The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-12
Incompetent Sailors.

In pubIlshing the first account OF the
loss of the Schiller, THE ARGUS expressed
its positive opinion that the vessel was not
properly handled. 1t seems that the New
York papers expressed similar opinions.
From an editorial in the World, received
last evening" we clip the following: |
Must we not ask ourselves whether it
is possible that such catastrophe can
have occurred in such circumstances with
out positive carelessness or incapacity on
the part Of some one In whom carelessness
or incapacity must be accounted nothing
less than crime?"
THE details of the disaster are yet to
reach u.s. Whether they will ever reach
us so clearly and truly and infinitely. how
ever, as to enable the public at large to
form really accurate judgment on the
case, we cannot be very sure. The mlSer-
able experience of many a past year has
taught us that as soon as the first shock of
a great calamity like this has passed away
a hundred considerations of interest and of
pride swiftly rise up to darken the story
and to confuse its lessons. From the days
of the Arctic and Austria down to those of
the Vile du Havre and the Amerique, no
body has ever come much nearer the
truth as to the origin Of great steam
ship disaster after months of examination
and investigation by boards of trade, COM
missions and inspections, royal or republi.
can, than the average common-sense of
the public had come upon a hasty first
view of the whole case. .....
And from an editorial in the Herald, we
take the following:
''Tke responsibility of this awful ship,
wreck seems to rest with the officers of
the ship. There was no storm which
might have placed the steamer at the
mercy of the waves; there was simply a
fog and the darkness of tine night. Con-
ceding that none Of the lights could have
been seen, the fog bell at Bishops Rock
should have been heard. The ledge Of
Retarriere, upon which the Schiller struck
is said to be barely third of mile inside
of Bishops Rock, and our kilograms as
sign no reason why the officers of the
steamer did not hear the alarm bell. The
mystery of the wreck resembles that of the
Vile du Havre, which went down in al
most the middle of the Atlantic by reason
of an unexplained collision. But even il
the lights could not be seen, even if TIT
fog bell of Bishops Rock could not bt
heard, therewas still one more chance for thu
uulucky Schiller. The British law accept!
no excuse from captains whose vessels ar,
wrecked upon this coast because of tides O
winds. 1t holds that by constant and care
full soundings with the lead the expert
enced navigator cannot fail to tell the dan
gerous proximity of his vessel to the coast
and condemns the captain who fails to US
this precaution. We cannot yet tell wheth
er the captain of the Schiller did all tina
was possible to avert this calamity. He j
its victim, and it is but just to judge hin
charitably till the whole truth is known.
''But the startling fact remains that il
tranquil weather, off the we'll known coas
of England its quiet harbors not bette
known than its dangers-an America
steamship was wrecked, with hundreds @
passengers on board. These passenger
had trusted themselves to the skill of tn
officers and the good faith of the steamshi
company. There are victims of terribl
blunder. They were on board of til
Schiller the citizens of New York, Philf
delphia and other cities, who sought pleas
ure or business advantages in Europ,
Some of them were returning to their oil
homes to see their friends, others were fC
the first time seeking the delights an
hdl NclS Va GulO!loOu CdpAtdiS. huuuEcI
of them were suddenly engulfed in tn
devouring waves, with hardly moment
warning OF their fate. 1t cannot be that a
event so terrible and apparently so unne
essaTy shall be overlooked as q mere acc
dent of nature. Neither storm nor fiji
nor collision with other vessels caused tn
destruction of the unfortunate Schille
She was lost upon coast well known
experienced sailors; upon no new rocl
but upon ancient reefs of immemori
danger, and somebody must be held to a
awful responsibility. Ocean travel ca
never be safe if such accidents, as they al
wrongly called, are tolerated. We tru
that the investigation will be swift an
that the guilty persons will be fully pu
ished if they haye not already met the PEI
atty of their own neglect. The sea is me
CHESS to the guilty and The innocent alik
and therein is the more reason why ma
should be just"