Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-23
A MONTH DE

The first month OF the year mas Deen
remarkable for the number OF aoci-
dents accompanied by loss OF life
Tho Milwaukee horror, quickly fol
lowed by the Polish holocaust and the
fire at the Planters 10 st. Louis, only
preceded by a week the accident on
the Southern Pacific and the frightful
marine disaster Of Saturday off the
English coast. Within two weeks a to-
tai of 800 lives have been reported as
lost In five accidents. The record is
almost without precedent. Gross
carelessness Is given as the cause OF
three of these horrors. The burning
of the Newhall House Is generally
believed to have 6 Ease Of incendiar.
ism while the reports arc conf citing
as to the responsibility for the foun-
derlng of the Cimbrla. The collision
took place In a fog end the evidence
shows that the engines of the steamer
we're running at less than half speed
when the fatal crash came. Owing to
the compartments being open at the
spot where the bow of the Sultan en-.
tered the side Of the ill fated steamer,
the vessel filed before the half
dressed passengers realized the situa-
ton and within twenty minutes went
down carrying with her nearly four
hundred and fifty souls. Since the
loss of the Vile du Havre of the
French line nine years ago no steam
ship disaster of equal magnitude has
been chronicled.
The loss Of the Cimbria will doubt
less induce renewed discussion Of the
safety which the compartment system
Is supposed to give to seagoing yes
sells. Tho City Of Brussels which
some weeks ago sank off the Mersey,
happily with no such destruction o.
life as that which attended the loss o.
the Cimbria, foundered under nearly
similar conditions. The water tight
bulkhesds a. the very moment wher
most needed were found to be open,
Just as they were In the Hamburgt
line steamer or last Saturday morn
ing.
theoretically, the division of a yes
sells hull into a series Of separate
rooms each Theoretically sealed snc
capable of sustaining whatever weight
of water may be poured into them,
provides a certain safety from acct
dents of leak springing or collision,
The necessities of freight storage,
however, have induced steamship
builders to depart from the origina
plan, by cutting communicating door
into the compartments which are sup,
posed to be sealed when the cargo Il
finally slowed. Several years ago Ii
the case OF the Guion steamer Mon
tana, which sprang q heavy leak In
storm, the vessel was only saveG
through her water tight bulkheads,
but such instances are rare. In nearly
every reported case OF collision or
the sea, the doors into the compart
ments have been found open, and tn,
value Of the bulkhead system has beer
entirely destroyed.
1t Is na.ural to lock the stable doc,
after the horse has been stolen. TIL,
country is now busily engaged in dis
cussing improved fire escapes, ant
congress will probably be importune,
to pass a law throwing greater safe
guards around our trans-atlanti
steamers. An inspection CT compart
ments before the sailing of vessel
might possibly result In some good
but no law car prohibit officers fror
opening them on the high seas, or en-
force upon other countries the passag
of a similar regulation. Possibly tn
use of the electric light In fogs has nc
yet been thoroughly tested, an
a flaw compelling its adoption b
steamers might be attended with goo
results. But after all, as in the Cat
of fire protection in buildings, solidit
of construction and constant watchfu
ness are the best safeguards of huma
life, and the last can never be Obtain
cd by statutory regulation.