The New York Herald Newspaper, May 4, 1874, Page 3

TOR GREAT CASTAWAY How the Steamship Amerique Was Towed Into Plymouth Harbor, STORY OF THE SALVORS, Scenes on Deck and in the Cabins. ‘Love Letters, Poetry, Religion, Pop Corn and a Pack of Cards. THE DEAD CANARY. & “Last Will,” Some New York Heralds and Mysterious. Nectar. The Paris Agent’s,Account of a Total Loss, ‘THE CAPTAIN’S REPORT. : Puymours, Eng.,, April 2, 1874. - On the evening of the 18th inst. two strange steam colliers hove in sight, making for the Sound @nd having in tow a large derelict steamship, Rnown irom her build and her fore and aft red funnels, vo be one of the vessels of the Compagnie Transatiantique. At first the rumor got abroad ‘that it was the Europe, as it had been positively stated that the Amérique had foundered. By aid Oi @ poweriul glass “Amérique” was seen, painted im white letters, on the bow, and all conjecture as “to her name was thenceforth ended. The only dit culty was in trying to understand how a steamer ‘with her rigging, so taut and trim as that of the Anérique, and with her hull complete and whole ‘and by no means sitting deep in the water, could be this same unhappy vessel, whose mishaps had @lready been chronicled so graphically in the dally press, BOARDED BY A HERALD SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. A HERALD correspondent took an early oppor- tunity of boarding the derelict to obtain the salvors’ account of the rescue and to see the con- dition of an American liner’s saloon atter the pas- @engers have had precipitately to flee for their ‘lives. WHAT HE WAS TOLD BY THE SALVORS. From those in charge the following story of the galvage was obtained:—The Amérique was aban- ones in a terrific gale on Tuesday the 14th inst, Her crew and passengers were taken by three ships—the Michigan, an English vessel, bound from Naples to Callao; the Aladdin, a Norwegian, and commanded by Captain Erickson, and another vVease!, hailing from Italy. The transfer of the crew and passengers was effected without 1oss of life, @xcept in the case of the second officer, M. Garay. ‘who was drowned by the upsetting o! a boat. The Fescued, except those in the English ship, which ‘thas not yet come into port, were landed at Havre ‘and probably had not the remotest anticipation of ever seeing the Amérique again, SIGHTED AND RELIEVED. On the day following her abandonment a bark mamed the Auburn, of and .rom Sunderland, with coals for Alexandria, and a steamship, the Spray, Oaptain Clark, of West Hartlepool, from Newport, ‘With coals for Gibraltar, both sighted the Amér- ique ploughing solemnly along under canvas, with the signal of distress flying at half mast, SCENES ON BOARD, A boat’s crew from the Auburn boarded the drifting ship and there tound every evidence of the precipitate departure of the panic-stricken passengers and crew. Dinner was on the table; some of the passengers had been served, while ethers had not. In the galley savory soup was still in the coppers and some prepared dishes stood ready for service. In the staterooms every- thing was in the wildest confusion. Costly dresses Yay on the floors, books and private papers were lying around, boxes, trunks, valises and pocket- books were left lying open by tnetr owners, wno Thad in some cases apparently been “‘assisted” in the process of emptying them. PRIVATE MEMORANDA. From the private journal of her commander, found among the débris on board, it appears that the ship bad had a peculiarly favorable voyage as far as the 12th. There the journal stops. NAUTICAL SURVEY. Aparty o! seamen, with the carpenters, the en- | gineers and toe mate of the Spray, went on board the Amérique to report. They found that she ‘was built in five compartments, and con- jectured that during the gale she must bave shipped some very heavy seas over her engine room skylight or admitted immense volumes of water through three dead lights that were tound knocked in by the action of the waves in striking against her sides. That con- clusion was strengthened by the fact that they found the engine room stoke hole and coal bunker | compartment fooded with eight and a half feet of Water, which water has not since increased, Every aperture in the deck was found closed, but this vaggening down was believed to have been adopted, so far as the engine room was concerned, iter a considerable quantity of water had iound fits way into that compartment. It was clear that by the flooding of her engines she had lost the means of working her main pumps, and the other pumps appeared to have been by some as yet un- discovered cause wholly choked up. While this had been going on amidships a leak had apparently sprung in her aftermost compart- ment, from six to eight feet of water