New-York tribune., 1879-11-14
SiEEIY At SCI.

rights for all citizens.
SiFEIY Ar SEA.
1t was stated by Captain johnson, OF the
Lady Octavia, before the British Consular
Court of Inquiry at Philadelphia, that the
lookout on the Champion had been taken
from his post at the time of the collision ana
sent aloft TO loosen sail. 1t also appears, II
Captain johnson repeats correctly what was
said TO him by two officers of the Champion,
that it was customary on that vessel to
take a man off the lookout for other work;
and indeed, if it is true that there were only
three men in the watch, this dangerous prac-
lice must have been frequent That 1t does
prevail on the Atlantic is confirmed by an
extract published yesterday from the log oi
the bark John Geddic, which was run INTO
near this port by three-masted schooner
"How can keep lookout" exclaimed the
master of the schooner i'll his defence, ana
"steer at the same timer The crew OF the
Champion consisted, according to the prlhteu
lists, Of no more than SIX seamen. besides the
force of engineers, coal-passers and stewards,
whose duties are below and ii Is evident thai
with so few hands, giving only three on deck
at time, it was impossible to keep proper
lookout to have man at the wheel, ana 10
sail the shin. In bad weather and in moments
of emergency the insuiiciency of such an
apology for crew must have been constant
tempting of Providence. The officers com
prised captain and two mates and when
ever sails were to be handed. or other
work of the sort to be done, the officer OF the
watch must take hold and help the crew. Ihls
accounts for the loss of the Champion. 1t Is
evident that, although the night was clear ana
the lights of the ship were burning, nobody Oh
board the Champion saw the Lady OctaVia
until # was too late to avoid her. There WAS
no lookouf becausc the whole watch was busy
at other duties made necessary Just then 10y
slight change of course, or perhaps chahGe
in the wind. One man was at the Wheei,
where he had all that he could do to hold the
ship steady. Another was aloit loosenng
sail the third sailor and the chief mate were
aft. squarng the fore-yard. There was nobody
left to look for other vessels; the people on
the Champion seem to have trusted to the
chance of not meeting any.
The Consular inquiry is only concerned with
the conduct of the British ship; when the
United States Inspectors take up the case. we
trust that they will have something to say
about the proper complement of sailors for
vessel like the Champion, and if they find
that She was not properly manned her owners
onght to be ccnsured in the severest terms
Then we hope the investigation will he car
Iicd further. There is common belief that
a great many Of our cOasting steamers are al
WAYS short-handcd, putting TO sea with hardly
men enough for n river steamboat, and 50
taking risks which would fill their passengers
with terror if they were not fortunately too
ignorant OF navigation to appreciate them.
Owners onght TO understand the criminal folly
of "A parsimoniOus policy, but facts prove that
they do not and in our country as well rs
abroad there are always ship-owncrs who will
put lives in imminent peril for the sake
of saving few dollars. 1t was only
after a long and bitter agitation, in
volving "A prosecution for libel, that Mr..
Plmsoll in England succeeded in getting
an Act of Parliament passed to check the
common practice of sending notOrously unsea-
worthy ships to sea and the disclosures made
in the discussion of his reform startled the
whole civilized world We do not believe
that such wicked trifling with human life as
prevailed in England is common here; but we
suspect that some of our passenger steamships
would be found on investigation scaDdalousy
unfit for the service they attempt to perform
and for the protection of the public we think
the facts ought to be ascertained. If the
United States Inspectors are not armed with
the necessary authority, an inquiry ought to
be ordered by Congress.
No statement has yet been made by the
owners or officers of the Arizona to account
for the apparent neglect of a proper lookout
on that vessel. There cannot have been any
lack of men, and surely huge iceberg might
have been seen on a clear night if anybody
had been looking for it. If so terrible dan
Ger cannot be seen with the unaided eye, then
there is q strong reason for the general adop-
ton of the electric light. In ordinary weather
that will render an object visible several miles
of, and in thick weather it will at all events
greatly extend the range of sight. If the Arizona
had been equipped with such an iluminat-
ing apparatus the accident of last week would
probably not have happened. An electric
light might even have saved the happy go
lucky navigator of the Champion.
"DEATH 10 THE UNION'