Year: 1879




the - Republican In that paper.


Moro Maritime CarelCssness.


Now comes the Iews Of another ship
disaster at sea, this time almost upon
the shores Of our own little State, and
thirty -four souls have been sent to the
bottom of the ocean along with the iron
ship that only bore them above the
water four minutes after she collided.
It is painful to state the accident by
which the champion" was wrecked
was the result Of carelessness again, il
We are to believe the statement of the
captain and Doatswain Of the "Lady
Octavia," which testimony appears to
be supported by that Of the captain of
the "Champion." The latter officer,
however, is not altogether to blame for
the accident as his first officer vas in
charge Of the deck at the time, but it
seems that this officer instead Of keep
ing a strict lookout for sailing vessels
was aloft setting sail. The blame then
falls on captain Lockwood for having in
his employ an officer who would thus
desert his post at time when a slight
fog was prevailing and in locality off
the two capes at the mouth Of q bay
usually crowded with sailing craft, or
if this officer had gone aloft by cap
tain Lockwpo 3 order then he is much
the more to be blamed. But after all
though 1t was the duty of the "Cham-
pion" to have kept out of the way OF
the "Octavia," this is no reason why
the latter should not :.have veered her
course enough to have escaped the
champion" or at least to have broken
the force to such an extent that the
latter might have remained afoat long
enough to have saved all on board.
Strict adherence to the rules laid down
for governing sailing and steam vessels
are very necessary, but there does arise
sometimes occasions wherein a breach
Of those rules would be commendatory,
especially when great loss of human
life is involved. The captain of the
"Octavia," was in this instance con-
ducting his craft in strict accordance
with maratime rules, and though he
saw the Champion" coming straight
for the bow of his vessel without in the
least making any effort to change either
the course or speed of his vessel
10 avert the force of the collision. A
strict adherence to rules is commenda-
BILE, but when thirty -four human lives
could have been saved by a slight de-
parture from those rules, it is doubtful
II commendation in this case at least is
deserved.


The carelessness however all seems
to have been on the part of the officers
Of the wrecked champion" now lying
At the bottom of the sea With her thirty
four dead bodies perhaps still lying in
her berths, sleeping the sleep that
knows no waking on this side of the
great resurrection morning. The lesson
Of the accident teaches that still great
Or precautions and care should be taken
in manning ocean craft, and that the
responsibility of thoss in charge OF
them should be increased.


For the thirty -four poor human souls
that went down to their death sleep,
nothing can be said or done. They
had no part nor lot in the matter, but
had simply intrusted themselves to the
custody of the captain of the "Cham-
pion," to be taken to the port of their
destination. There are aching hearts,
and there are vacant chairs around the
family hearth and we'll spread board
that will never again be filed as they
once were. We may feel very sorry
for their friends, but this is all we can
do. There is no power on earth now
since Christ has ascended to the Father
70 resurrect the dead from old oceans
bottomless depths, and infuse into
them the breath of life once more. WEI
can think of the distress that would
have been brought to our own family
circle if one OF our loved ones had been
amongst the lost, and We can drop a
tear, but there our sympathies must
end, so far as the dead are concerned.
And yet these thirty-four dead bodies
at the bottom of the ocean will not
have died IN vain if their death will
have any appreciable influence in rails
ing the standard Of seamanship to a
sphere OF greater safety and of increas.
ing the responsibilities of owners and
officers Of sailing crafts.


-S---