New-York tribune., 1878-02-14

The official investigation OF the Metropolis
disaster undertaken by order Of the Secretary
of the Treasury, and under the supervision
Of the Revenue Marine Service. confirms the
prevalent suspicion that the unfortunate
steamer was unseawOnhy from sheer rotten
ness. There remains little doubt that, while
the middle part of her bull, being compara-
lively new, was strong enough, the Older por-
tions, fore and aft, were decaycd.. Whether
the defects were of such character or III
such situations that the inspector of hulls
ought to have discovered them when the
vessel received her last certificate is another
question but to the unprofcsslonal critic it
does seem amazing that ship should
have been rated rs sound and in
good condition when she was really
so far gone that the deadwood of
her stern let in water like n sieve. We
trust that there will now be an investigation
of the inspectors. Great injustice Is some
times done to the owners or chartercrs OF Il
lost vessel. As rule, they probably believe
in their ships. But they are not always COM
pctent Judges of ships staunclness. Inspec-
tors are appointed as protection against the
ignorance of shIp-owners no less than against
their recklessncss and cupidIty, and it is
these officials who ought to be most promptly
called TO account when their duties have been
neglected. as they seem to have been III the
present instance.
Slight accidents to the steamers on our
COASTS occur very often in Winter weather,
but attract little notice long as they for
mnatcly do not involve Il loss of life. Yet Il
slight accident. such as the breaking of n
shaft, or rod, or chain, may easily lead to
great disaster. A day or two before the
Metropolis catastrophe the Herman Living
ston, on the way from Savannah to New York,
broke her shaft Off Cape Fear and put back
to Tybee with one wheel. There the City of
Savannah took her in tow and brought her to
this port, arriving just at the beginning of
the great storm which overwhelmed the Ne
tropolis. If the Livingston had not been
able to use one wheel the storm would
probably have found her helpless somewhere
off Hatteras or if the City of Savannah had
not been very powerful and fast steamer,
and thus made a good run even with dis
ablcd ship hanging at her stern, both would
have been caught by the tempest in most
dangerous situation. Here, then. was a series
of narrow escapes from calamlt0us cOnse-
oucnces of broken shaft. The week after,
another Savannah steamer, the General
Barnes, broke her cylinder on the way to
New-York, and drifted for two days.at the
mercy of the waves. The Gulf Stream, bound
for Wilmington, finally towed her into Nor
folk. This was two days after the wreck of
the Metropolis if it had occurred during the
storm we should have had another great
calamity to record instead of a slight acci-
dent. BY curious coincidence, the Gulf
Stream on her return voyage broke her
cylinder in turn, and was tOwcd into
HAMPTON Roads by Philadelphia steamer.
So many incidents OF this kind, happening
in the course of fortnight on the same part
of the coast, may well make travellers un-
easy. 1t is quite true that the best steamers
are liable to occasional arrangements of ma
chincry, against which no care can wholly
guard, and the three we have named are not
TO be distnisted because the chance has fallen
this time to them. We refer to them only as
a text. But some day, perhaps, piston-rod
will break in the midst of gale, or n help
less ship will be tossed on the beach before
some other steamer can pass her n friendly
hawser, and then the cry will be raised all
over the country that our coasters are not
properly inspected. There is too much reason
| to believe that many steamer which leaves
New York harbor is unfit to face the dangers of