The Washington critic., 1886-03-16

EDITOR CRITIc: The disaster to the Ore
gon has shocked the general public, aud the
press unanimously siugs loud praise of the
officers OF the steamer because no lives on
hoard were lost. Nothing is said OF the
fouudered schooner, except that "she dis
appeared with all on board"
To seafaring men this disaster Is not
great surprise, for the wonder is that there
mas been so few accidents Of the kiud. The
era OF ocean racing has brought with II
criminal recklessness and total disregard OF
The "rules of the roadn at sea on the part
Of steamer officials.
"Tle fishing schooner .---- Is missing,
and is supposed to have gone down on tue
Banks with all on board,n Is n too frequent
paragraph IN the Eastern papers, and IN too
many cases, 1.-THE truth could be known,
there would he vision of u swift steamer
rushing through the darkness and perhaps
n heavy sea, too intent on beating a record
by an hour or two to swervc to port or star
board from her direct course to avoid a lit
tie craft; Il crash, "A slight jar to the huge
vessel as 1t clcavcs through the timbers, a
shrek of despair from the doomed boat
that goes down "with all on board" while
the floating palace, full of pleasure seekers,
drives on without an effort at rescue or even
pretense Of inquiry. The wakeful pas
senger who inquiries will be told that the
steamer ran through some bit of wreckage,
and when he reads the note about the miss
ing schooner, will never dream of his own
innocent participation In dreadful tragedy
and crime.
The Navigation laws OF the maritime ma
tions, in declaring the "rues Of the road,n
all give the right Of way to sailing craft,
and the right is with them even In channels
and water courses, yet every scafaring man
who has navigated in the track of the ocean
passenger steamers of the North Atlantic
for years knows how little regard is actu-
ally paid to the right of sailing vessels, aud
how common is the 0ippant remark on
board the great passenger steamers, "To
hell with her Ia sailerl II she doesn't get
out of the way; she hasn't any business to
be in the track.n
The story Of this disaster, ms told by the
papers so far, goes to show, to my mind,
that the Oregon met her fate justly, and it
would have been proper retrihution II at
least some one officer on her had been lost
and the equally valuable lives on board the
bapess schooner saved. The wind was
light, from the southwestward, and the sea
smooth. The schooner Ga Napoleon) was
on the port tack. probably not doing much
more than holding on her course. The
racer had met head winds and seas until
after crossing Georges Banks, and was run
Mug "four bellsn to make up time. To
alter her course and pass under the schoon-
Cr's stern would make Il slight difference
in distance, and, therefore, in time, SO she
forged ahead ''on her course" intending to
make the schooner give way. The light
wind prevented this, and the racer plunged
onto the lesser vessel and met her fate
Another thing. Why did her watertight
compartments not save the steamer? Be-
cause the manholes connecting them were
open, as usual. 1t is inconvenient below
when they are closed and makes it too
warm. 1t ought to be made too warm for
some OF these steamship officials.
"CosToN SIGNAL.n