Year: 1875

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Rotten Steamships.


IFrom the st. Louis Republican,


When Mr.. Plimsoll called the atten-
tion Of the British public few years
ago to the reckless greed Of ship-owners
in sending unseaworthy vessels on voy-
ages TO distant ports, many doubted the
correctness Of his statements But he
went to work with q zeal which should
command our respect to collect facts
and statistics bearing on the subject,
and when the enormous volume of in
formation which he had gathered to
sustain his assertions was laid before
the public cry Of indignation was
heard throughout Great Britain.


The plea for poor Jack was very ef-
fective, and the average Britton came
to the conclusion that after all it was
not exactly in accordance with the die
tates OF humanity to send thousands Of
their fellow-creatures out into the ocean
wastes with strong probabilities that
they would return no more to port.
Plimsoll was indicated, and public
sentiment demanded that those "who
go down to the sea In ships" should be
protected so far as human skill could
protect them.


There Is an excellent opportunity for
work by an American Plimsoll at the
present time. Only q short time ago
the steamship Pacific; plying between
America, went down, when only one out
OF large number Of human beings
escaped TO relate how the others per-
ished beneath the waves. Still more re-
Gently the Salvador, steamer plying
between the same ports, arrived in the
harbor Of San Francisco in such con-
dition as to call for the indignation Of
the passengers, who had escaped an
awful peril in an unseaworthy vessel.
Rightfully enough, they were in no
mood to "praise the bridge that had
carried them over" and entered com
plaint against the vessel and demanded
a board of survey to examine what they
knew to be o rotten hulk, ready to go
down on the slightest agitation Of the
sea.


For twelve days the people Of the
Pacific slope were made to suffer an
Tagonizing suspense by the non arrival
at San Francisco OF the steamship Los
Angeles, of the same line as the ships
before mentioned, and that suspense
was only relieved week ago by her
appearance in disabled condition, in
tow of British steamer which picket her
up as she helplessly drifted about the
Pacific ocean under sail. These
frequent mishaps to the ships Of this par
ticular line cannot be attributed solely
to unavoidable causes. There have
been no recent storms on the Pacific
coast of sufficient severity to materially
endanger vessels navigating it. While
we are free to admit that accidents may
happen to the machinery Of vessels Of
the very best construction, 1t is not in
cumbent on us to cOncede that
the dangers and delays encountered
by passengers on these steamers
causes. The truth is, il we can credit
reports of San Francisco papers, these
ships belong to sort Of "cheap John
line" composed of old crafts, some Of
which were purchased from the Govern
ment because they could be bought
cheaply, and they are manned by
men who receive very poor salaries:
Not only are the men employed
by the company to which these
steamers belong stinted In wages, but
not enough men Of the characters to be
obtained at starvation rates Of compen-
sation are employed to sufficiently man
the ships. 1t is stated that on this line
two engineers are required to perform
the duties imposed on four men on first
class lines sailing on the Atlantic and
the Pacific oceans.


Tt appears that the three steamships,
Pacific. Salvador and Los Angeles, were
placed in commission and sent to sea
with a view Of perpetrating murder on
the high seas, since it is stated that at
least two of them were almost too rotten
to float. Everything about them was
falling to pieces.


But the owner patched and painted
them up, and sent them out, like two
floating cof1ins, ready to go down on the
slightest provocation, burying beneath
the waves all who sailed in them. On
the Los Angeles upward Of hundred
passengers embarked, and were for
twelve days tossed helplessly upon the
bosom of the treacherous sea, In immi-
nent peril of being engulphed. ,.


Too strong language IN condemnation
OF the heartless greed OF those who
send such rotton crafts to sea cannot
be employed What can compensate
for the anxiety and agony OF those who
had trusted to the representations
of her owners, and sailed out from port
in the Los Angeles to be drifted about
for twelve days on the Pacific? 1t is
time for the Government to take some
steps toward correcting this monstrous
wrong. The most stringent measures
should be taken to repress the murder
ous greed of men like those who own
the Salvador and the Los Angeles. In
other words, we need Plimsoll, wit h
his shipping bill, in this country.