The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Special Correspondence to The Republican .
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 5, 1873.

mony elected before the Court OF
Claims at various times during the
past or 6 years in claims based on
the Geneva award, that the rating of
particular vessels by the American
Lloyds, depended more upon the
amount of money the owners had to
pay for certificate of character to
that institution than upon the mate
rial or manner of their construction.
The present is good time for some
Congressional Plimsoll to come to the
rescue of seamen and passengers who
are wont to trust themselves TO 90
down to sea in the rotten bottoms
owned By avaricious marine specu-
iators. Old rotten, worm eaten hulks
are bought for song; the seams,
worm-holes and the ravages of dry
rot are filled by oakum, plugging or
patching; pitch and tar impart
false appearance of newness metal
skin is drawn over these little "tricks
of the trade" and a liberal applica-
ton of pntty and paint, with the
name on the stern, complete the met
amorphosis. The new ship is rated
A /, is heavily insured and loaded
down to depth inconsistent with
the safety of even new and staunch
ship. She is then semitic sea half
manned, her owners, it may be hop.
| ing she may never be heard of more;
| and they are oftener gratified than
| otherwise in this. Perusing Plim-
SOILS speeches in the British House
| of Commons made on a similar sub
ject a few years since, would likely
convince many now skeptics on these
points and what was true at that
tim5 is probably true to Il greater or
less extent among all maratime ma
tons. The Metropolis was an old
rickety patched c"ncern used as
transport during the war, and was
hired for a nominal sum, probably,
to take to South America, workmen
and their equipments for a railroad
in Brazil. The absence of details in
the Captains account of the disaster
is significant ; but the early determi
| nation arrived at to beach the vessel
as the only means of saving the lives
on board, seems to argue perfect
familiarity with her unseaworthy
condition. Over 100 souls gone to
swell the testimony that has been ac-
cumulating for thousands of years
against the rascally ship owners who
deliberately send old vessels to sea in
such a crippled condition that the
victims of their greed haven't one
chance in a thousand to ever reach
the shore! 1t is always noticed that
ship and cargo had been covered by
insurance. 1t is already noted that
different parties supposed to have
thoroughly inspected the Metropolis
and whose regulations as experts are
likely to suffer by the sad fate which
overlook her, are already in print
trying to shift the responsibility to
the shoulders of somebody other than
themselves. What of our life saving
service? 500 men cast ashore on the
treacherous Currituck beach within
the last months directly under the
nose of these life saving ~ crews
who prove as useless as SO many
Evan O'Neil's. The Superintendent
of this service specially qualified
himself for thu responsible titles of the
place by serving as messenger II be
lieve) LIST, End, Ord and 4th class
clerk successfully, and finally as
Chef Clerk in the End Auditors Of
flee. In recognition of the vast strides
he made in theoretical and practical
knowledge of nautical affairs while
thus working up claims of sol diers
for bounty and arrears of pay. he was
promoted to the superintendency of
a branch of service the utility of
which must depend so largely upon
the energy, system and intelligence
WITH which its grave responsibilities
and perilous duties are directed from
the headquarters here. Our superin-
tendent, every summer, boldly visits
the stations along the coast, critically
examining into their workings
through spy glass from the deck of
a Government steamer detailed for
this hazardous duty. To thoroughly
familiarize himself with all the de.
tails of every Bureau Of his Depart
ment, ii will be remembered how
Secretary Sherman, scorning the dam
gers of New England's rock-ribbed
coast, accompanied uperIntendent
/ Kimball on his northward trip last
summer, when less jealous officials
were spending their annual leave at
the various watering places. Though
they suffered the horrors Ofshipwreck
off the coast of Maine, the voyage
was not abandoned till every nautical
mile of the coast, eastward, ha been