New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-16
THE ATLANTIC DISASTER,


INV IT rs REGARDED IN ENGLAND.
.,,,. ,y,,,S . rAvORrrE ONE-wANT OF VIGILANCE IN
NAv,cArosAs OF OCEAN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND
co,rsryrs rNr,SoNDoS JOURNALS.
,~pou rvR REGULAR colgEsroNDENr OF TIE TRIDUNE.l
LONDON. April S,-Baf1ly the sinking of the
Sorthfee produced oppression 50 painful the loss
~ the Atlantic Of which heard yesterday and have
details to-day Croaler Of m busy recalling
how often they predicted disaster to the White
star Line do that any OF them foretold that
a shipof that line would meet her doom 10y running on
the American coast IN search Of coal But the Atlantic
was Thought lucky ship. have heard Of sailors
refusing 70 sail IN her. naval officer who was pas
scncer from America last year told that he should
scarcely have crossed he had the ship before he
engaged his berth. The line favorte one. never
theess People liked the hotel side Of It, the saloon az
rancements, the hot baths the bells the hurricane
promenade amidshps and the speed Few cared TO IN
aure into the engthOf the vessel. or her breadth OF
beam and whether she was more less safe IMAM oeF
transatlantic steamships The London papers nave I'M
usually un cable dispatches about the loss out the
cause OF the catastrophe is matter Of dispute. ANo
owners deny that they short OF COAL ana
aege with particularly that she had 967 tons on Oou
when she left the Meysey. As her average cohsopon
Is stated at tons day, Is computed tAt sue sun
lad 267 IN her bankers when sbe was Wrecheu'
one OF two things seems certain Ether inc Wa'ch Oh
Scotia Is very badly lighted. friend VINO mas mueh
sxperienee in cb matters tells to-day that the light
house ARRANGEMENTS ali British coasts are lngulAry
imperfect that parSimonious pohcy prevails anu INA"
me secret of the numerous wrecks on the shores Vi
mesa snds IL the scarcity OF lights. Yet the pilot fees
and other charges accruDg for the benefit Of navigation
arr very high As for the lookout on board the Atlantic
n NAV have been sleepy, without differing much from
fhat maintained some other ships. There Is story
Of passenger crossing OF the steamers OF we'll
known Line whose dstrust was so great that ne spent
every night deck. keeping watch forward during
ne DAYS be slept One night there came shsut nom
The bows where this amateur stood, Rock ahead!
The ship's lookout had gone 20 sleep The watch on
deck were asleep The officer the bridge was asleep
They woke up with the shout, and when they had got
the helm hard up and the huge ship swung suleny on
her course the startled passengers who thronged mp on
deck saw the black cliffs Of Cape Race gloomlng down
sn them within biscuits toss. My authority for that
story s one OF the engineers OF the ship IN which The
Incident occurred.
The wonder IL that more, not less disasters do not
happen best discipline is not proof against mishap
For twenty years more it was the boast OF the
Cunarders that they had not lost ship, but the Ipo
laid her bones last year TusBan Rock 1t must DO
added that many accidents befan these Atlantic liners
which don't get narrated in the newspapers. Inc
uuard company always understood how keep things
-uiet Anybody who has crossed the Atlantic often
Knows that silence Is their rule, and the rule OF other
lines equally. Who ia there to tell the tale when
Sretohed fisherman az anchor the Banks goes down
uudcr the touch OF steameri The steamer hardly feels
the shock The CRY Of the drowning reaches no
ears but those OF the officer duty and the crew, and
II IL BIZ no means made topic next mornings break
Fast table I never saw the thing happen. saw once
how II might happen. I on the forward deck OF a
Cunarder late at night crossing the Banks schooner
lay nearly the path Of the steamer, ner light duly
burning. The watch on the steamer was awake, and
the order the bridge port the helm. Il was
misunderstood and from the bridge 10 the steering
house TO starboard the helm, and starbord and
the steamer in another moment swinging down
toward the schooner instead OF away from her The
engines full speed. WBen the Ot1ter saw tne
mistake. the right order, but u taxes time 20
change big ships course and before she ans Wered me
contrary helm she had reached the schooner anu -y
almost her. AS leaned over the RAIL- could nave
sropped my hat on board We Just missed her ana
body 70 blame. How many 40 you think ara not missed
livery yearf I'll.
SATURDAr April ST. hardly know whether IL is worth
while 70 point out how the comments OF an. Eng1sh
paper snCh calamity that Of the Atlantic may be
rolored by hatred. The Atlantic, arc told By TIE
been expected 70 head her way through all ordinary
gales, for the fact that sne an American
boat under American command ana that ~ las Deeh
practice OF late these craft with their extaor
crowd OF human beings on board, Win scarcely
ess sorupe than exhibited the United States sidc
Of the Canadian lakes. the current OF the hsss-
Eie and Lake OntariO) With this American reckless
daily C0ptTasted the fact that no unard inner mas
been caT away The writer OF inc article might
discovered in another column OF the same paper
that Atlantic British omit and owned but IL
would much 70 expect him TO remember that the
unardiner Tr1pO lost on south Rock near IIf ar
dcht, 80 lately May last. he might have had ms
Ter G.w.s.