New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-26

waters still have their inscrutable mysteries
which fill the soul with vague premOnitons OF
calamity. With the thronG on an excursion
there is no sense of possible danger. The hun
drcds of pleasurc-seekers who crowded the
decks and cabins of the Victoria were enjoy
ING sail in the cool of the evening ut
the close of a holiday Suddenly they are
wrcncbed ont of life, without prayer or caress,
in an awful moment of agony. The transition
from innocent recreation TO the helpless strug-
Cling. the parayzing dread and gasping terors
of drowning makes their fate seem peculiarly
unnatural. With them it was day outing
holiday of merry making and enjoyment
| Tboir homes we're so near-the breath of the
city was in their faces. Families were clus-
tered together lovers were whispering OF the
! future. acouaintances were chatting gayly; all
with minds intent upon life in a bright and
hnsv worlG-a world in which a little leisure
i usually counted upon before death is to be
faced So the crash came. Nearly two hun
drcd of them persisted within five minutes
In like manner another pleasure steamer the
Princess Alice, went down III the Thames three
wears ago. 1t was two hours later III the even
ING and there were fog and darkness. So that
900 men. women and childrcn-ncary all
sbopkccpcrs and their children who had been
| treating themselves to IA day excursion To
| Graycscnd-wcrc ingulfed in few minutes
| Tho Princess Alice was struck by a coalboat
and uunctnrcd Ike a hatboX. The Victoria
is described in the dispatches us break
inr ND Ike an ecsshGl. There was II
,nJd,n strain. decks and timhcrs gave
way in every direction, and the vcs,'
went to pieces. De Quincy tells Of IN
artificial ship h-ilt bv Nero which was go
ingcriol,ly coutliycd uat AT the touchoi ic"
springs il might fall to pieces IN deep wafer
with tie Emprrois mother AgnlUnna' ~ ihr
cabin. The SANG result WAS accomplished ~
This instance without m" aid of m'r!.an-
ism and intrigue. The inherent weakness
Of tie Ilca.urc->tcamcr and The human
! freight with which it WIS overloaded
coupa~scd the collapse. Unfortunately, tie
messengers did not ha," A-1ipliua', pre-
,n,c Of m.rd She folded her arms and
Goatc' of Ike dl"k. Ills nuic--u'cL"n
tbro,..,. svarmiac ,adGcrly in t,.c water, went
down in Il clutter. !, was only naiIo"
ditch. bat the water WAS deep ruou-l to drown
all who could not break away from the wreck
and swim ashore. For those who were dr.- 'cd
down or who could not keep Themselves aiioat
there was no time for aught save death.
The collision in the Thames was made In"
subject of prolonged Investigation by which
the system OF signalling 10y lights WAS shown
to be- imperfect AID confusing, the con,tr"-
ton of the steamer not seriously at fault ana
tie pilot not guilty of culpablc negligence
The scope of the inquiry in the present in
stance will be narrowed to twD points: con
struction and oycrloldng. The evidence
seems to leave no room for doubt under
either of these heads. The steamer Wa.
obviously too weak to do tine work
assigned to it, and the overcoming seems
to have been 50 rlarins DANGER that a
few of the more cautious pleasure -7cckrrs
refused to remain on board. 1t now seems
probable that the responsibility for the catas-
trophc can be clearly established.