New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-10
THT PEPILS or THE SEA.

To many hundred homes the tldlnSs OF the
Schillcrs slipwrccl bring sorrow and mourn
ing Only few days ago many OF us were
bidding friends farewell as they stepped on
the steamers deck; to-day we are reading the
details of their terrible fate, wrecked dashed
on the rocks, drowned on the British coast.
The very breeze that is now tanning us with
the breath Of Spring, and bringing us the warm
vapOrs caught in lis passage over Atlantic
waves, may last Friday night have borne the
prayers and cries that assembled from the Rctar-
riere Ledge over n scene of hopeless anguish
There is a sense in which this calamity was
very near us, though three thousand miles
away. 1t comes home to every one who has
friends crossing or expecting to cross the At
lantic, as well as to every ono who Is prcpar-
ing for travel by sea. The great fact which
it brings forward in startling prominence is
simply this with all the safeguards of Oul
best steamers, an ocean voyage is yet Il serious
risk of human life.
This condition seems the more remarkable
| when we compare with it the advance that
has been made in safety of inland travel. In
the early history of railroads, accidents were
of extreme frequency and the loss of life was
great. But during long series OF years the
proportion OF fatal accidents to the number OF
messengers carried has been steadily diminish
ING, especially on our Northern and Eastern
roads. 1t was distinctly shown in one OF the
more recent annual reports Of the MaSsachu-
sets State Railway Commissioners that pas
sengcrs on train were safer than when
walking III the streets of Boston, since the
number of deaths from sun-stroke alone
exceeded those from all forms OF
railway accident. In respect to steam
boats upon orr rivers, which are more
nearly comparable with ocean steamers than are
railroad trains, there has also been a marked
improvement in respect to safety. During
many years exceedingly few calamitics involv-
ing great loss of life have happened to the
crowded steamboats, Of our Eastern waters, and
even the provcrbial dangers of voyage ON
the Mississippi have been much diminished
But with regard to ocean navigation the lm-
provement in safety has scarcely kept pace
with even the increase Of travel. The actual
number of shpwrecks is still great. The loss
of life in the event of shipwleck still bears a
large proportion to the number OF passengers
There is also this noteworthy difference be-
tween railway and steamship accidents: in the
former the employees Of tho road, in proportion
TO their numbers, far more frequently
lose their lives than the passengers, while
precisely the reverse is true Of steamship
wrecks. In an essay presented by Prof. VIM
A. Rogers at the Portland meeting of the
American Association, it was distinctly shown
by comparison of statistics that there had
been for many years a continual and very large
increase in the proportion of slipwTeclS among
British vessels. He concluded that this I'M
questionable increase Of danger and accident
was due to the confidence of captains in recli-
oning hy instruments, ard depending too much
upon their thermometers. The ratio of cITOIs
in thermometers was shown TO he such that a
navigator should expect from this source an
error OF more than 3l3 miles, must be on the
lookout for one of ILL., miles, and need not be
surprised sc one of u miles. This is sup
posing lie trusts to an average cfnOnOmetcr.
A good navigator told Prof. Benjamin Peircc
during voyage that he did not trust his posi-
ton within so miles The Professor himself,
Willie Superintendent Of the Coast Survey, de-
clarod az his own conviction, that captain
who neglected to take soundings when within
30 miles of a coast, elf he had any passengers
con lis vessel, ought TO be hung"
IL must be admitted, however, that there
have been many and great improvements in
the science Of ocean navigation within the
period of the use of steam. The risks Of travel
by steamships ought to have prOportiOnatcly
diminished but they have not. On. the other
hand, great Improvements have been made in
railway Inventions and the safety of passcn-
gers has been proportionatcly enhanced. May
not this great contrast be due to different
sort of responsibility, operating through a
course Of years. If n railway train
is wrecked, tho company owning it suf-
fcrs the direct loss by destruction OF
property, and in addition maybe held in dam
ages for injury and loss of life to passengers.
If steamship is wrecked, an insurance com
pany makes good the loss of the vessel, and
the only damage to tho owners that accrles
from the drowning of passengers is that of
bad reputc. Without intending to apply the
remark to the shpwrcck of the Schiller, since
all the circumstances that determined il are
not yet known, we may safely say that when
steamship companies are directly responsible
in money damages for the loss of passengers
Ives iD shipwreck tLere may he fewer quick