Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-11-18
TRUE WORDS BY GAIL HAMIL
" TON.
She Gives Her Frank Opinion OF
the Dead Captain OF the
Lost Schiller.

Uall Hamilton writes as follows TO
The Independent: Courage. How a
Brave Captain .Perished at the post OF
Duty" So said the newspaper head
lines, and we read on, to find that the
post of duty was the ship on which he
sank. The same tidings that brought
a deathknell to thousands Of hearts.
rang also the praise of man who had
refused to survive the loss Of his ship,
but clung to her and sank with her
beneath the cruel sea. Before we
knew aught Of the circumstances, we,
had, at least, the solace of feeling that
The Captain was no coward, and we
thank God for that.
It is ungracious to speak Of the
dead anything but GOOD. The lips are
closed that might reply, the hand is
still that might defend. But the dead
body of the brave captain" is surroun-
ded by three hundred dead, whose warm,
throbing, priceless life had been en-
trusted to his care, and whose untimely
perishing sent quivers o. anguish
through two continents. Neither can
he defend nor they accuse. But facts
remain, and for the sake of the living
justice should awaks and give just
judgement.
The commissioners appointed to in
quire into the circumstances and dis
cover the cause Of the disaster report
ed that the Captain ran his ship for
days together in fog by dead recon
ing, without sounding. Aware that he
was hard upon the most dangerous and
best-known reefs on the English coast,
he neglected the very precautions pres
cribed by his instructions. The dead
reckoning was incorrect; the ship had
come further than was supposed But
the admiralty directions for approach
ing the English Channel ordain car
ful use of the lead, and the company
enjoins on it's commanders strict attcn-
tion to the usual precaution when max
ing the land. Yet. in spite Of the
thick weather and the treacherous fog,
this brave captain, with hundreds of
lives and thousands Of hearts in his
keeping, neglected his duty, disobeyed
his orders, disregarded his obligations,
and flung his ship upon the rocks and
his passengers into the sea Had
cast of lead been taken an hour or half
an hour before the vessel struck it
would have shown them their proximi
ty to the danger and error in their
reckoning" says the reporter of the
investigating committee, ''and would
probably have a7erted this sad disaster
The entire neglect of the precautions
laid down for navigation when ap-
preaching Scilly was the sole cause Of
this terrible calamity
Is courage any atonement for reck-
lesness like this? Did brave cap
tain per ish at his post of duty! [
say that a faithless. reckless and
wretched captain perished at the post
of neglect and crime and intamy. The
weight of the woe he had wickedly
caused should have sunk his head
deeper than any sea could ongulf him.
The mere courage Of drowning is but
beastly virtue. When mau has
wrecked name and fortune and scores
Of innocent men, women and children,
he may well call upon the rocks and
mountain waves to hide him from the
reproache of his race. For what had
this miserable man to live for? How
could he meet the owner of the ship
he had lost, the friends of the men he
had destroyed? What was there tor
him in this world but the blackness O.
darkness forever? Did it require most
courage to fee from it or face 1t!
Last winter, in Washington, fair.
graceful, gentle girl was frightening
one of those many charming homes
which make Washington so delightful
a winter residence. Wit and beauty,
tast and culture presided there. and gen
ius and art were not wanting. lntothls
home came the lovely girl and formed one
of its happy circle. Nor were youth
and lovliness her sole attractions; but
her mind had been SO well trained, and