being dis- covered there at the period when first boarded by her salvors. ‘This leak, however, did not make any dangerous progress trom the Tuesday up to the Saturday evening, and the other compartments are be- Meved to be sound. ler spars, rigging, sails and steering apparatus were intact. The question, of course, had arisen 1m the mind of Captain Roussah whether, with loss Of his steam power and with pumps disabled, he ‘Was not running very serious risks in further de- taining his passengers from the shelter proffered Dy the Italian captain and the two other ships, In resolving to transfer his passengers—however foolish the step may have been in the eyes of nau- tical men—it is right that it should be accredited $0 its proper motive, viz., @ humane desire for the saiety of bis passengers. TAKING POSSESSION. Captain Clark arranged with the captain of the Darque that what help he required would be read- fly granted him; and William Brown, the boat- swain, and Edward Cole, an qble seaman of the Darque Auburn, were leit on board the Amérique, ‘while the bark proceeded on her voyage. ‘The whole of the Amérique’s boats had been wong off her upper deck trom their chocks, and carried away with the crew, with the exception ofa small gig that happened to be left hanging to the davits. Part of the crew of the Spray was gent on board the Amérique to utilize some of her large Warps, snd one of these being bent to one of her cavles, the other ond was taken on board the Spray, and at 2 P. M. on Wednesday, the 16th, she commencea TO TOW THE DERELICT, heading her coarse for Bre: Atcignt P. M., the weather looking threatening, Captain Clark had his consort’s foretopsat, fore. nail, jib and forestaysall set, helm lashed, and re. cajled the men to the Spray until daylignt. At four A. M. Tharsday. Mr, Cooper, the firat crew and the Spray continued to tow and make all Possible haste for During the morning, White shifting the position of the Amérique’s port cable, from which the Spray was towing, the whole of the cable slipped out and Captain Clark. was obliged to cut it away and get out a iresh tow warp. . MORE HELP. ‘At this stage, very fortunately, another steamer hove in sight aud made haste to the rescue. She proved to be the F. T. Barry, of London, from Pom- aron with tron ore for Garston, Captain Clark made arrangements for using this new and wel- come aid, and both the steamers kept towing towards Brest till four that afternoon. FOR AN ENGLISH PORT AND MOORED. Hitherto the wind’ had been from the north- ward, but it was now shifted to the westward and it was resolved to tow for Plymouth. All through Thursday night, Friday and Friday nignt the towing was continned—a monotonous, weary kind of work, which wasn’t once relieved by any incident of @ more serious character than the occasional breakage of warps. Twenty miles southwest of the iddystone, at & A. M. on Satur- day/’a pilot was tdken from the Plymouth pilot cutter Whisper, afd in the afternoon, on the steamer’s nearing the breakwater at Plymouth, the Spray ceased to tow. Subsequently the F, T. Barry and the Sir Francis Drake, steam tender, towed the derelict to @ buoy mooring in the Sound. Eyto Saah PUMPED OUT. On Saturday night two hand-pumps were bor- rowed—one from Messrs. Bayley and Fox and the other from Mr. Shilston—and set to work with a gang of men from the shore. The water, how- ever, gained on them rather than otherwise and since the vessel came to an anchor the influx of water bas been found, from un- explained causes, to have been increasing. Soundings were taken yesterday morning, in the after compartment, which gave an increase of two inches per bour, an influx that would have eflectually prevented the derelict reaching Ply- mouth had it existed between Wednesday and Saturday, The band-pumps having been found completely ineffectual, the London and Liverpool and Globe steam fire engine was taken on board the Amérique yeaterday afternoon im order that steam power might be applied. ‘ HISTORY OF THE UNFORTUNATE, ‘The vessel and her machinery are English. She is one of four vessels that were formerly paddie boats, but have been lengthened and converted into screw-boats by Messrs, Andrew Leslie & Coy, of Hepburn-on-Tyne, New engines were also sup- plied this year to the Amérique, furnished by the Messrs. Maudslay Sons and Field, of London, VALUE OF THR SEA WAIF, Tne derelict and cargo are estimated as worth Uttle less than £800,000 sterling. There is at present a dispute between the three salvor ships, merit of saving the steamer, SCENES IN THE SALOON AND STATE CABINS, On entering the saloon the HeRacp correspond- ent noticed the piano open, and the piece of music which some one had been playing was “Ah! Che la Morte,” and the English words of the aria were “Ah, I Have Sighed to Rest Me.’