New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-09

,ieence. The State of Florida was proceed
ing in calm sea, on clear, starlit night, when
she allowed herself TO be run into by sailing
vessel which, according to the statements OF
the survivors, was displaying the regulation
lights. There must have been neglect on the
part of the bark also, but 1t must be remem-
bcred that at sea, when q steamer and sailing
vessel meet it is the duty of the steamer to
make way. Whether the Florida showed any
lights is not stated. Many vessels abandon
this precaution after getting out of soundlngs'
though no passenger vessel should ever DC
allowed to do so. Considering The amazing
recklessness with which the Florida must have
been sailed to make such a collision possible nc
all, it cannot be thought incredible that shc
should have been steaming blndly ahead with
ont lights.
In fact. since the bark bad her lights
ND, the only possible inference is that
there was no lookout-most certainly there was
M efficient lookout-on the steamer for on
calm. clear night without clouds If moonless,
the lights of the bark should have been plainly
visible three miles off, to say the least, and had
they been observed as they must have been II
there had been any watch kept either on the
bridge or foIecastlc, there would have been
ample time to change the course and avoid all
danger But there is in this fearful disaster
evidence of even more carclessness than at
tended the Gay Head wreck, and it is mpOss
BILE to acquit the captain, officers of the watch
and watch on deck of the most objectionable
neglect of duty. 1t is useless for the owners tn
say that the officers of the Florida were trust
worthy and careful men, for human life was
never more wantOnly and needlessly cast away
than in this case.
TO make bad worse, The captain, after the col
lsion and when his ship was rapidly sinking. is
said TO have shown such inability to realize the
situation that his apathy mislcd many OF the
passengers into assuming false conilcnc-,
and so cost them their lives The "coolness
attributed to the captain at such crisis de-
serves only TO be characterized as stupidity.
Probably the man was stunned by the catas-
trophe and could do nothing but in any case
he proved his incompetence from first to last,
and having brought the passengers intrusted
to him into the jaws of death, he left them
there without an effort for their rescue. Tn
happily all upon whom the direct responsibility
rested are dead. The sinking of both vessels
was so swift that only great presence of mind
could have avcrtcd the loss of life which en-
sued, even had the boats been all ready, as
boats at sea never are. But the people on
board had not time to realize their danger be-
fore they were under water, and large mum
Der probably never reached the deck.
1t is an appalling calamity, and it shows
once more how useless most Of the sO-called
collision bullheads are. 1t is true that i'll this
case two compartments were possibly broken
into, but it any of the Flordas bulllhcads had
really been watertight she would certainly have
hoated long enough to clear away oil her boats,
and not only get The people into them, bat some
water and food As ii was, her precautionary ar
rangements were clearly mere make believes,
while she was sailed with positively incredible
recklcssness.