voasel to
Tho left, as was proper. Tho Captain Of tho
steamer, instead Of porting Ills helm also, as
he should have dono, put it to ntarboard, thus |!
nondtug lis vessel to his right, Which brought
her directly across the bows of tho Loch Earn.
II he Ind ported his holm, l,o would have shocroa
OF to his loft, aud tho Two vcssols would haVo
cleared each other, with considerable distance
to Bpnro Of, If ho had kept straight on
his courne without changing hia holm at all,
tho Loeb Earn would have struck tho steamer
quartoring and glanced of, 30 that both yessos
might have gono on their way without any 30
rious dn,nage,-a sort Of harm1osa collision
which yory often happons. Instead OF this, tho
Ffenohnan, with almost uncomfortable stupidity,
ran straiglt ncross the bows Of tho Locl Earn,
and sout bis vosHol to tho bottom OF tho ocean.
The French huve national reputation for bad
seamnns1ip, and arc. porl,apH, the worst snllors
Ill tho world, but auch blu1.doring aH this paBses
comprehension. It would seem as Ii ordinary
instinct alono should have indicated to tho
French Captain tho course ho ought to have
talon. That such blockhcad aa this, ignorant
Of tho elementary principles Of salips, should
havo boon in command Of tho secoud largest
vessel ntloae In tho world, Ia Bad commentary
OIL French aca,nanship.
But the ignorance and bluntering Of the
French woro moi tho only diugl acoful features
Of this torriblo alta ir. 10 ignorance they added
cowardico and inhnman!ty. II, after their
dreadful mistake, they had Houghs to atone for it
by doing everything in thoir power to rescue the
poor victims OF their stupidity, they might have
retrieved themselves somewhat in the eyes OF
tho world but, instead Of this, they were Idle
spectators Of tho ruin they had caused. Neither
tho first nor tho second boat, the latter having
on buard tho lrst and secoud officers, not ono Of
whom had been in tho water, attempted to re-
turn to the steamer and holp rcscue tho 'uu!or-
tunatos but left tAnt duty to tho crow Of tho Loc1
Earn, notwithstanding the expostulattona Of
the latter at their brutality and aolaahnoss
At sucA an appalling timo and in tho midst Of
disaster due to their oan stupidity, that they,
aftor having sayod tloir own worthless lives,
should hayo refused to lift THUR hanas to saye
tho helpless mon. wo,non, and. children wlio had
been intrustal to their Charge and aacritlcod
by their ignorance, almost passes belief. French
eallautry aud courtesy hereafter will ba Of
little ycp,,to when the horrible story Of the Vile
lu Havye Ia told.
Tho conduct Of the British crow, on the othor
hand, IL worthy Of ali praise. With tho samo
stupidity Which Lad cauaod the coliaion, tho
Frouoh crow neglected to display any signals
Of distress, 90 that the first notice which tho
British Captain received Of tho settling OF the
steamer was his own observation Of tho fact.
py that titno, his ycsHol had driftod considers
bio distance away. Notwithstanding the fact
that ho VAS busy in shortening eail and was anx-
ioua about his own damagoa, he neglected ey-
ersthiug else and devoted himself to tho rosouo
Of the unfortunate passengers of the steamer,
while the Fsonch crew and officers laid along
sido Of tho Loci Earn, md looked on calmly at
| the havoc they had made without Offering to
| help. II tho English crow had shot thom, u
| they threatened to, or II they had gono of and
loft thon, in their boata to Take their cAanees OF
| ever getting to land, 1t would only hnyo been =
propor punishment. The conduct OF tho Captain
and crow Of tho Loeb Earu has well sustained
tia reputation which British sailors lave always
enjoyed. The conduct Of tho Captain and"or
at the Ffouoh steamer, on tho othor hand. while
It adds another proof to the charge Of poor sea-
manal4ip which has always attached to Tue
TronoA sailors, will also gain for them tho do
aorvoil obloquy and contempt Of tho world. a1lt
will induce the travelling public to tr'tst them
aelycs to tlloso who have ut loast ordinary skill
bravery, anl humanity, 1t IL saltl tlsat tho Or
cuuetancos Of thtH disaster will l,o tnvoBtl{atol
BY tho French tribunals, aud tina: Franols l.,voasi
cstlonH Of thla sort uro worry soyoro. Tll"y ca''
nat na],o It tooaoyero or acarulll,H tn lhth cass
II thero Ia any oxeuuo for such Ignorance a1r
couarllco, thuy ought to lot tho world ks'ow It.
| -.----
| Tho Legislature ot Honth Casalsua " upon sh
war-patl, aud l.an paahad Hnr[osof lnuol"tloi's
ain yiev Ut tho critical co.l'ttun of our fusulG'
rotations, rendering war II roHuihIty," cAl|inI
unun tho Qoyurtlu's,t to chtabnll a ai'avy'yanl Il
rprt Royal a,r'. m t"o establishment Ut "ua