The New York herald., 1873-07-10
NEW YORK HERALD THURSDAY JULY TO- 1g7s-rKrrr1 SHEET

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the Little Hope Rock but Gull Rock Shoal
gate was unfortunately closed. As I said be-
fore, no sight was taken for seven days
THE LEAD WAS NEVER HOVE ONCE.
No one had the slightest idea where we were.
and yet this ill-fated ship was run at twelve
and thirteen knots an hour for days together.
1t rs perfectly monstrous that the lives of 600
persons should be at the mercy of a set of
men either
GROSSLY INCOMPETENT Oh ELSE NcoNCEIvABLY
OAREIiEsa
Had this accident occurred at night at least
one hundred lives would have been lost
What is the good Of captain in time of
peril who is laid up with the gout? What
possible good is an officer who can't tell the
position of his ship within $50 miles? We
had on board captain as passenger who has
crossed the ocean scores of times, he fre-
QuonLy WdAuCO Cllc SAl0l OluCGr JQAL Q6 WAS
RUNNING TOO FAR NoRrHwAnD,
and advised him to run down a hundred miles
or so to the southwark to get the sun and see
where they were. His advice was rudely de-
clined. The second officer, I believe, coin
cided in this view We should have gone on
vr,vvsro txuo1vo Lu0ko bonr
TILL WE STRUCK SOMETHING,
even if that something should be the Seal
rock at San Francisco. A most searching and
minute inquiry should be held into the matter
and
THE RESPONSIBLE PERSONS PUNISHED
As the matter at present stands any one
sailing from England to America can just toss
up five cent piece to know whether he will
come out all right or not. Great credit is
due the second officer, the doctor and the
purser for their activity and attention to the
ladies.
ICE-CoLD MPERTNENCE
After what have stated it will scarcely be
credited that the before mentioned represent
ative of the Inman Liverpool Office should
have actually had the barefaced audacity to go
round soliciting signatures to testimonial to
the Captain and officers for the very efficient
way in which they had done their duty gen.
orally and for their kindness after the wreck.
DONE THEIR DUTY
only hope, for the credit of Englishmen,
that the officers themselves will see the ridicu-
lous absurdity of any testimonial being pre-
sented to them at such moment as the
present, and stop it at once. The officer or
officers who had charge of the navigation of
the City Of Washington are
NOT FIT TO PILOT TUB ON DUcKPoND.
No doubt great deal of nonsense will be
talked about variation Of compasses, errors of
the needles, &C., but the plain truth is that
the whole affair has been one of gross incom-
potency and neglect. Not many years ago l
crossed by the steamer Chicago, and that YES
sci was run at full speed for several days with
out an observation. At one o'clock in the
morning the cry of Breakers ahead" was
raised; and we found ourselves in the Bay of
Bantry. We luckily got out after dreadful
exhibition Of mismanagement and confusion,
A month after she went down within few
miles of the same place. Just because no
lives were lost on the Washington, by no
means are the officers of the ship to be &C
quilted of blame and their faults vanished
over.
FEW YARDS TO THE RIGHT Oh LEFT,
or little more sea or even Wintry month
and few survivors, and great many corpses
would have borne both loud and silent wit
ness to one of the most fragrant instances of
gross miscalculation and obstinate bullheaded-
ness. have no wish to prejudice the case,
but with the terrible example of the Atlantic,
and our providential escape from similar
calamity before our eyes, am compelled to
speak.
THE COMPASS ON DECK
now points west by north, and the distances
run on the two last days were 27O miles re-
spectively. A PASSENGER
by the City of Washington.
PORTUGAL.