The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-02-05
The Los, Of IN. Rornssl,.

The LosI OF the BOrussla.
This lisa frightful sAmeness, and q
fightful frequency in ocean disasters.
At the news OF the loss the Borussia,
with a terrible sacrifice OF life, the mind
Of almost every reader will fash along
the black list OF ocean horrors which
stretches out beyond the best OF men,
cries. The Atlantic which was driven
on the Nova Scotia coast six years ago,
with a great loss Of life ; the Vile de
HsVre, which every New Yorker remem-
bers, and some Of us most sadly; the
Schiller the Eurydice, which disappeared
beneath the waves with q precious cargo
OF 800 human beings as suddenly as a
candle might be blown out by tempest;
The Huron, which went to pieces on the
coast Of our North Carolina, the Grosser
Kuriurst, the German ironclad, which
served as the great cofin OF 800 souls,
the Pommerania which wal lost but q
little more than a year sgo-these are
some Of the names which will stand for
many years as grim and terrible proofs
Of the perils Of those who go down 10 the
sea in ships. But there are scores
besides, even in these few years, which
have dropped out Of the brief memories
OF men and TO these must now be added
one which will deserve, if the later
reports must be accepted in lieu Of the
first news, with which they conflict
somewhat, q prominent place in this
ghastly roll.
The loss by the sinking OF the
Borussia IN her voyage from Liverpool
to New Orleans is fairly appalling, il we
are to believe the only accessible de-
tails. Out OF the total Of 234 persons
$50 being passengers, and tie crew
numbering 9-only fourteen are be.
lieved to be saved, all of whom are
members OF the crew. This loss Of 900
lives has not, happily often been exceed
ed, in recent years at least. 1t far
outranks the loss by the Huron, where
less than 100 persons were drowned,
and the wreck Of the Pommersnia, much
as it stirred the world at the time, ranks
almost into insignifcance beside it.
The brief account given by the sur
vivors picked up in mid-ocean and
brought to England, seems to convict
the crew Of all the crimes which were at
first charged upon the officers and
crew of the Pommerania. When about
$50 miles southwest Of the Azores, the
Borussia, which had encountered ter
rife weather, was found to be sinking.
The crew lowered the boats without
waiting for orders, aud presumably
rushed into them as Boon as they we're
lowered. The dispatch says that about
a dozen passengers went into the boats
with them, while the others, or more
than 100, went down in the vessel with
the captain and a number OF the Off ,ers
and crew. One boat capsized by the
side of the ship, and the men who have
just been carried into Queenstown
believe that their boat was the only one
which lived through the storm. 1t may
be that the passengers preferred a
,hsnce at life iii the ship to the risks of
The open boats, and that the crew are
not so much to blame as appearances
make them. =.
1t is not too early to direct attention
one important faot--that the vessel
vas old and, in all probability, not sea-
English capital has lately
into the American trade, particu
arly with the cotton ports, a large
lumber of iron vessels which are no
onger new, and which there is reason
o believe, are in too many cases unat
o go to sea. 1t will be noticed that the
Sorussia was not wrecked; it simply
uccumbed to bad weather. How many
vessels of this sort are running
rom English ports to New Orleans and
cotton ports?