, 1873-12-24
THE VILE Du HAVRE.


unknown before for len years.
--%----
THE VILE DU HAvRE.
Tho officer III CllarEo OF tho steamer
HkcspOnsib1c for tho Collihi0n--COsv-
nriIy Doscrti0n Of The Passengers
by slic Surviving Officers n1sA the
Cresy--IQoxv Twenty FrcNc Ii men Lott
Women 1aald Children to Drown.
NEW Yong, Dec. 23.-Tho Tribune, tomorrow, will
publish second letter from Rudolph 4. Witthaus Jr,
who was passenger on tho Al-fated vllle du Aavre
to his father In this city. Ho writes rs follows:
connection M INV viii Fiji tic siakng Of tic vio i iisvre.
w now gS you my qnnlons 1aa 81 eoeSng sa tue sa
from tho officers and men, L conclude TINT
tue blame rests entirely With tho officer
ssad of dong t1s, b id tue vory oposite altoriag
tic bows Of tho Loeb Earn-at least saya thu Of
cer who was watch oil tho LITTER boat at tho timu
Of tho a se IT. .ny u i S e ~
tho wny Of sailing craft, and, tho night mag
nincenty clear and calm, tho accident only hasc
Attor tho accident il It can be so called, had OCCUR:
crow nehavod ln tho Most cowarliy manner-iho ut
ter know. aud tho former believe looking out for
!nensovs 5 M ana tho % and f to
DR.. II. Audiau whom saw throo Or four minutes
before tho ship went down going below. told him
answered that hc muat look aiter those WHO
crushed In their aatc-roomS. uo ueyer came up
ugntn.
4 significant fact, and ono needing comment, is,
that not single passenger waa taken from the sink
ing shp by the bouts al being picked up on the water
tho Loeb Earn without wetting much NJ tho solcs Of
their shoes. OF Capt. snrmonts conduct know notl
Ing. Thoeo who him speak we'll Of him. aud do
think that ho dtrncs1y blao for the collision
although he s to blao for not having big crow under
better discipline aud for not having his boats In con-
in groat contrast Viii tic donoralizcd condition Of
tho crew was ths calmness Of passongers,-even the
running about without un object Tho women were in
Knots, pray,ng quietly, while the men were looking
@ IL s
abandoned, clcar Of the ship that II might float
Language fills mo in expressing my admiration Of.
oiicers and crew Of the Loeb Earn aud Of tho Tri-
from tho water aud both gave US clothing, md did all
in their power to make It's comfortable ns possible
Contrary. ] M wero MOI of 6rutes and towards. W '
{By h1Ril)
STORY or THE Locu EAHss oREw-TIlE1n CHARGES
AHAIN6r TIL OFFIcERB AND GREW OF TIE VILE
bu HAvnE.
ritn Of Ills story was tecernphed from England when
atious of cowardico 80 ar as they applied hc Cap
tain nnl officers Of tho Vile du asre were Afterwards,
siaiesnsnts OCCUR :'i il nia account given by tIo
Loc Ear1s crow, among tho graycst Of which is tho
assertion TINT bout eontnnng TIC &C CAPTAIN Of tho
1nninsd there doing nothing" and BLOCKING uncol-
oesu 81 on oarS n a
went down with Ills vessel also did Ills First ohccr
It appears plainly enough from tho extinct from tho
Tint the Captain Of the Loch Earn Ii party To lo
tao told by hs men. on tho contrary be is repre- Pr,
ecutcd cout1adlcting their nspcrstons, and as n
mating that his own crew, who Joined In this ndtct-
1nent of the crew Of tic unfortunate steamer, were
tim!d enough to abandon the Loeb Earn ngainst ILLS
expressed Wish.
Late On Saturday ntght t1e Isdore' pilot cnttsr.
they were compelled at lcngth to abandon her in
been brought to tho Channel BY the British Queen,
whence they were transferred to the p'lo-hoat Tue
plymouth f'. pcnaing tho decision Of "a court @ of inquiry
tue eircumstances of The collision. Theso diner IN
very renal kablo degree from TINT made on tho part Of
haye been. tho solo CAUSE Of the collision, but
ure charged with having looked after themselves and
loft tho passengers to persh Thoy were spoken Of IN
two ay 10 taken as tho collective statement Of the
officers and men Of tho Loeb Earn, whosc conduct al
to have been a yery reverse q that displayed
on tho other 8e It III ou!y FUR to btatp that they
nglt not have been outspokea had 1t not been for
he Indignation which they fet at reading of the
ae ST. The
on1 officer Of tio Loeb Earn, waa IN charge an.l
port taeE. Tie allir waa eloso hauled, going about
| ten knots: the weather 1ne mud Vlear. When tho
lights of tho Vile dn nvro were reported th9 Loeb
Earn held on her in accordance with the ac-
ceped rule Of tho sea. No notice appeared TO bo tkGn
f1he Loch Earn bour tho steamer and her bells
horn wa sounded. As, tho ,yillo dn lIavre
did nothing to avert tho collision but put on
helm Of ae latter At Tho last moment was put hard ur
There not tucn time. however, for her to ray Oft,
md With Tremendous shock the two vessels case int
first thought tho Eor Earn was sinking. Orders wfre
given 10 clear nwny the boats and tho lteboa wna got
st se a came rght absck ind was brought On tho sar-
board tncl Ccaang to make headway, Il was soon
Earn nigh. huye sustained sho was not III any im1ne
diato danger, for oa tho pumps boin9 sounded no
Immediately bout manned by forr mon with m
officer camo on from tho steamer. Tile frat ac,.
beard tho Loeb Earn was that shs had b4on sent 10
officer in charge Of the slip asked Il there my
passengers board Tho steamer, mud understood tho
stoo, t; although our informant bad no doubt on the
snDjec] t ID quito certain that, nlthough It wah
a ai w ~ pasy es was e
tho Ca,ain aud crow OF tho Loeb Earn Eur0 left to
fluid gu. Tor themselves by scong tho steamer sinking
before their cycR. =
Almost imneiiatoly ufter the arrival of tho arst
boat the Captain Of tho Ville du Havre alongside
III slmilar bout, aB8 nlanned by four mon. md with
either another officer nr fcnnle. for lhia point
there appears 10 bo difference OF opinion. Tic
oil bourd the Loeb Earn aud there while tue crew
Of thyt vessel wuro doing All they could to lhe
drowning multitude whose shricks now illed the alr
hu s:sai,l to nTe rrmaincd doing nothing, al,
Of tho crow OF tho LOCK- Earn indignantly said, "qoaet
toll his n,cl who reinaed In tho boat to put of to tht
1escue, hut nothing was done. Capt Robertson then
nskel saoon passenger who had just been brought
on board, aud who knew bothtFrench and Englsl
we'll 10 speak to The Captain. This was dopo, and tho
latter then went to tho rail and calte1 ovetto Ills mcn
Their ouly reply waa to 60 two three boats' iong.l
aAl thcru ROMAN. .-...
80 exaspcrated woro tho English by the iuacsion tia