Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-19
LOSS or THE SCHILLER.


| To tie Editor ofMe Kenae5ec Journal.
The loss of the German Steamer Schiller, with
all the lives that went out with her. has made sub
ject matter for many a commentary from one end
of the country to the other. And no wonder. The
loss of foreign steamer, be it English French or
German, land we have now had a horrible one Of
each flag in the last two years. would not have ex-
cited much attention few years ago, but things
have changed, and our passenger trade has passed
into the competing lives of different nationalities,
to which we ntrust our citizens, lives by hundreds
and thousands. Daily mails across the ocean. and
several lines of deep sea telegraphs afford the
means so readily seized by Americans to commun-
icatc every thing in regard to the movements and
accidents of passenger and other ships, so that
ship-wreck on the coast Of England is as we'll
known and discussed here almost as in the mother
country few hours after it happens. A catastro-
pho like that of the Schiller case happens and
much writing and discussion ensues. The COM
mander and officers brought to the bar Of pub
lie opinion, and the matter is decided upon one
way or the other. generally against the master, by
all the different parties interested. Excitement
dies away and in few months it is all over, till
gone through with, and the public wonder why
no more progress is made in safety to human life
afoat.
for speed is one reason. The ships of one line
quire high reputation for speed. The puuic de-
mand that all shall be equally fast. The captain
of passenger ship has reputation at stake i. c.:
that OF making quick trips. The economy of the
company owning the ship depends upon it. Why,
they have time table all made up with as much
prec ision that of one Of our great railway com
panies. The elements are not thought of scarce
ly, and we read that such and such ship will ar
rive so and so and will depart and 80. This hauns
the captain night and day, and although not will
ing to run any risk, yet he must do it to make his
time. Then for long time no accident happens,
and he gets used to it and is ulled into security
by his former good luck. And again. through
many days of fog, he loses his position; his calcu
lations may be right, but unseen currents set in
motion by remote causes, not any time
the same As before occur; the
very prosecution of slowing his ship,
often causes her to drift from the right course and
ship should never be entirely stopped, for if she
loses Roadway, she will not only drift, but lose all
powes to get out of the way of any vessel that
may come rushing on like lightning. When as
in the case Of the Schiller, the "heavens refuse
to tell" then the only result is the lead Leads
men fall into great error in regard to this in-
strument. 1t is not inialliblc, the approaches to
many dangerous rock, are unfathomable, and
sometimes when they are not the soundings vary
so that just conclusions can be formed. If every
navigator, running by soundings should stop and
think that the same depth of water he was in,
might place him near some dangerous rock fifty
miles away, he would hesitate so that he never
would make a quick passage. The Scly Isles
are dangerous group of rocks in the entrance to
the English channel. What the soundings are we
do not reccollect but many expert navigator
has lost his ship there, and as long as ships, an
fops and storms are, ships will once in while be
wrecked there no human power can help it, 70
this reason, that there is nothing to define ships
position at sea. but the sun, moon and stars, and
when these fail, everything fails.
Almost at the same time with the news Of the
loss of the Schiller comes the news of the strand
ing Of the Inman steamer "city OF Brussels, one
of the finest afoat, and under command OF man
whom the company have made Commodore for
his great nautical skill But this case is the most
reprehensible of the two, for this ship had just
left port and had her departure from landmarks
fresh, to 90 by but the cable informs us the pas
sengers were all safely disembarked, and the ship
yet ahoat and therefore there was no excitement.
Let public opinion be fair, and render unto the
captain bis lust due. His position is one Of the