The New York herald., 1875-07-19
HOW THE SCHILLER WAS LOST.

WHAT THE MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH BOARD
OF TRADE HAVE REPORTED CONCERNING THE
DISASTER.
The report OF the British Board or Trade on the
subject OF the loss or the German steamship
Schiller has been published. Its purport may
have been anticipated from the contents OF the
HERALD special dispatches, IN which we reported
the incidents OF the terrible calamity and It's con-
sequences
THE POINTS OF THE REPORT.
The Board OF Trade report recaptulates, says
the Saturday Rerie,c, the facts OF the sailing OF
the Schiller from New Y ork, the sighting o; the
British coast, the appearance of the fog, and then
proceeds to say:-
On the 7th of May fog set in. which became
denser as they approached land. AT noon on that
DAY the supposed position OF the snip by dead
reckoning was nearly in the latitude oil the Bisnop
l.gh GhOuse in the scily Isles, ami 152 miles 10 the
west OF It. From that time course was
steered three degrees 10 the south OF east for
Scilly at the speed OF fourteen knots an hour,
under both steam and sail and during dense fog.
This course was continued until hall-past niue
p. NJ. and should have taken the vessel
provided the supposed position at noon had
been correct AZ halpast nns s !ae
was taken In, the speed reduced, and at ten p.
NJ, the vessel having passed inside the Bishop
Lighthouse without having seen tie light or heard
the Iog BELL struck upon the Retarrier Ledge and
became u total wreck.
THE EXPLANATION OF THIS CATAsThOPHE
is that the ship had greatly overrun hcr distance.
she must nave been further to the northward and
eastward than the dead reckoning denoted Had
a east OF the lead been taken at eight or even
nine O'Clock, before the course Was altered TO
south-seutnwest from the depth and nature OF
the bottom, II would nave SHOWN them their prox-
Unity TO danger and the error in Their reckoning,
and would PROBABLY have averted this sad disas-
ter"
WHAT NAY OCCUR IN SUCH CASES.
But there are known contingencies OF all voy-
ages against winch prudent captain ought to
Una A
run down Plymouth Breakwater III fog Just as
we'll as the Retarrier Leoge. IL Is, perhaps. sur
house, and the possibility OF such an accident
saoud induce the Trlnity House 10 supply these
paratus they can carry. But their engineer
says tnat as regards the Bishop Lighthouse
proposed log horn on one OF the Islands would be
trap, because no position could be selected from
whicn under al circumstances the signals could
heard far enough TO keep shlps on all the rocks
and Islands OF the group. Tne most powerful signal
yet known cannot under all circumstances be re-
lled on Ior more than TWO miles, and the rock
whicr Is most favored as site Is more than two
mIleg distant from otner rocks.
- The MEANS OF ALAEM AND FOR RELIEF.
The saturday RsuieD, after summing up the
main points OF the report, says:-"Eyldently Ger
man steamers have got. rightly or wrongly, bad
name for using guns as ordinary signals. Yet tf
six gans were heard wtnln a short time, IL
would suggest tnat something serious mad oc-
haps the pilot was unwilling to believe In an
emergency which he was not prepared TO en-
counter. IL is sbatcu IueSS sea IOts are
worst Ia summer, and when they prevail they al
most neutralize the advantages OF long dys.
rms plot did not Destir himself until the first
glimpse OF daylight at half-pasJ three A. NJ.
Then he and others, SIX in all, manned
boat and CROPPED their way alouR.
They had got near the wreck. but saw
nothing, aud were about TO return when
the log lifted and they saw ship the rocks.
Tney heard cries aud saw people IN the rigging.
They we're joined by another boat and the Two
boats picked up ost OF the water as many persons
as they could carry, and turned back, after APP
preaching within a quarter OF mile OF tue
wreck. Afterward this Dllot went out IN a
steamer from st. Mary's when 1t was too late. II
n steamer had gone out at the 1rst glimpse OF
daylight many lives might have been saveu. But
It was not known that lives we're tn peril. AT the
lighthouse wnere this was known there were no
means OF signalling, and the steamers guns were
not neneved ID. Tnis Is the old story OF crying
swOll' TOO often. All the circumstances were
unfortunate ana the result was Dep iOraDle.n