New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-14
THE CASE or THE ANCHORTi

| The Anchoria has come safely to port, to the
nnspeakable relief OF hundreds. Her escape
| shows thai her owners and agents were not
| Without warrant for the confidence they felt
! in her but after all it must be admitted that
! she was fortunate in her weather after she
| broke Ler shaft and that succession of gales
at that time might have done worse than delay
her progress under sail. The case in fact
| ju>tifes recurrence to a question which has
been often discussed. but witnont reaching any
settlement. Ii is as to the safety OF the pre-
valing practice OF making the great passenger
steamers almost entirely dependent upon their
pIoDellers. In the pursuit of greater speed
the newt bile tendency has been to the
increase OF engine power, and to the adoption
of such changes in the model of the hull as
| will best fit II for being driven at a high speed
through any kind of sea- No doubt for the
most part the dependence upon steam is jusli-
fed. but the more steam comes to be the sole
reliance, the greater must the risk be In the
cases where steam breaks down.
The Anchoria, like most ocean steamers, is
fitted with sails but they are SO disproportion-
ate to the bulk of the vessel as to resemble the
aborted wings of the great birds which have
When great steamer possessing this kind of
nominal auxiliary sail power becomes suddenly
drpendent altogether upon cany as, the made
quacy Of her sails is at once apparent.
As rule they will hardly keep her steady and
give her steerage way. The Anchoria. with
fresh to strong breezes, was unable TO make
more than three 10 four knots an hour One con-
sequence of this slowness was that she ran
short of provisions But vessel sd situated
and encounteriDg heavy gales such as are to
be expected at this time of year on the
Atlantic, might have a very serious time
The tendency in an ocean steamer deprived of
her engine power and exposed to strong winds
upon the large area of hull above wafer is to
roll heavily and to pitch fearfully. and both
of these are dangerous fol long iron vessel of
comparatively barrow beam. The Anchora
in heavy gale might have laid to, nut then
her provisions would have come to an end the
sooner.
The truth is that ocean steamers are not SO
safe as they might and should be, so long "a
they are not SPARED to carry sail enough to
make them Independent OF the screw in time
of necessity. OF course there are plenty of
arguments against top hamper, against the
dmiuution of speed Appreciated, and other
objections, and it may be admitted that the
travelling public would probably JOIN in pro-
testing against anything that threatened to
lengthen the trips bel ween ports. Nevertheless
the companies are certainly touud to see first to
the safety of their vessels, and they are bound
to make them IA safe as possible under all con-
ditions. An ocean steamer with broken shaft
is not at present nearly so safe as she might
and ought to ne. In dlscarding sail power
builders have gone too far for prudence. They
have almost stripped the steamers of spars
The result IS that when an accident happens at
sea they arc reduced to the dangers and incon-
vcniences Of jury-rig, and If they encounter
severe storms they. are put In real jeopardy.