Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-05
CLEAR, CRISP AND CLEAN
CARGoES VS.. MEN

A NOIHER steamship uiSastSi AoS
q been added to the list of catas-
IA trophies and horrors recorded since
Fulton first showed that mankind
could be Independent of sail and gale.
The st. Cuthbert was destroyed by
fire off the coast of Nova Scotia dur
ing a heavy tempest and snowstorm.
An explosion wrecked the forward part
of the ship. The crew with the courage
of despair fought the flames for thirty
six hours, and fifteen who tried to es-
cape in a small boat We're drowned.
This is in brief the record of what
befell a vessel that should never have
been permitted to leave a civilized har-
Dor with human beings aboard. The
cargo of the ship was rags, fusel oil,
matches and willow ware!
In spite of all that humanity has done
by government Intervention those that
go down to the sea in ships are still In
peril on the great deep, and the peril is
in nearly every instance traceable TO
human greed, covetousness and care
lessness. In times of want ashore two
services can always be recruited easily
the army and the extra hazardous
maritime service. In times of plenty 1t
is almost impossible to get crews to
man the coffin ships and the dyna-
miters, while the petroleum boats are
only manned by offering extra wages.
The steamer Cymric reached the st.
Cuthbert in time to rescue thirty-seven
men, many of whom are so badly
burned that they cannot live. There is
a wonder element in this horror story
of the sea from far away because the
news of it has reached land long be-
fore the rescuing vessel has made port.
She is still somewhere out in the ocean
with her manned. her burned and her
wounded. Wireless biography brought
the news ashore.
Although our railroad service has
been improved appreciably and appli-
ances and devices for safety are used
successfully to an extent far greater
than ever before in the history of
travel, the merchant who traffics by
the sea and the ship owner who fur
nislles vessel and crew for transporting
goods still act as if Jack" were an out
cast of civilization, hardly up to human
standards, and not entitled to humane
consideration. 1t is only in recent years
that governments began to attempt to
regulate ship loading. Until the re-
uuirement of the Plimsoll line, vessels
could be crammed with cargo until
they weltered and wallowed in the
smoothest sea, and not infrequently
disappeared when only half q gale was
blowing. The owners and consignees
Invariably bore their loss with forth
tude Why not? AS a rule both ship
and cargo would be insured up to their
value and sometimes beyond it. But
the miserable wretches who manned
the unseaworthy or overladen tubs
and junks were not insured. Human
cargo is not worth insurance.
A decided element of safety for the
mariner and the seagoing adventurer
would be introduced if government.
recognizing the peril in ships carrying
freight like that which caused the de-
struction of the st. Cuthbert, would
insist on employers liability for loss
and damage to the limb or life of the
members of the crew, and should be
compelled by law to pension or other
wise adequately provide for the wives
and families Of the crews of the coffin
ships.