The San Francisco call., 1898-03-24
THE WRECK OF THE ALMY.

the wreck ot the Helen w. Alrrly the Peopie H\ of San Francisco have received an impressive A~ lesson the imperative need of strict watch upon the quality and condition of vessels that are to laden with valuable property and precious lives It is so common thing to patch up old hulks and start them forth voyages the ocean that sailors have adopted for that kind ot craft They call them coffin ships, and in every sea o the four quarters of the globe there evidences that give grim and ghasy testimony to the justice of the title.
 Nothing can guard against the coffin ship but the Government and that only by the most stringent laws and the most careful watchfuness There are big profits in sending such ships to sea- and the number of men who in their greed gain the profits are will ing to expose the lives of crews and passengers to death is always larger than humanity dreams o Laws stringent and severe necessary to prevent such men from the commission of such deeds, and un fortunately 1t appears have no laws at all either to prevent the sailing of the coffin ship or to punish the men who calked up her old hulk, painted her over gave her the gloss of seeming strength and started her forth on her voyage to death.
 At one time the practice of sending unseaworthy ships to sea was common in, Great Britain that 1t became national scandal Then MT. Plmsoll took up the cause of sailors and of humanity and began that long agitation and crusade the subject which after many years resulted in the enactment of statutes which have since guarded British seamen from that peril It is to the credit of the United States that in our early history we needed such laws There was time when shp-owners were class ot men whose personal integrity sufficient guarantee that no coffin ships would be sent forth under our flag That time has passed. New conditions have brought a new class of into the shipping trade, and among them many who for the sake of gain would send sailors and passengers to sea in a literal coffin if they could find any who through their poverty, their ignorance their folly could be induced to go.
 In this way the wreck of the Amy was as startling and as shocking as the destruction of the Maine There is no international issue involved in the loss of the bark to arouse patriotism to indignation, but there was enough of treachery and horror Tn 1t to arouse humanity to the btterest wrath. The Amy, from all reports seems to have been utterly worth less hulk. No local insurance could be obtalned on her not even upon an offer of 10 per cent for sixty days. Her passengers given tickets marked with the warning "If possible" Every circumstance of her outfttng tends to the conclusion that to all who knew anything about her at all it was known that she was a coffin ship of the worst kind.
 She sailed away from this city designed for long and stormy voyage but went to wreck almost as she got out of the bay. From the position in which her shattered hulk lay when discovered it IS evident her captain found her unseaworthy and had started to return to the harbor. It was too late. The old hulk could withstand nothing. Her seams opened to the waves, her rotten timbers broke to pieces she heeled into the waters and all her crew and passengers were lost
 As our law stands to-day this catastrophe was an accident and not crime, and yet in all except the malignant intent 1t was as bad as murder. There IS no excuse no palliaton for such deeds as this Out of the horror of the disaster there should come stern resolve to provide sure penalties for the com mission of such wrongs in future. Let us see to it that no other coffin ship sails out to carry to death sailors and passengers from the Golden Gate.