New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-02
TIE DISASTER At SEA.

The fatal collision off Barnegat is the latest
in a never-endng series of disasters at sea
which. described in detail by the survivors,
serve TO explain the fate of ships which disap-
near and leave no trace. When two vessels
can crash together on clear nisht anu 20 "
the bottom within ten minutes IL is easy 10
imagine what befell lost ships whose story mas
never been told. 1t is not easy, however, 10
imagine catastrophe more lnexcusaoie thah
that which has just destroyed threescore lives
We NAV never know all that was done or lett
undone aboard these vessels before ana III the
crisis which involved them, for the captain OF
one and officers of both are among the dead
But it is not necessary to know everything IN
order to form the just Judgment that the
calamity was the result of human error and
weakness and not I" the act OF God" as that
phrase is commonly employed and construed.
Not only was the weather not thick, but the
moon was shining The men in charge OF each
of the vessels must hay5 been aware that the
other was near and rapidly drawing nearer
while still there was abundant time to avert
a collision. In the nature OF things, this must
be another mournful illustration OF an actual
fact and constant probability-the fact that
men obtain great trusts for which they are
unfit, and the probability that they will always
continue to. 10 what or whose moral or men
tai failing this horrible destruction is aScrlb-
able we do not now pretend to say or know.
Negligence, or recklesSness, or credullty, or Cd
stinacy-any one of these defects OF Judgment
or character displayed at critical moment Is
sufficient to produce an appalling disaster. TX
cept for the fact that circumstances are gem
4 IF caused
human ignorance folly and crime would be
infinitely longer. The individual VINO Is parity
or wholly responsible for the COLLISION OF lhurs-
day night must have been saved from ohe
natural consequences of his own unwoVhlhess
many times in the past simply by the absence
of conditions which at last confronted MIN.
One of the unfortunate facts in connection
with such calamities as this is the extreme dl1l-
Guilty often found in determining where the
blame should rest. frank confession OF re-
sponsbility is not to be expected, and In realty
is never made This, of course, is not equiv
alent to saying that person knowing hlmSe1
TO be guilty generally or often thrusts the
blame deliberately upon the innocent; 1or tne
human mind is so constituted that men can
easily Justify themselves. 1t is this self-assur-
ance strenuousIy maintained on both sides,
and sustained by overlooking or misemploylng
inconyenient facts, which often makes the prln-
cipal witnesses almost valueess for the pur-
pose of discovering the truth and liking inc
accountability.
II is not. however on this account the hess
incumbent and important that the community
| should demand the most searching and per-
sistent investigation of disasters which are OBJ
| yiously not accidents. This fatal collision, IN
| particular. needs to be thoroughly explored
| All the natural conditions promised and pro-
NOTED perfect safety. Suddenly some human
agent converted the expectation of secure
| and peaceful voyage into a realization OF misery
and death. Who and how? Those are ques-
| lions to which answers ought to be sought
| without delay. When they have been an
swered it will be time enough to dwell upon
antiouated or dangerous rules of the sea which
need to be amended, and which in this In
stance possibly contributed to the calamity.
1t is important to remember, that after the
collision there was an interval of ten minutes
which was not we'll employed. The time was
short. but more might have been done, If the
organization had been thorough and the tackle
| and mechanism in perfect order. This is al
ways the weakest point in sudden emergencies
at sea- On very few ocean steamers is there
any practice of drilling the crew in lowering
| the boats and getting them into the water in
the shortest possible time. Voyage after voy-
age is made without the shifting of a rope or
the oiling of pulley connected with the boats ;
and when steamer is suddenly wrecked neither
the crew nor the appliances for saving life are
available for effective service. Printed direc-
tons for the manning of the boats and the
order of command may be conspicuously posted
in the social hall and cabins, but there is sell
dom any preparatory drill or organized attempt
to train officers and men in emergency work