? The piece was mscribed Camille Beda, Strauss’ ‘Les Mille et une Nuits’? were also among tne pieces of music resting on the pianolorte. In the staterooms pants, slippers, boots, chemises, neckties, guide boos and letters and newspapers lay huddled together in inex:ricable confusion, telling with how great dismay and precipitancy the general stampede had been effected. & LOVE LETTER, One ietter I picked up was.in French, and the first sentence that caugnt my eye showed that it was from @ young lady to her sweetheart. ‘Je nai pas hate dememarier” she had written, and she had given sundry cogent “reasons why,” which made her letter interesting and sparkling as a letter of Alexander Dumas fils. It was sach a letter as he might have written and La Désclée have deciaimed. It bore no signature, HYMNS, In one stateroom I found s book of psalms and hymns resting open on a Saratoga trunk, as if some one had been kneeling before it. The book was open at the following hymn :— Father divine, the Saviour cried, While troubles pressed on every vide, And progirate on the ground he lay, Remove this bister cup away. WHICH TO CHOOSE. A new testament bearing the date of 1872, lay in strange proximity toa pack of cards in another | stateroom. A “Paroissien Romain” lay open at | page 624, where was written the prayer, “dans un temps de pénitence ou de calamité,”” POP CORN. Temoved one’s thoughts for a moment from she briny ocean to the ripe golden harvest fields of | the far, West. THE NEWS UNIVERSAL, Several copies of the New York HERALD of April 4, (the day of the sailing of the Amérique), were lying around. Taking up a number! found that it contamed Mr. Stanley’s letter to the Daily News on Livingstone. Py A French paper of 24 April, the Franco-Améri- can, I think, lay beside the HERALD, The French- man’s leading article was on “La Comedie de Chiselnurst.” A “LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, ’? | Written In French, in a beautiful band and bearing date the 2d of April, two days before the depar- | ture of the ship, lay on the top of a small trunk. Whether there by mistake or design I cannot say. FROM A LaDy. Another letter I picked up, in @ young lady’s handwriting, was addressed to “fon cher petit Jrere,” and told ‘‘C’est notre septiéme jour en mer que 94 doit paraitre long,” and concluded, “4 demain, mon cher frere.” A JOLLY TIME. The Coastguardsmen in charge were mtting in the smoking room, luxuriating in cane-backed rocking chairs, .The distress signals are lying at their feet, and dozens of Moet and Chandon stand on the table, whose necks have been wrenched off betaken himself to breaking the necks of the bottles, so as not to be deirauded of the sweet po- smoking room in confusion. THE DEAD CANARY. A cage of canaries supplied the only pathetic incident in the room. There had been three young nurselings in the hen canary'’s nest, and one of them lies on the floor dead, @ victim, provably, to the wild hurry-scurry excitement of the last few days incident to the desertion of the ship. Another cage contained two redheaded cardi- nals, who hop from perch to perch of their pretty palace in the most jovial of spirits, THE NECTAR OF JACK TAR, One old tar has just summoded his pals to read the label on a bottle he has jonnd. The myetic ' words are ‘Vieux Rhum.” It seems to be received with as much ceremony as @ message from the gods. Genuine nectar from Olympas would not have been one-half so welcome. Special Interview with the Secretary of the Transatlantic Company, Mr. George Le Roy—A Surprise for Paris and an Astonisher for Huvre, PARIS, April 20, 1874, As goon as the report of the totai loss oj the Amérique reached Paris 1 called upon Mr. George | Le Roy, Secretary of the General Transatlantic Company, at his ofilces, No. 4 Rue de ja Paix, and found him a very courteous and much-enduring gentleman. M, Le Roy, like most of the persons who are called men of business, in thi hard times appears to pass the greater part of his life in opening telegrams, and how much of it may re- main for thought and action ts a question which probably some “man of business” will one day ask of himself or his correspondents. MR. LE ROY’S STATEMENT, Here is @ summary of the statement made to me by Mr. Le Roy respecting the reported joss of the Amérique. It was delivered in jerks and gasps, between taking up ope telegram and putting down another, rather than in the form of a coherent narrative. But lam sure that the Secretary bad every desire to furnish me with all the informa. each wishing the pre-eminence in the order of the | “Gems from Verdi” aud | | Allittle package of pop corn in this stateroom | in @ very primative, but well-known | manner; all which seems to say that | Jack, in default of @ corkscrew, had tations they contained. Cards lay around the’ | fitth and seventh art tion he faa received, and that he was fully aware of the anxiety with which the public upon both sides of the Atlantic would Gt the account of this ghird disaster which nas recently smitten the Tranésatiantic Company in the columns of the New YoRE HERALD, “The Amérique.’ gasped the Secretary, with a Geprecatory bow and a smile cut short in the mid- dle by the contents of a telegram, “cleared from New York on the 4th of April, She had good weather and a quick passage till the 13th.” Here Mr. Le Roy would have given me the other half of the divided smile, but the office porter came in with @ telegram just as he was going to do tt. Still he talked on, so to say, by rote, aud as if he were repeating a lesson, with absent-minded, but laborions accuracy. “Qo the morning of the 13th the passengers were awakened by @ stiff breeze from the west. There was avery heavy sea. At two o'clock P. M. the wind changed to north-northwest and rose into a gale. The ship was struck by an immense wave 116 miles from Brest, and the water swept over her, doing some damage. Captain Roussan, in whom | the company has great confidence, showed cour- age and judgment in thisdanger. He wisely fore- bore to alarm the passengers, who were kept in complete ignorance of their pert) as long as there remained a bope of saving the snip, During the afternoon the gale continued to increase in vio- lence, The ship rolled fearfully, and does not seem to have behaved well, The struggle with the elements lasted all day, and at seven in the evening the water got into she engines and cabins. A terriole hurricane now raged. Still the officers and crew behaved admirably. Three times the fires were extinguished by the sea and three times Trelignted, the engineers groping up to their waista in water for coal. “On the marning of the 14th the weather became calmer for @short time, and all hands were or- dered to the pumps. Their efforts, though vigor- ous and well directed, ware vain. The water con- tinued rising. The engines of the Amérique stopped at ten o’clock on the morning of the 14th, and it ‘was found impossible to lignt the fires again. The Captain now suspected that there was a leak; but, afier careful examination, no leak could be discov- ered. The Chief Engineer showed a high sense of duty and repeatedly risked his life without results. The engines were swamped and drowned in salt water. Nevertheless, all hands remained steadily at the pumps. But the gale returned with re- doubled fury, and towards nine in the evening the ship could be scarcely Kept afloat by the most heroic exertions, “At one o'clock A. M. on the 15th the Eliza Quel- rolo, Captain Gaggiono, from Genoa, sighted the Amérique and exchanged telegraphic signals with her. Then, but not till then, Captain Roussan assembled the passengers and told them the vessel was sinking. The passengers were as much surprised ag terrified by this unexpected announcement; but the Captain raised their spirits, distributed swimming belts among them, and told them they would be all saved, The women. children and sick were first sent away; and though the boats in which they embarked were small and there was a mountainous sea, 80 strict was the order and dis- cipline which prevatied that not one of the passen- gers’ lives was lost. A few only were bruised, and all passed over without accident till seven o'clock. Unfortunately, as every one was rejoicing over this deliverance {rom a watery death, M. Garay, our Second Captain, who had courageously remained till the Jast on board his ship, was swept off and drowned. We have no other fatality to deplore; and M. Garay seems to have been predestined to meet bis sad fate. He escaped only by a miracle from the wreck of the Ville du Havre, Unhappily, his destiny overtook him in the Amérique. “While the passengers were being transshipped to the Eliza Queirolo the Norwegian vessel Aladdin hove in sight and received some of them; @ Britieh vessel also took afew. The precise time at which the Amérique sunk is unknown, so deep was the darkness and so fierce the tempest round her. ‘the whole of the cargo and most of the passengers’ baggage are lost. The French law courts, as shown-in the case of Risk Allan, will not enforce any claim for indemnity. Indemnities would only have been re. coverable had the passengers been obliged to put back to New York. Now that we have had them conveyed to their destination they have no further demands on us, the tribunal having decided that they must bear their part in our common loss be- cause they might each and ail have effected separate insurances had they