The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-01
The storm-Disasters On the Coast
The Wreck OF the Metropolis.

snow and rain, was advancing from the re-
Wednesday we gave further particulars of
the movement of this depression which had
developed very threatening features with
out, however, causing up to that time any
remarkable meteorological changes over the
regions it was approaching. To quote
Wednesdays weather paragraph which
to q northern as we'll as to this southern
depression:-"Botha are attended by light
rains and snow and within the band of rela-
lively high pressure that separates them as
also on the Gulf coast the winds have in
creased considerably in force. From pres
ent indications the whole Of the region
southwark of the lakes will be involved In
the area Of the advancing disturbance"
Yesterdays HERALD predicted the con-
ditions under which we would ex-
perience the storm with absolute correct
ness. It was preceded by a gradually in
creasing cloudiness, falling temperature
and easterly winds. Yesterday morning
the margin of what is termed the northeast
quadrant of the storm reached the South
Middle States and the Ohio Valley, bring
ing light snow that gradually increased in
heaviness as the storm moved northeast
ward toward us. At the same time the wind
from the great area of high pressure extend
ing over the New England and North Mid
die States began to increase in force until
it attained the violence of full gale and
continued to whirl and drift the snow all
day. The barometric gradient, that is, the
difference of pressure with relation to dis
lance between two places in the Middle
States and lake shore districts, became very
steep as the storm centre with resistless
energy forced its advance northeast
ward against the high pressure area
that lay across tits track. Hence the vio-
lent winds.
Among the reports of disasters on the
coast the dreadful news reaches US of
of North Carolina, and not more than
twenty miles north of Kitty Hawk, near
where the unfortunate Huron met her fate.
The Metropolis was fitted out at Philadel-
phia by the promoters and contractors Of the
new system of railroads in Brazil, and her
passengers were chiefly the engineers, me-
chanics, laborers and other employees, who
were proceeding to the scene of their work.
The case appears to be parallel one, even
as to the terrible loss of life, to that of the
Huron, except that fierce gale from the
northeast prevailed when the ship struck
The total number of passengers and crew on
board the Metropolis was two hundred
and twenty-one. OF these one hum
dred and seventy have been lost. Why
the vessel was so far in shore while
violent storm was approaching has not yet
been satisfactorily answered in the Huron
case and must remain an open question in
that of the Metropolis until the survivors
furnish the information. The occurrence
of two such wrecks on the same coast, and
probably from the same causes, is start
cheney Of our systems of coast protection
to navigation. We can understand the ex-
istence of life saving station without
crew north of Kitty Hawk, because we have
had already an instance of such horrible
official neglect in the Huron case Red
tape and false economy have sacrificed too
many victims for this latest instance to
create surprise. But will the people of the
United States permit these failures in duty
on the part Of their officials to continue to
shock the world?
There is no doubt whatever that all ves-
sells leaving ports Of the United States on
Wednesday should have had full warning
of the approach of the storm. References
were made to its movement eastward and
northward in the bulletins Of the Signal
Service Bureau. Although these were
vague and clothed in language not calcu-
lated to attract very serious attention to the
danger, they were sufficient for any careful
navigator who consulted such bulletins and
who desired to avoid all risks. But although
the references to the coming storm were
printed in the morning newspapers they
were not followed by display of warning
signals on the Atlantic coast until later in
the day, when their value was in great
measure lost. The Metropolis left Lewes,
at the mouth Of the Delaware, on Wednes-
day and presumably in the early part of the
day. There was no signal of danger dis
played at either of the signal stations at the
Capes during the morning, and conse-
quently the captain could not have known
Of the coming storm unless he had read the
Philadelphia papers of the previous day, in
which references to it may have appeared.
We know that the official bulletin from the
Signal Office Mt Washington, announcing
that 'cautionary signals are ordered for
Cape May, Cape Henry, Kitty Hawk and
Cape Hatteras" and other Atlantic stations,
was issued at half-past ten o'clock on Wednes-
day morning. The Metropolis therefore
probably put to sea before the warning sig
nails were displayed, although the danger
they indicated was fast approaching the