Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-26
MANHATTANISMS.
DEDUCTIONS FROM THE DISASTER IN
LONG ISLAND SOUND.
The Woman Whom Emerson Considers the
First of American Poets-Beecher as
Harold skimpole -Pxlpit Season
NEW YORK, June IL, 1850.

NEW YORK, June IL, 1850.
The newspapers and people at large are
naturally still discussing the sad accident
on the Sound on Friday night, and inveigh-
ing against the culpable carelessness of the
officers OF the Narragansett, as if such care
lessness were unprecedented. An investi-
CATION will be had vast deal of righteous
indignation will be expressed somebody
may or may not be found guilty. But
whatever the result, the public will soon
forget all about it; the press will devote
itself TO new themes until another similar
disaster shall occur from like stupidity
and recklessness, when the criticism, the
censure and the virtuous wrath viii be re-
produced, in that as III thus instance, to
very little purpose.
THE NARRAGANsETT MASSACRE,
To give it its proper name, does not differ
materially from most of the terrible acct
dents that occur in this country, where
human life is, and always has been, counted
cheap. While some of these are inevitable,
most of them might be avoided by ordinary
prudence There was no good reason, in
the first place, why there should have been
collision between the Stonington and
Narragansett, and, after it had occurred,
very few lives would have been lost had
| the life preservers and small boats been in
proper order. Those steamers were not
exceptions either-they followed the rule.
Scarcely vessel, | venture to say, that
comes to or leaves this port but would
| prove inadequate to saving life In event OF
| any serious accident Whether a ferry or
an ocean crossing steamer it would not be
very different. There IS always parade of
small boats and life preservers, and they
| afford sense OF safety, though when they
are needed they are shown to be totally
inadequate. They are undoubtedly in
| tended to quiet, if not to deceive, the trav-
| cling public the question of serving it in
! time Of danger is not taken into account.
They play the part of wooden guns-thcy
look well enough, but they are of no use
when wanted. Take the ocean crossing
steamers, for example. They ought to be
as carefully managed as any vessels in the
country, for they carry hosts Of people,
whose lives are more valuable by far than
ordinary lives. Nevertheless, they are
death traps if anything of moment hap
pens. The crews are generally incapable
and Enthusiastically. They are hired, ex-
cept on one line, merely for the round trip.
Consequently they have no motive to be
intelligent or to discharge duty faithfully.
Their extraordinary inetficiency has been
for example, only the other day, on the
| Anchoria- demonstrated over and over
again.
IN oNE VERY IMPORTANT THING,
A thing in which they should be regularly
and continually drilled-the handling and
manning of the small hoats-they are con-
spicuously deficient They know no more
of this branch of their business than any
land -lubber, and they invariably capsize
them when they touch the water. At the
time OF very bad accident they are
nearly as much of a hindrance az help.
They are, for the NEST part, without intel
ligeace, skin Or discipline. In the hour of
peril they are likely to become enemies,
against whom passengers must protect
themselves. All these facts are sufficiently
familiar; t-st no effort is made to displace
item, nor will there be any. Every crew
of every vessel, big and little, should be
exercised weekly, II not daily, in practic-
ing all their duties; but on many of
these they are not practiced at all.
The life-preseryers on most of the boats
leaving this port are worthless. and the
officers of the boats are aware of it. But
what do they care? When an accident
happens they try to shirk responsibility
but so long as matters go smoothly they
are absolutely indifferent. That a calamity
like that of the Narragansett does not
take place every week, is merely good
luck, not good management. We are the
most reckless people under the sun. We
simply accept all ordinary risks without
inquiry or concern, and if we lose. prop
erty, limb or life it is our misfortune, we
say, and We let it go at that