New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-20
THE DISASTER OFF GAY HEAD.

| THE DISASTER OFF GAY HEAD.
Men have learned to expect the recurrence Vi
| heartrending calamities There Is scaIooi' /"
! day in the year when newspaper reaucrS a., az
not reminded of the insecurity or human hi0
| the world over. They become so accustomed
TO records of disaster on land and sea 'IlaV 'ney
cease to be affected by the recitals under oroi-
nary circumstances Calamities occurring
| long distance away, such as the wreck OF the
| Cimbria wear ago. make only passing impress
sion and are soon forgotten. 1t is only III ex-
ceptonal cases that these tragic events, whether
attributable to natural causes or to the Dina
ness. recklessness and ignorance OF man. are
| brought close TO the emotions and sympathles
| The disaster Oft Gay Head is a recital that e1-
cites a thrill of horror in this community.
The company gathering in the cabin OF the
| CITY of Columbus on Thursday afternoon was
made up largely of pleasure seekers ana IN
valids. This is the time of year when the Jour
new to Florida can be made to the best adVan-
tage. and doubtless there were many on board the
! i'll -fated steamer who had planned dehghtlul
holiday to the land of oranges and winter now
ers, and had parted from their NeW-Englahu
| friends in high spirits and with the confident
| expectation of a safe return. There were
others in search of health in the Sunny South
who had left behind them the comforts OF home
and the kind Offices of friends. Whether 1t was
for business, health or pleasure, it was Tourney
that required only four days. and had been
made 50 often that it had ceased to be a subject
for solicitude. Yet before the close of the first
night pleasure-h hunters and heath-seekers were
suddenly awakened to the consciousness that
], Il. s.fh
there was only single awful moment Oh suS-
pense and despair; fOl others that moment WAS
heightened into hours of agonlzlng suffering;
some of them were so paralyzed With cold a1ter
clinging eight hours to the rigging that they
were rescued only to draw a few faint breaths.
| Affecting as are the details OF tins awful
scene. an appeal is made not only to the sympa-
thics but to the Judgment OF the community
Public opinion is usually relentless after such
disasters. The officers, owners or builders OF
the doomed ship are ordinarily condemned
| with prccptate haste for wantOn Teckiessness
ny criminal negligence All the human agen-
cics RESPONSIBLE for the safety of passengers and
crew should be stcrnly called to account, but
Judgment should not be rendered until all the
facts are known. In this case the owners ana
| builders will be acquitted at once Ihe lily OF
| Columbus was one Of Mr. ROachs best steam
ship 1t was q stanch vessel, thoroughly well
constructed, with the main deck OF IRON over
| laid with wood to secure greater strength, ana
| il had only been few years i'll service. Like
| the other Savannah steamships it had the Tepu-
alton of being a "roller," but this peculiarly
was due to the round bottom rather than to
narrowness of beam. Owner and builder had
done what they could to promote the comfort
and safety of passengers and crew. The DILL
GERS cannot shift the responsibility for the dis
! astcr from their own to their employers
! shoulders.
| Several practical questions Immediately arise.
! There was terrible gale and the sea was run
ming high. Was the vessel stcaming under full
! hcadwayl Ought she to have been i'll motion
| at all under the adverse circumstances
Would it not have been common prudence to
wait for daylight before attempting to pass
Devils Bridget The captain was in his
stateloom when the accident occurred, having
left the two mates in the pilot-houSe. Ought
! he not to have remained out on deck until the
| steamer had passed the most dangerous por-
ton of its track He asserts that the ship
struck outside of the Devils Bridge buoy, and
consequently must have grounded on an I'M
known ledge in mid-channcl! Is this possible,
or is it more probable that the ship was out of
her regular course Is it conceivable as one
of the passengers asserts, that the pilot was
warming his hands at the smokcstack at the
moment the disaster occurred These and
many other practical questions will have to be
deliberately answered before the officers can be
released from the terrible suspicion Of having
| betrayed their trust and sacrificed the lives
| cn1nmii ted 10 1hcir CArc.