The New York herald., 1876-07-22
The Disaster in the Harbor.

|
and painful an impression upon our people
MS the sinking of the Mohawk in the Mar
rows on Thursday afternoon. The sudden
ness of the misfortune; the danger which
came so swiftly upon absolute security; the
helplessness of those on the yacht in the
presence of hundred opportunities of aid;
the criminal negligence of the sailing mas
ter, even after he had been warned of his
peril by other seamen; the fact that Mr..
Garner was one of our most honored citi-
zens, in the flush of youth, the master Of
vast enterprises, the owner of great for
| tune; the chivalrous thought that he died in
the effort to save his wife, and that together
| they passed into eternity; the fact that all
this took place in broad day on sunny
summer afternoon, within hailing distance
of the club, in the centre of the scene of
many fete, all combine to render the sink
| ing of the Mohawk and the death of her
owner one of the most tragic events of our
day.
The details we print this morning only
make clear our story Of yesterday. MIR.
Garner and his guests were preparing for
cruise down the Bay, in one of the largest
yachts in the feet The vessel was appar-
emily as safe as a Cunard steamer. Sud-
| denly cloud came over the horizon The
day was warm--one of the most oppressive
days we have had for the past few weeks.
Every landsman, not to speak of n trained
seaman, knows that in these midsummer
days, with tho air overburdened with cleo
trical conditions, nothing is more probable
than sudden thunderstorm. Therefore
the careful seaman always looks to the
horizon, no matter how clear the skies
above him. There were none of these pre-
cautions on the Mohawk. The cloud came, at
| first no larger than mans hand, but black,
swift, menacing. The other yachts. lying in
the anchorage near the Mohawk, prepared
| for it. The Mohawk's sailing master kept all
his sails set, undertaking the storm, and
meaning to ride through it, and have
spanking sail down to the Hook. His fool
hardness was noticed by other seamen,
and a message was sent from the
Countess of Dufferin, the Canadian yacht,
newly arrived in our harbor to sail for the
American cup, warning him of the storm
and of the danger it threatened. There is
evidence to the effect that upon the receipt
of this warning the wretched officer gave an
order to take in some of the sail Before it
could be executed the squall struck the
yacht and she went down before its fury and
sank.
All of this shows criminal want of disci-
pline and Judgment. The same was shown
in the rescue Of the passengers. There
seems no reason why Mr.. and Mrs. Garner,
Miss Hunter and the others should not have
Mont mt and Mr.. Rowland succeeded in
doing with some of the guests might have
been done to all if the crew and the yacht
officers had shown proper nerve and disci-
pline All that the sailing master did was
to stand on the deck and cry for help; all
that the crew did was to look after themselves.
A we'll disciplined crew could certainly
have found a way into the cabin, and aided
Mr. Montant, Mr.. Rowland and Colonel
Crosby in saving the lives of all. No such
effort seems to have been made except by
one Of the quartermasters, and it is to his
forethought in cutting out one of the side
lights that Colonel Crosby probably owes his
life. What might not have been the result
had the rest of the crew been as cool as
this one man in time Of danger? The lesson
to be deduced from this is that, in order to
make yachting what it should be, there
must be the same care and the same dis
cipline in the selection and management Of
crew as in the navy. In fact, the standard
should be the highest in the maritime SER
vice. The yachtsman does not go out to sea
for merchandise or to win laurels in war,
but makes it his pleasure and his home. His
yacht very often sacrifices safety to speed
and show. Owners, as general thing are
absorbed in other duties, know nothing ef
navigation, and are compelled to depend
upon their sailing masters and seamen. The
sinking of the Mohawk, under the circum-
stances, is about the last thing that would
have been apprehended. The fact that it
did take place. and the manner in which it
happened, should give all who own yachts
cause for serious reflection. Just
and severe censure will be visited
upon the sailing master and the
seamen on the yacht We do not for mo-
ment pallate this. But when disaster like
this occurs there is evil in the system, as
we'll as criminal negligence in one or two
men. 1t would be we'll tor every yacht
owner to look into the circumstances of this
sad event and ask if such calamity is pos
sible to him.
The sympathy of the community will 60
man and the true, devoted wife who went
down on the Mohawk. 1t is hard to think
of lives SO full of promise and opportunity
coming to an end so sudden, SO unexpected,
so terrible. But lite is marked with these