The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-15
cARELEssNEss OR NreLrGENcE


 CARELEssNEsS OR NEGLIGENCE,
 The recent wreck of the Scandina- vian- American liner, Norge following so closely on the horrible disaster in New York harbor is again arousins public sentiment to the necessity of greater care in the construction and management of passenger ships, as well as more adequate methods for the pres- ervation of life. It seems certain now that there is to be a full investigation into the burning of the General Slocum and that the responsibility will be fixed where 1t belongs. Whether any individual or corporation will be made to suffer Is a question yet to be decid- ed.
 Evidence already obtained shows that nal negligence in connection with the burning of the Slocum. There seems no longer room for doubt that the fire itself was due to culpable indifference or carelessness, either of the officers or employees of the boat, or of both W Asi iS'SphuplC Cdl tntTe WOuIQ nave been no fire. but whether the fire could have been prevented or not there is no longer any question as to the almost total inadequacy of means for subdu- ing it, or for the escape of the passen- gers. An almost useless fire apparat- us, rotten hose and absence of drilled firemen made the destruction of the vessel inevitable from the start. Weak and rotten life preservers. and most of them out of reach of the women and children assured the great loss of life which ensued. Of certainty there is fearful responsibility resting some where and 1t should be located.
 The destruction of the Norge is stil, harder to understand. If it had been fact that the rock or reef upon which the vessel struck was not laid down in any of the ocean charts. and was con- sequently unknown to the officers in charge of the vessel. we might te able to understand why the ship ran on 1t. but this Is not the case. On the con trary the Rockhall reef is marked plainly on the charts, and Is said to be known to all sailors on the North Atlantic. It Is true that, as one sc- count states. strong current sweeps in its direction, and 1t Is presumed. ow- ing to absence of definite knowledge that the current drew the Norge to its grave: that heavy mist prevented the lookouts from seeing the danger. and that there was no thought of Rockhall reef until the ship struck and the cap tain called out that they had struck this explanation can hardly be looked on as a defence. If the facts are as stated, all the more reason, one would think, why unusual care should have been exercised to guard against danger
 However, be the causes and delin- mains that fearful loss of life resulted Of the 694 passengers, most of them women and children, and T of the off cers and crew, only 127 were known tc be saved at last accounts. Some were yet unaccounted for, but when the lis | VI loSI iS CpHiplStcu IL WILL SHOW Cna over 600 persons went to death in few minutes. One account states that it was only twelve minutes from the time of striking the rock till the boat went down nose foremost. Then wa: repeated some of the incidents of tn, Slocum disaster. Some of the boat. could not be lowered; life preserver. were rotten and useless. and most o the sailors were almost as badly de moralized as the passengers were Some of the boats were dashed tt pieces, others sank. and in every wa, death came.
 These two disasters coming so nea, to each other, and both of which migh have been avoided with proper care anC foresight. will, let us hope, at least en force better methods to ensure tn, safety of those who go down to tn, sea in ships.