The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-28
CAPTAIN RYAN'S ORDERS.
No PeremptOry COmmanls-"Go to Sea
as Soon as You Choose"
SEARCHING FOR BODIES.
Arrangements to Get the Wreck
,t, ers at Work.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

belonging TO the Huron were SO well KNOWN there are
uncharitabs US TO opohy attribute the cause
OF the disaster that vessel to the neglect careless
ness or OF either Com mander Ryan or
his navig.ti Gfncer As ntmated in dispatches
OF yesterday the loss OF the ship and los officers
aud men seems, from tho facts, 10 have boon
mainly duo to an error OF judgment It
clearly the intention OF Captain Ryan 70
time by hugging the shore and running
between It and tho Gulf Stream, rather than make
the crcuitous trip TO the West Indies out to Tho
fog followed by southeast gale at night up
all his calculations. and tho that the
vessel beached with the terrible fatal
now but too we'll known. Naval officers here Pc
culary recent tho subject OF the disaster. They
shake thor heads ominously when asked 10 express
an opinion and the nvariable answer u.s. "l'd rather
not say anything about It,"
cohxASDANr TRUxroS INTERVIEWED
To-day the HERALD correspon dent cslled upon Com.
mandant Truxton, OF the Gosport Navy Yard. Hc
found seated In his otncc aud to the inquiry,
.'Wbat your views about tho Huron disas,erg" hc
said:-
"Ah! ! do not want 10 express opinion about It
II very unfortunate, but the Admiral Is not to
blame Tho report to that effect 10 untrue. The Ad-
mrni told, Captain Ryan when his inspections were
mado 20 proceed to he chose"
In this connection Commandant Truxton re-
marked :--"What IL the use Of q storm signal
here at the navy yard, over twenty miles
from tho scar Fortress Monroe IL tho proper
place for that signal When vessels are about 10 put
TO sea tho location Of the storm signal should be
where mariners would DO enabled to 1t, and not
twenty miles off, The storm signal cannot be hoisted
hore without orders from Washington, and It is just
a. easy to transmit the order Fortress Monroe by
telegraph as ts 10 here
rIvr
This was strong intimation from good
naval authority that had o storm sigma! boon
flying u, Fortress Monroe on Friday last
neither Admiral 1renchard nor Captain Ryan
would have taken tho responsibility Of putting the
Huron TO Il brings 10 light the fact that both
tho signal aud the life saving service sin.
gulary detective Upon tho subject OF tho latter the
Vugf,ian Of this city has very sensible and wolf
considered editorial to-day, from which l make the
following exlracs:-
There is ono thing, however, of which we arc not
lett IN doubt. rne ship struck within tMg hundred
yards OF ths shors and two niles from lilo saving
station that was one IN name only From IL
succor camc 10 the pershing meu who tor six
hours chung 10 tho wreck In the hope Of being
cued. In the iouching words Of the seaman Henry
scene before US, "fhoss that were yet alive kept up
IN hope Of getting assistance from shore there
10 the suffering ana already hsli-exnaustod men"
Unfortunately for them the government oil their
country had decided that ShlpWrcck occurring
fore the Isl OF December should be expected
or provided ior What superior intelligence IL
was That ordained and regulated tho system OF
life saving stati0nsl We know not, nor w.
derstsnd tho executive wisdom thnt liked that date
the time from which they should DO mannsd and pre-
pared carry out the OBJECTS OF their Institution
inc experience OF mariners this coast, It seems
would suggest that the months OF september, October
and Novcn Der are especially fruitful OF storms The
Ifa saving system. however seems to proceed upon
the supplstion that water will not drown unless
lis temperature Is ut the freezing poiut The fato Of
~ IA n I'm IN mi
We trust It may provo warning that will net be dis
reEarded
WHAT REAR ADMIRAL TREScnARD SAYS.
A representative Of the HERALD this morning called
upon Rear Admiral .. D. Trencnard, commanding tho
North Atlantic station, on board the flagship Pow
hatan, lying OF Fortress Monroe. Ho askcd AZ to
the loss OF tho Huron, ana why she had put to soa
with the storm signals flying. He said that he knew
utIlo moro than had already been published In the
local papers. The report, no continued, that
tho Huron had boon peremptoriy or.
dered to had no foundation in TACT
Tho Huron was detained two days waiting for
= draughtsman TO join ner. On Thursday the vessel
was thoroughly inspected by the Admiral and his
STAFF and found TO be In first class order On Friday
morning tho draughtsman Joined her. and the Captain
was then told no could proceed to sea whenever he
thought proper. thus leaving IL discretionary with
him. She sailed ut eleven O'Clock in tho morning. at
weather; was rathor above, Us shown by tho official
log
NO sToRx SIGNALS FORT MoSRoI.
There storm signals hcre, and II any up
in Norfolk, twenty miles oil, It would hardly do any
good to vessels In Hampton Roads. They might have
been at Capc Henry, but when q vessel gets twenty
miles her voyage they do not ike to back that
far to make a hsrbor, but generally hold on their
course, trusting that tho storm s behind them and
that tncy away from II. The Of the
Hurons gong ashore Is not known except learned
from tho statements Of the Survivors Captain Ryan
was q careful and experienced seaman, had surveyed
tho coast along which no was to pass and consid
cred OF the best navigaors In the service These
expressed the views OF the Admiral, who IL thus cx
oneratod from all blame In the matter
Tho Admiral and officers OF the flagship are deeply
affected by the terrible disaster and had tncre been
storm signal station here there should have been
years ago the Huron would not have sailed when she
did
wRxcKRRs TO Gxr TO WORK.
While In the commandanrs oface at she Navy Yard
to-day the clorK Of the wreckng arm Mossra Baker
l. Brothers, OF this CITY, IN and rcqssstsd that
plan OF tho Huron BIO furnished thom, In order 10
facilitate their efforts recover what remains In the
sunken ship. The commandment, with q merry twin
kls In his eye, remarked, "Thers Is no use In your
going for that strong box, that SAFE will DO labor
lost There nothing In IL but old tucKn The
representative Of the wrsckng nrm replied 1--WE are
not after that. We merely want the plan, In order
10 work moro inteligenty under water, a. Il 10
supposed there may be several bodies In the ship"
Il 10 understood that the North Carolina
coast in the vicinity OF tho wreck is
infested with cnterprsng tar heels In quest Of gold
watches, pocxetbooks and other valuabies A sub
ordinate officer remarked that perhaps tho pay.
masters safe OF tho Huron contained about ST. 000
but not more. Up to this timo only ono BODY has
been recovered from the beach, which Is believed 10
DO tina. Of one Of tho Of Bakers wrecking party
drowned In the surf on sunday. The bodies dashed
In the rigging aud the bowspris beloved DO
tho only ones on board the Huron. There are
tweuty.one Of them. Tho wreckins party from Nor
folk Is waiting DOW for life-savng apparatus TO DO
sent TO Thorn before commencing operations
ORDERS FROM WASHINGTON.
At Ave O'Clock this afternoon q naval relief party
started from Gosport Navy Yard for the scene Of the