Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-04-22
"Lose NJ Seu.u

the L'Amcrique, has been lost. Th'
steamer sailed from Now York on thu
4th inst. On the l4th sho touched o.
Brcst, landing hor mails and a mum
Dor Of her passengers. Sho then pro
cceded on her way to Havrc, and OF
the same or the following day sht
sank, tho crow and passengers fortu
natcly being saved, but tho vessel ant
cargo were wholly lost. This Is tht
third disaster that has befallen this linz
in Gvo months. BY tho first, tho sink
ing of tho Vile du Havro, Of the 24tt
of November last, two hundred ant
twenty.six lives were lost, among then
those Of several distinguished Ameri
cans and Frenchmen. 1t is just two
weeks since tho Europe was nban
doned in mid-ocean with her bold ful
Of water, and after gallant effort By
a brave and skilful salvage crew L
keep her aAoat. In that Instance, a,
in tho one reported this morning, thu
crew and passengers wero rescued but
in both cases II was Providcntial in
terposition that saved these people
from a watery grave.
1t is easy enough to draw o lessor
from this accumulation of disasters
but it has been done 80, often, anc
with so little effect on other occasions
that we hesitate. The heart sickent
at these dreadful disasters and hair
breadth escapes. 1t is easy enough
too, TO join in the hue and cry against
this unfortunate line, to step on the
dock Of whose vessels is like to en-
tering ones coffin but which of itf
rivals offers absolute safety, or has
been exempt from accident in tho las,
year or two? Previous to the Vile
du Havre disaster, and even after it,
the French line was one of tho most
popular of the ocean ferries, and partic
ularly so with Americans. Its vessels
were splendid specimens of modern
naval architecture, their appointments
magnificent, and their officers as cour.
teous and capable as their crews were
courageous. 1t had suffered no loss.
es, and had established as good il not
q better record than its contemporar.
les. 1t has been unfortunate of late,
but so have the other lines. Not q
steamship has crossed tho Atlantic in
the last six weeks that has escaped
unhurt the fury of tho wind and waves.
The passages Of all have been length
ened, number have been compelled
to put back to their starting. places,
and several others would now be at
the bottom of the ocean but for cir
cumstances that were almost miracu-
lous.
The truth is, there is no absolute
nor even reasonable-security TO life
and property in any Of the ocean-go-
ing steam vessels of the present day.
Even the Cunarders have bad narrow
escapes of late. Our own American
line has, in the last year, made bet
ter name for itself than any other
company, and its steamers built for
safety as well as speed, for service as
well as show--have in their brief ex-
istence survived storms that would
have swamped many feet Of seom-
ingly stauncher ships The statistics
of ocean disasters in the last two years
are appalling. The Pacific Mail Com
pany has lost three vessels, the White
Star line has sustained an equally
heavy loss, and few or none of the
Others can claim entire immunity
The number of lives sacrificed will
probably never be known until Christ
comes "to judge tho quick and the
dead" and the sea gives up its secrets.
The time has come when the old
methods of building ocean steamships
must be reconstructed. 1t is not i'm
possible to bnild steamer that will
be absolutely safe. The storms Of the
last year or two have been phenomenal
in their severity, but the great in
crease in the number of disasters is
directly traceable to the criminal prac-
tice Of lcngthening old steamsphips,
and to the insane plan Of building new
ones, in which the width of beam is to
the length Of the vessel about as one
is to twelve in mathematics. The
improvements invented in tho last
twelve years can be counted upon the
fingers of one hand, and they arc
nearly all in machinery for increasing
the speed of the vessel without adding
to its safety, The mechanical genius
Of the age now has its greatest oppor-
tanity. Philadelphia Press.