New-York tribune., 1878-09-30
THE SLAUGHTER or TRAVELLERS.


exploded. Eleven persons were killed, and
double that number wounded; and among
the latter FIVE deaths are looked for
Now there are some strange facts to
be noted attending this disaster They
are these: That doubts have been fIom
time to time expressed respecting the safety
of the boat; that in consequence OF these f.
Perkins, General Agent" early in July
issued card in which he stated that great
deal of money had been spent in putting the
Adelphi in first-rate order, and that her owners
considered her "much safer stauncher and
"better adapted for running on Long Island
"SOund than ever she was" Moreover, that
on the 27th of July last John Englls IL Son
certified that they had Overbauled her hull, and
believed her thoroughly sound and seaworthy.
We find also the United States steamboat in
spectors bearing official testimony to the per-
feet soundness of the boiler, on the 25th OF
last June. Now, when the catastrophe has come,
and eleven persons have been killed and twice
that number seriously injured, we are told
that the Adelphi's boiler was good for nothing.
Indeed, the explosion itself proved so much
without any examination. One report says
that it looked " like a Tusted stove pipe"
that it had two patches, neither Oi
which was good enough to stop a
leak that they were of character
rather to weaken than 10 strengthen the
boiler How are we to reconcile this with the
report of the official Inspector There are
some people who will be assisted in making
up their minds by the fact that this was the
same inspector who made a favorable report
NUll La
her boiler exploded.
But, though bushels of certificates should be
published, and in spite of all the explana-
tions which the owners of the Adephi may
make, the appalling accident is the
best witness, all sufficient and not TO he con-
tradicted. Either the boiler was not safe, or
the engineer was not a safe man to be in
trusted with charge of it. Because safe
boiler properly attended to does not ex-
plode. These are self-evident and COM
mon-place facts. Every person killed on
the Adelphi was, therefore, substan-
italy murdered by the carelessness, the
negligence or the ignorance of some
body. Perhaps it will never be settled who
that somebody is. If the investigation in
this case shall amount TO no more than lnves-
LEGATIONS in such cases usually do, the public
will never know who was to blame. There
will be juries and inquests and verdicts of n
loose and general sort. But there need be
no such failure of justice here The boat
was evidently suspected of insecurity ;
and when the owners were forced by
public opinion 10 repair her boiler-as
the event of Saturday shows-it was not
properly repaired. There may be plenty
of explanations and cards and statements,
but none of them will restore TO life
one of these stark and dishgured and par
boiled bodies. The company will probably
tell us that they did everything which
they could do to render the Adelphi
safe. 1t was their business to see TO
it that they had succeeded. If we charge them
with being grossly unfit to have the
care of steamboat, what answer can they
make What can they say TO bOller-iron IN
some spots only one-sixteenth of an inch
thick Was that boiler proper one to patchf
The public want no more cards or certificates,
but a plain answer to "a plain question. When
it comes TO careless patching of wOrn-Out
boiler, the explosion with all its horrible and
murderous consequences is sure TO come in
time. Excuses will not restore these victims TO
life and if made at all they should be made
to jury.
Another disaster" occurred on Saturday,
and may recur again indefinitely so long as
in Brooklyn trains are permitted 10 run
through public thoroughfares without proper
precautions There is something rather grim
in q collision between a railway train and a
funeral procession, resulting in the death of
two of the mOurncrs. Explanations will
not be wanting IN this case either. II is said
that the driver OF one of the funeral
coaches was drunk. His condition will
be very convenient for the Long Island
Railway Company. 1t has not always been so
fortunate. But the drunkenness of the driver
should not be accepted without further
evidence. Stories of that kind have been
frequently cooked up with amazing celebrity
after a collision. There arc those in Brooklyn
who think that these trains are run too fast
at the crossings; they are permitted to run
eight, but are charged with sometimes making
forty miles an hour at these places. Then
the system of gates seems insufficient to guard
against the constant danger. The authorities
of this road have been repeatedly censured
by coroners juries for having no gates at this
and other crossings; but such juries do not
seem to have force enough to friGhten or per-
suade corporations into doing their duty. There
is good chance for the municipality of Brook
lyn to interfere; but there is little hope that it
will. We must expect the repetition of these
painful and wholly preventable tragedies till
the prOpretors of steamboats, and railroads
are held to a strict accountability for the
lives sacrificed If few directors and man
ayers could be sent to States Prison, "acci-
dents of this kind would be impossible.
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OUT or TOWN
September usually brings the majority of