The Portland daily press., 1873-04-04
The Loss of the Atlantic.

The appalling disaster on the coast of Nova
Scotia sinks into comparative insignificance
the horrors and loss ct life that have attended
the history of steam navigation. In single
moment magnificent ship freighted with
over thousand human beings, who are
sleeping securely, becomes vast charnel
house and the greater part of its human
freight, after pang of terrible agony, are
transferred to that sleep that knows no wax
ing. The heart-rendlng scenes, the intense
suffering in the pitiless storm and freezing
cold, the scores OF hopeless battles for life, the
brief but unutt 'rable anguish Of scores that
only awoke to find the most terrible forms OF
death staring them in the face, may in an in
definite manner be comprehended by themost
unimaginative but human language can never
depict in their terrible reality the tragic
scenes about this Inflated ship, in that dark
and stormy night on that rugged coast.
Doubtless the fullest investigation will be
made into the causes of the terrible calamity
and possibly some matters may be brought TO
light that may relieve Captain Williams OF the
blame that apparently rests upon him. But
by his own statement as given by the press
dispatches, he shows a lack of prudence that
cannot be accounted for by any natural course
of reasoning. The ship, as the commander
knew, was on coast always regarded as dan
gerous, in dark night. with high wind and
binding storm. Under these circumstances,
one can hardly understand how an expert
enced ship master would allow the usual
speed of his ship to be continued, not even
fully knowing at what rate she was running
and to retire to his state room. It's said that
the lights in that locality are insufficient and
that one may be mistaken for another; but
the fact that the ship struck the roc1 bound
shore far to the westward of both of these lights
goes further to prove that Captain Williams
was criminaly careless. 1t would seem that
an officer in the possession ofall his faculties,
with thousand human beings consigned to
to his care, and property worth not less than
million dollars, would have carefully worked
his way al. slow speed into the harbor or
steamed slowly rrom land until daylight
and improved weather shouIo sAaua rendered
his entrance to the port less hazardous. POS.
sibly fuller testimony will give different
view of the case but from the published state
rnont of the commander, the only inferenc
isthatthe calamity is principally due to hi
carelessness.
1t has already been matter of discussion
whether or not the models which tn
White Star and other lines of ocean steamer
have adopted for their vessels, maxim
speed the chief object, are safe. Experience
ship-builders and owners on both sides of til
wa er have criticised the models as being
violent departure from the od-fashionet
standard of length bearing to breadth o
beam, which is proportion of six to one, ant
have declared that such policy would LEAF
to disaster. As the length of the Atlantic i
about eleven times her breadth, this importan
question will again come up and be brough
to more general notice under spur of this ter
rible disaster. There is, however, genera
fe cling that some of these lines have sacrificed
too frequently, security to dispatch. Tits state
that this same company allowed the Adriat
to go to sea with broken propeller, in ordt
to secure the contract to carry the Unite
States mails, and that its escape from disaste
on that occasion was only luck.
M recover there is too good reason to b.
ieve that the Atlantic had on board suppl
of coal inadequate to the necessity that sue
voyage might and does frequently demand
culpable neglect from any point of view.
In conclusion, it must be admitted tina
there is every indication that this steamshi
was managed, if not recklessly, with the sin
eaA idea of speed. The model of the shil
tne light supply or coat, the rashpass of I'll
commander in ATTEMPTING 90 make the port
all indicate that one cardinal end sought wa
to 'snel~ good time.''