Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-04
NEW ROUTE
Suggested to Ensure Greater
Salty to Steamers Cross
ing the Atlantic
LA BOURGOGNE DISASTER
Was Due to Too Fast Speed During n Fog
outside Her Course-Steamers Gem
sured For Such Criminal Careless
ness-Capt. Henderson of tho
Cromarty shire Exoneratcd.

Halifax, y. s, July gS-Thc rocklcsancss
with which many fast ocean liners RI g
through Atlantic fog banks, and the nc"-
tssity for safer and liked routes of travel
which steamships should be compelled TO
follow. are subjects which are discussed
at length in the decision rendered to-day
by the government wreck commissioner,
Capt W. H. Smith, II. y. Il. ON the
causes of the collision between the French
Steamer La Boureogne and the British
ship Cromartyshirc.
Associated with capt. Smith in the court
If inquiry were Captain Bloomileld Doug
las. X. y. r., and Capt Lewis Anderson,
GSscssors, both of whom concur in the lie"
CiSiun.
Capt. henderson and the officers % tho
Cromartyshirc are declared free from re-
tponSibiity Of the disaster. and their con-
duct after the collision Is pronounced Ia
saVc been most praiseworthy. The owl
ueucc 1t is asserted was clear th1t the
ship had been properly naNisatcd, wnie
the steamer instead of cndcavorinS ia
Svoid meeting the Cromartyshirc had APP
parontly made no effort to do SO, though it
f"omcd certain that the ships for-horn
MS heard hN the French officers.
Lac Boursognc ii is stated WAS running
at {. very nigh rate Of speed. whereas she
should have maintained only moderate
speed ON account OF the thick fog through
which she was racing. Beside tins sh,
was long distance out of the course laid
down in tho Atlantic pilot chart.
The captain of the CrOmartyshirC con
sidorcd the steamer to be 100 miles north
out of h"r course, but capt Smith is OF
the opinion WAS not 80 far. Figuring tn,
distance from Sandy Hook to the plac,
ht4 |tgi al
lance shows that La Bourgagno's avcrag,
speed from the time of leaving port wa;
between 10 and II knots.
The crew of the ship are given credit
for doing all that was possible In the di
rection of searching for survivors. Spc
tiui attention Is devoted. in the decision
To the International regulations for pre-
venting collisions at sea- a number o
which are quoted, and the wreck commits
tioncr proceeds to say:
1T is of much Importance to all con
CcrNcd that steamers carrying Il larg,
number of passengers between New Norl
and European ports, should If practical.
bic, traverse the Atlantic upon such SAT,
courses that i'm all probabilities woulc
take them clear of the most dang, rous
locality, and IL possible steamers shoult
especially avoid that portion where fog,
are frequently known to exist and may b,
encountered at any time more particu
larry during the summer months, undc
certain conditions Of weather and dircc
ton of wind.
81 am of the opinion that it is dcsirahl,
for new routes to be- selected for pasScn
Hor steamers to and from American ports
These routes should be established by law
ana adopted 10y the governments of tn,
various nationaliticS and they should l.,
laid down where the least amount of 70.
would he mot These steamers should ad
here to the routes laid down for thpi