Year: 1878

news was received yesterday. The Pomme-
rsnia cleared from this port on the 14th
inst and arrived at Plymouth on the night
Of the 24th, whence, after landing her Eng
lish passengers and mails, she proceeded
on her voyage, touching again at Cherbourg,
where she also landed passengers (forty-
seven in all at the two ports OF Plymouth
and Cherbourg), and was steaming
| through the Straits Of Dover for Ham,
burg, her final destination, when, near mid
night on Monday, she collided with an iron
bark and was SO badly stove in that she
went down in less than half an hour. We
can imagine the CONSERVATION of the pas
| sengers, who had retired for the night,
when they were suddenly reused by the
violence OF the conclusion and came rush
| ing out Of their statcrooms and berths to
find what had happened. There was no
hope Of keeping the steamer ahoat for more
| than brie. period ESQ fatal such colli-
sions to iron ships, and tho only thing
to be thought of was the loosening and
letting down Of the boats. The effort to
| accomplish this was only partially
successful, and the poor aiirighted
passengers, with no time to put on
their clothes, which had been taken of for
the night, rushed franticaliy for such boats
as could be lowered. One Of these vas SO
overloaded with people that it sunk almost
Immediately Had it not been for the
providential nearness Of the steamer Glen
garry to the scene OF the disaster very few
lives could have been saved But, thanks
to her proximity, to her prompt response
! to the danger signals Of the sinking Pomme-
rania and to the efficiency Of her officers
and crew, the lives lost amount to but
about fifty.


There has been much greater destruction
of life in some of the other recent collisions
of the same kind. In the last preceding
one, that by which the Princess Alice was
sunk in the Thames, last summer, the num-
ber of victims was truly appalling. as it was
also in the case OF the great German IRON
clad, the Grosser Kiirfurst, which went
down in the same waters with seven hundred
souls on board. But although the loss Of
life is SO much smaller the present disaster
makes deeper impression in this country.
A large proportion of the passengers were





most of the cabin passengers had a large
circle Of friends and acquaintances among
our own people. This brings the calamity
home to US almost as if it had taken place
in our own waters. The impression is even
more painful and distressing than if the
collision had happened just outside of New
York harbor, because in that case those
having friends on board would have been
spared q period Of torturing suspense re-
specting their loss or rescue. No anxiety,
however, can be felt as to those intending
10 land at Plymouth or Cherbourg, who
were large majority OF the cabin passen-
gers.
The frequency and fatality of accidents
of this kind TO iron steamers is draw back
to the otherwise great advantages Of the
substitution of iron for wood in the
construction Of vessels. The mate
rial is so heavy that concussion
which breaks her sides is almost
certain to sink the ship. The building of
iron vessels in compartments does not seem
to have been thus far very conducive to
safety. We can recollect no case Of loaded





lision powerful enough to break her shell.
The iron bark which collided with the
Pommerunia had her bows stove in and her
fore compartment filled with water, and yet
she did not sink. But this vessel had no
cargo; she was proceeding from Rotterdam
to Cardiff in ballast. heavily laden iron
ship is almost certain to be sunk by vio-
lent collision, and the frequency OF such
collisions is liable TO increase with the in
creasing number Of iron vessels atioat and
the high rate Of speed attained by most of
the ocean steamers which have been built
during the past ten years.
1t would seem that with proper vigilance
collisions might be entirely avoided, except
in thick fogs. In the case Of the Pommerania
there was the double obscurity of night and
OF foggy weather But science should
supply and rigorous laws should enforce
means Of avoiding collisions, even in the
darkest nights and the thickest fogs. There
is a new opportunity for Mr.. Edison TO
exert his great inventive powers in the
same line that he is now pursuing. Let
him devise u cheap and efficient appa-
ratus for generating the most intense
and penetrating electric light on board
ships. There would be no neces-
sity for using it except in fogs,
and it might DO made powerful enough to
pierce to y considerable distance through
the densest fog; that can envclop the face
Of the sea. Another mode Of precaution is
furnished by the improved fog horn worked
py steam. which has been brought 10 such
state OF perfection within the last few
years. One OF these powerful acoustic in
struments might be connected with the
boiler which generates steam Tor propellng