The Portland daily press., 1877-12-08
The Los. of Grain-Laden ships.

MR.. EDIToR:-I have before me the Boston
Ad0ertiser with pretended reply to the article
that wrote under the above heading, and
which was published 10 your paper of the 18th.
L would not reply, but some parts of the article
from the Boston inspectors are so grossly false
that must write few lines mora. They say
that made no complaint about my vessel be-
ing tender. There was my first starting point.
Never have l, since 1 have been master of
vessel given my vessel up so exclusively to the
inspector to line and load as they pleased as 1
did in Boston, and never has my vessel come so
near going to the bottom of the ocean as it did
with the cargo of grain that took from Boston
to England. The Inspectors ask: What
shall we think OF a shipmaster who turns his
vessel over to the inspectors to line and load as
they please, and then if his vessel is not loaded
according to his ideas thinks that be can get re-
dress from the underwriters and in the next
breath say the inspectors duty is to see that
vessels are lined and loaded by the rules of un-
derwriters? l ask them what is the use of
master or owner being about ship if the rules
of underwriters are unalJerable? | almost in
variably superintend the loading of any cargo
taken on board of my vessel. took in cargo
of marble in LeghorD, and the steyedore put
sone blocks that weighed ten tons out on the
floor timber heads. I made him put the heavy
blocks back along side the keelson and smaller
blocks outside. / don't think that grain needs
to be dunnaged higher than sugar. [ have
been ninety-six times between the United
States and West Indies, and have brought car
goes of sugar that were worth hundred
thousand dollars, and have never dunnaged a
cargo OF sugar more than 4 to 6 inches and
never in single instance has one hogshead or
one box of sugar been wet in vessel that
have commanded. 1 have carried millions of
dollars worth of property from port to port and
the underwriters have never paid one dime for
me, but be it known the underwriters or their
inspectors have not had the care of loading nv
vessel. The Boston inspectors jeer at some re-
marks in the article that wrote, but drowning
men will clurcb at a straw. Thousands of peo-
pie have spoken in praise of the article that L
wrote. l have been stopped on the street time
and again by men to congratulate me on the
truthfulness of my communication Our largest
ship owners have spoken in the highest praise
of what said, and my views have been en-
dorsed from all quarters. Underwriters send
men on board of my ship to line and load her
as they please, when know that the very work
they are doing is so reckless and unskillful as
to peril my lite and property, and then tell me
to hold my peace. Widows and faiherless chill
dren to-day are mourning the loss of husbands,
fathers and property Sent to the bottom Of the
deep by stupidity in lining ships. This may
seem strong language, but it is nevertheless
truthful and justified by the facts, and am de-
termined that the truth shall be known, let it
hit where it may.
My advice is to reduce the lining of ships for
grain one-half and to line the bulkheads in the
between-deckS nearer together-that is to leave
more room 10 the ends of the betweep-decks
Let this method be adopted and you will find
much less loss of life and property with vessels
loaded with grain ALVIN HALL,
Master brig Carrie Bertha.