Year: 1877

conveys the same meaning, is nothing


new. 1t is almost as original and SEN
sational in its character, when con-
sidered locally, as the threadbare sub
ject of the water works that we are
laying before our readers for their edifi-
cation, when the political situation will
not admit of an editorial worth the cost
of setting up, and the reports relative to
the European war are SO decidedly
"mixed - that the neutral, who is some
thousands of miles away from the seat
Of the couflict, waits over another day
before mending his pen preparatory to
dashing into subject, in naedids res,
| that at best is an unthankful one and
subjects its writer to the sarcastic COM
ments of an unapreciative public, who
would much rather wade through a
column or more of matter pertaining
to the skeleton closets of their neigh


bours, or gloat over the struggles of a
murderer who was not quite hanged
| owing to the nervousness of the sheriff,
until he had essayed the operation a
| second time.


We have had our fill of the Rock
ford horror, and were fain to hope
that the people, who have the manage
ment of public or private works of a
character that nocessitates the employ
ment of a large force of working men,
would in the future be more careful
and cautious in their undertakings,
and that horrors of this kind would
not happen again for some little time
to come. But we expected, seemingly
so, too much, for this mornings tele-
graphic reports are filed with the ter
rible account of an affair that occurred
at the launching of steamship, the
Saratoga, from the yard of John Roach
Il Sons, Chester, Pa, Tuesday MORN
ing.


Invitations had been issued to promi-
nent citizens to attend the launch, a
collation. was spread and wine was in
readiness to be opened to commeno-
rate the event of the successful
gliding away from her ways of an
other of the many leviathans of
the deep, belonging to. the merchant
marine of our country, which John
Roach and Sons have rendered famous
in sister ships built by them of like
character, such as the Cities of Peking
and TOXIC, belonging to the P. NJ. S. S.
IF ol- II
and American ingenuity. But an event
occurred, that turned this auspi-
cious occasion into one of a de-
cidedly funeral nature. The collation.
was untouched, the laughter and the
merriment of the guests was sud-
denly hushed. Exclamations of
horror and of anguish filled the air.
Heartrending shrieks are heard, the
people, orderly before, rush hither and
thither, and all is confusion. The
Saratoga has started-is moving. Yes,
she moves /! slowly at first, and then
with accelerated speed, caused by her
immense weight and the momentum it
gives her, she dashes seaward as if
anxious to rest upon an element that
will henceforth be hers, so long as she
shall exist as one of the mercantile ma
rine of the world. And yet there is
death and destruction going on the
while she moves, that all the powers
and ingenuity of man would fain
desire to stay, but are impotent to
avert. Humanity, in the form of ship
carpenters, is underneath this enor-
nous weight, and is being ground and
crushed and obliterated under the
length and breadth of her tremendous
keel. Some forty men were under her
when she started, and of this number
nearly one-third were either killed out
right by being literally mangled and
crushed, or wounded by the falling
blocks and timbers, shores and chock-
ing, that held her in position as she
moved off, and that gave way under
the pressure. Somebody had blunder-
ed, and John Fountain, who had the
entire charge of the launching, from all
cLdo We Cdil dSCOl Uttln VI IllS dh dlI ,
was the individual of all others who is
to blame, who blundered, and without
any excuse that we can see to give him
the dubious benefit of extenuating cir
clmstances.


This man had the entire supervision
Of the launching Of this naval jugger-
naut, and he gave the order that set
the vessel in motion and that was the
means of grinding and crushing out Of
existence his fellow working man.
1t is wonder to us that the work.
ingmen who comprised the force Of
this yard, did not then and there
seize this fellow in their wrath and
indignation and treat him to something
of a similar character, visited upon him
in his own person, but for wonder
they refrained, and John Fountain
will undOubtedly be eyOnerated by the