The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-05-19


Of the Sandy Hook pilots, just before
leaving this port on his last voyage, that
his ship had to make her trips on time
without consideration of either wind or
weather, like mail coach. If these
were the sailing orders ofthe Schiller the
mystery of her wreck is at an end, but
Captain Thomas is none the less respon-
sible for the lives sacrificed. No man
willing to obey an order involving such
frighttul risk is fit to command ship.
His lips are sealed by death; but his en-
| piuverS owe it to then selves and the
public to say whether or not any such
directions were ever issued to any Cap
. tain of their line. The idea that
steamship ought to run on time in the
| face of all obstacles is monStrous, and
any rule likely to prevail against the
| Judgment OF q Captain, or to lessen his
| absolute authority IN moments of peril,
| simply offers reward 70 rfoolhardiness.
| If any order Of this kind was contained
or implied in the instructions given to
/ the Captain Of the Schiller, if indeed
any iutlmation was given to him that
! the surcst road TO favor was a quick
passage. the blood of three hundred per
sons is on the head Of the man who
allowed his better judgment to be over
ruled, and upon the heads of his employ
crs who melted him to his folly.
Mr.. Stern letter makes the astounding
statement that when the Schiller struck
upon the reef, some Of the crew and pas
scngcrs were drunk. One of the officers,
he naivclv adds, had been celebrating
his birthday. If this is only partly true,
Captain Thomas has no claim upon our
pity or our sympathy. A fierce storm, II
dense fog, an ocean steamer rushing
blindlC on to II sunkcn reef, and the crew
celebrating birthday with drinking
bout!-it is almost impossible that such
Il picture can be real. Until some detn-
| ito information has been obtained on
this point judgment must be sus-
! pended. Bat the utter wOrthlessncsS
and decentralization Of the crew have
been fully proved. The cowardly vii
| iainS, needless If manhood or of deem
cy, rushed to the boats ut the first sign
Of danger mutinied against their cap
| tain and officers, and left the women and
children to drown. These sO-calied sail
ors were 50 clumsy IN their fright that
/ they could not even understand the
! tackle Of the lifrbout>. We are told that
/ in their frantic efforts to launch the boats
from which they should have been
| driven at all hazards, they left them all
suspended by the bows and cast their
unfortunate occupants into the sea. Can
the company free themselves from the
responsibility Of having shipped such
! men? Are the lives Of hundreds OF pas
/ -rngers always to be at the mercy OF men
/ incapable of ubediancc or of selt-rcStraint?
II has often been charged that the crews
of ocean steamships are chiefly com
posed of the scum of the wharts of large
/ mercantile cities, and that the manage
mcnt of the ship depends upon the Off
! GERS and some half dozen able seameG.
| This is a matter in which the travelling
/ public is most vitally interested and all
/ steamship companies ought to be held to
| strict account iur the conduct Of their
crews. In the case OF the Schiller at
/ J ut. it Is plain that the crew was undis-
| p.inud and worthless.
No injustice is more fragrant than in
/ Justice done to the memory of the dead,
and Captain Thomas won respect by the
/ gallant manner in which he met his
fate. But this calamity can not be re-
| eardrd in the light of an accident. 1t
was the result of rccklcssucsS and bad
Scamunship Justice is due to the help
! less passengers who persisted on that
wild night, rs well rs to Captain Thomas.
His fault may be forLivcn-it can not
! hn ignrrrI Before him WAS the most