The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1874-01-02

Nero TestImoney as to the RESPONSE
4 biIity of the Disaster.
sA4s,AnRsArA. Tribune to
Nero TcStl

| Nm 9sADlHsE The Tribune to
morrow will publish second letter rom
Rudolph A. Witthaus. Jr.. who vas q
passenger on the i'll tated Vile du Havre
to this father in his city. He writes as
follows:
In my last gave you sketch OF my
experience in connection with the sinking
Of the Vile du Havre. | will now give
| YOU my opinions concerning the cause OF
The accident, setc. From ell that L can
gather from the officers and men, con-
clude that the blame rests entirely with
the officer on watch on the steamer whose
duty it was to get out of the Loeb Earn
| way and it appears that. instead of doing
| this. lie did the very opposite, altering
| the course. of the steamer SO as to run
right across the bows of the Loeb Earn.
at least so says the officer who was on
| watch on the latter boat a: the time OF
the collision In any case 1t ls an az
knowledged rule of the sea that steamer
is bond to get out of the way of sailing
craft, and as the night was magnitlcentiy
clear aud calm, the accident can only
have occurred through some lnexcusahle
blunder of those in charge OF steamer.
After the accident, if it can be SO colled
had occurred, and while the ship was sink
Jag, the officers and crew behaved in the
most cowardly manner-tbe latter L know,
and the former l believe. looking out for
themselves, and leaving the women and
children to look out for themselves. the
only exception | saw being DR.. NJ. Audi
ant. whom [ saw three or four minutes
before the ship went down going below.
I told him be would not lave time to get
IN again. to which he answered that he
must look after those who were crushed
in their state-rooms. He never came up
again.
A significant fact, and one needing no
comment, is, that not a single passenger
was taken from the sinking ship by the
boats, all being picked up on the water,
while the last twenty Of the officers and
crew reached the Loch Earn without wet
ing as much as the soes Of thrir shoes
Of Capt SurmoDts conduct know
nothing. Those who saw him speak will
tf him, and | do not think he is directly
20 blame for the collision, although he is
to blame for not having his crew under
better discipline, and for not having his
boats in condition to be promptly lower
ed.
In great contrast with the demoralizfd
condition of the crew was the calmness OF
passengers, even the women and chit
aren. There was no screaming or running
about without an object. The woman
were in knots praying quietly, while The
men were looking around for Ilte-buoys or
pieces of wood, or were making efforts to
get one of the boats. which the crew
had abandoned, clear of the ship, SO that
it might float when the vessel sank.
Language fails me in expressing my
admiration of, and gratitude to the gal
lantry and generosity of the officers and
crew of the Loeb Earn and Of the Trim
ountain The former saved the greater
part of us from the water, and Goth gave
us clothing, and did all in their power TO
make US as ,mforsabe as possible under
the circumstances. The French crew. on
the contrary. were q mob CT prutes and
| towards.