The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-04-11
The Great !Ship,crech-W WhOIcS0te
IHgjT0cT'.

Since our last issue, the world has been (
appalled, by the occurrence on our coast, .
OF one of the most heartrending marine ca /
lamities on record. The steamship AT.
lantic'' of the (British) ''White Star Line, "
with over nine hundred souls on board, was
wrecked. about two o clock on the morning
of the 1st instant, off Nova Scotia, and
nearly six hundred persons drowned. Mo-
a woman was saved, and only one child, II
a boy-of twelve years old may be called a
child.
The scenes and Incidents as described
bv the survivors. were most horrible but
the reader can readily imagine the horrors
attending the sudden striking and sinking
Of a steamer with nearly Thousand human
beings on board, in the darkness of night,
and IN an unusually rough sea.
This fearful loss of life is attributable,
primarily, to the steamer insufficient sup
ply of coal, and, secondly, to the careless
ness OF ineificiency of the captain and his
officers. If a proper amount of coal had
been laid in before the vessel left Liver
pool. all Of the hundreds of persons who
were drowned would have been landed alive
at New York. This every one viii admit.
| But, as there was not enough coal laid III
to last the ship to New York, 1t was the
duty. of the captain to exercise peculiar
! care and caution, at the hour named, in
/ navigating his vessel toward the harbOr of
Halifax. He was near a very dangerous
I coast. and in very dangerous waters, as Inc
/ knew if he understood his business, and
should have been absolutely certain that
his course was correct. But it appears
. that he was uncertain whether the vessel
was heading right or not and in this state
l of uncertainty, retired from the quarter
/ deck to his quarters below, requesting to
be called if his advice should be needed
Soon after, the vessel struck a rock near
the coast and the great calamity which has
shocked the world was, within 4 few short
minutes, an accomplished fact. \ grosser
blunder in navigation could not have been
committed. No excuse can be invented to
release Captain Williams from his fearful
responsibility iii this most disastrous and
sorrowful affair. Bat the Steamship Com
pany cannot escape responsibility for this
great calamity, by placing the blame upon
the captain. If he was incompetent OF
careless, they should not have employed
; him. But if there had been good reasons
for believing him perfectly proper person
to command such ship, the Company are
no less chargeable with this disaster. ow-
T ing to their failure to furnish her with 4
proper supply Of coal. Their evident de
sire to save money by purchasing a scant
supply where coal was more costly than
usual, and to save room in the vessel fOl
l passengers, was the primary cause of this
great destruction of human life, and they
and Captain Williams viii be held by the
world as guilty of the murder of nealy six
hundred men, women and children, on the
= memorable first day of April, 1873. 1t is
devoutly to be hoped that legal means may
be found for punishing these people for
this enormous crime. The future security
of passengers requires that a striking ex-
ample should be made of these great Grim
inals.-Phitu. Sunday MercuTy.