The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-09

The tremendous physical powers OF the
earth, in comparison with which all the inge-
nuity and daring of man are futile and una
vailing, have no expression greater than IN
the sea. The ocean at once divides and unites
mankind. "There are no more Pyrenees,"
said Louis XIV, when he dreamed that
France had conquered Spain; yet although
the mountains may be laid level with
the plains and nations cease to be
divided by their inaccessible peaks, the ocean
still remains the unconquerable, the untamed
element upon which the flag of no nation can
be planted In ancient days the sea was
terror, but modern commerce has made it an
ordinary path. 1t is q convenience rather
than an obstacle, but sometimes it takes ter
rible revenges. The words of Lord Byron
are recalled when we read of such
catastrophes as that which is recorded this
mornings as creations dawn beheld
thou rollest now" Majestic, magnificent,
merciless was the ocean then, when man had
no existence in the world, as now when
its pillows engulf in one hour hundreds of
happy lives.
The loss of the steamship Schiller, which Is
fully chronicled in our columns, is one
more proof of the utter helplessness of
man when brought into conflict with the
fearful forces Of nature The sea, which had
again and again borne this fated bark in
safety to her port, unexpectedly became her
grave. We may calculate as well as we can
the causes of this disaster, but we must not
leave out of the problem the illimitable forces
of nature. The sea rises in rebellion against
man and avenges her apparent subjugation by
instructions against which human struggle
is useless. Ships sail from peaceful ports
and are never heard from again; o thousand
fathoms low they founder. Armadas are
sunk in the unsounded depths, and still the
gray and melancholy waste, old oceans IN
graveyard, hides in its profound
abysses innumerable victims. 1t breaks upon
the beach with delight, but its music has an
undertone of grief-a dirge older THAI the
race of man.
No more terrible conquest of the ocean is
recorded since the Atlantic was wrecked of
the coast OF Newfoundland than that of the
Schiller, noble steamship, which sailed from
this port not two weeks ago. The Schiller
left New York for Hamburg April %, intend
ing to stop at Plymouth and Cherbourg, but
was wrecked upon the SciDy Islands, south
west of England, on the Cornwall coast
This ship bore from New York more
than three hundred lives, all Of whom had
reasonable hope of o safe and speedy passage
Ocean travel has become in the opinion Of the
public as safe as travel upon land Steamers
are continually crossing the Atlantic, and no
traveller fears them more than we fear the
street cars Of the city. To 60 to Europe, or
return thence, is now pleasure
trip, unattended with danger or ex-
citement, with possibly a distant ice
berg or q storm to make the passage enter
tanning But the sea viii not be disappointed
Of her prey. She exacts her penalty she is
memorable in demanding her toll, and it has
been fearfully paid by over two hundred
passengers upon the Schiller, which now, with
her cargo Of dead, lies fathoms deep of the
iron bound English coast.
The causes Of this disaster are not fully ex-
planned, yet are not difficult to understand.
The Schiller was q new steamer, built in
1873, and was Q stanch and sound ship. The
Eagle line, to which she had belonged, is
bankrupt but the steamer did full credit to
the Glasgow shipbulders who had launched
her on the Clyde. Her passage from New
York was evidently smooth and safe,
until the ninth day Of the voyage, when she
struck upon the Retarriere lodges, near
Bishops Rock, of the southern point Of the
Sicily Islands. A heavy fog prevailed at the
time. If the reader will glance at the map be
will see that the Sicily Islands form q
natural obstacle to Plymouth Sound; and,
indeed, they have been heaped high
with wrecks-high as ever the dead
have been heaped in bsttle-in the
records of modern navigation. They seem to
invite shipwreck and to stretch q rocky,
threatening arm between the hospitable
shores Of England and the adventurous West.
Cooper, in one Of his admirable sea novels, has
described a narrow escape Of On American
ship from ruin upon the Scilly Islands,
the rocks upon one hand and an English
cruiser upon the other. Modern science has
done It's utmost 70 reduce the dangers which
the Sicily Islands present 70 the navigator BY
placing lighthouses upon the dangerous
reefs. But in this case the lights we're
shrouded in fog. In darkness the Schi-
Ter, ''that fated bark, built in the
eclipse and rugged with curses dark"
rushed upon that unmerciful barrier. We
know but little Of the terrible scene that fol-
lowed. The Schiller lies broadside on the
rocks under water, her mainmast gone, and
probably a complete and hopeless wreck. The
sea was rough, preventing boats on shore
from going to her relief, and Of the three hun
dred and seventy persons on board the ship
less than fifty are known to have been saved
There is o world Of tragedies embodied in
these cold and barren facts.