thought it pradent to do Bo. “Nevertheless the company has considered their case liberally, and has given to each passenger a sum varying between 200 and 300 francs, notasa right, but as @ gratuity. The total amount of their gratuity is about 24,000 francs, Nothing has been definitely ascertained of the probable canse of this disaster. It ts @ paimfol mystery. For twelve yeurs the company’s ships never met with @ single accident, and we have taken 160,000 passengers to New York and the Antilles without losing a life, On the pres- ent melancholy occasion no blame whatever at- taches to the officers, The company can only ex- | Press ‘es plus grands éloges’ (the highest pos- sible praise) of their daring and prudence. More- over, no blame whatever can tall upon the com- pany which I have the honor to represent, because it took all possible precautions to avert what has happened. I will send for the certificates of classi- fication both of the Amérique and the Europe, They shall be delivered to you in an hour. The company is only anxious that the truth should be known as widely as possible.” The Secretary kept his word, and I subjoin the certificate of the Amérique :— Venitas INTERNATIONAL REGISTER FOR CLASSIFICATION OF ‘Vxssehs—EstaBLishkp 1823, Commrrrae oF Direction, Bausswus, 18 Kue Koval. "$ CRRTIFICATE OF CLARSIFICATION—INON VESSELS. The undersigned, Surveyor of the Veritas, certify hereby tat the French steamer Amerique, Lemaris master, Compagnie Weneraic Transatlantique owner, 4594-3117 tons, G.0-2000 nowinal horse | ower, Duut of iron by —at St. Nazaire, in the year 1865, beionging to the port of Havre, has been surveyea on the — December and lound to be in'a gond and efficient state and fit to carcy dry and perishable cargoes. e registered tn the Veritas 3-3L ‘The said vewse! suall Min the drst division. ‘This certitteate is granted under the conditions of the ft the rules of whieh the tol- lowing is an extract :—"Tne continuance of the charactor assigned depends upon occus.onal surveys, at least once im every tour years; in case of damage the vessel must be submitted fo a new survey; where this is not attended Re gine tee, fe Hey brite occa thea at ivered by authority of the committee at Brussel the zth of January, 1374, 3 ‘The 'Sub-Manager EDWARD BARROW. The certificate of the Europe was similar, except, of course, as to date, horse power, &c. STARTLING NEWS, It now becomes my duty to relate what fol- | lowed, On Sunday morning, April 19, I received three startling telegrams. The first was from Lieu- tenant Bouteiller, a French naval officer, whom I had employed in consequence of orders irom New York to make a iull report of the sailors’ view of the loss of the Amérique. Here is Lieutenant Bouteiller’s telegram (rom Havre, whither he had, proceeded, as the real neadquarters of the Trans- | atlantic Company :— Havre, April 18, 1874. Public sentiment, particularly among the sea- faring, 18 mantiiestly hostiie to the company. Accusations of administrative tncapacity and wastefulness are widely made, ANOTHER MEBSAGP, ” About an hour afterwards I received the follow- ing telegram from the special correspondent of the New YoRK HERALD at Plymouth :— PLYMOUTH, April 18—Evening, Derelict steamer Amérique towed into this port by two Bristol steamers. STILL ANOTHER, Ten minutes more elapsed and in came the third | telegram irom Lieutenant Bouteiller:— Havre, April 19—Morning. The Amérique has been brought into Plymouth | by two English steamers, Thia news, which has | just been placarded, causes astonishment and | emotion, ENOUGH SAID. Thad collected a grewt deal of other information regarding the loss of the Amérique; but there are precisely three hundred and sixty-five reasons why Ido not give it. The tirst of those reasons ts that it possibly might appear superfluous; ana an expe- tienced iriend has assured me, in confidence, from an intimate Knowledge of public spirit, thas it will be unnecessary to give the reat, Captain Roussan’s Report. PARIS, April 19, 1874, that document it appears that all went well unti: the 13ta inst.,at noon, whea he was in 48 deg, 80 min. north latitude and 9 deg, 64 min, west longi- tude, The sky was then menacing, the wind, before furious, had increased to 4 uurricane, while the sea was horrible to witness, The steamer, how- ever, behaved admiranly; but about six o’clock in the evening it was observed that the Immense waves had two different directions, which atrained the vessel seriously, while the masses of water whieh jell on the deck demolished everything and penetrated to the furnaces, {he gratings were then covered with thick sailcloths. He con- tpues:— = 1 was shortly afterwards informed by M. Keesen, chief engineer, that the water was tu- grecaeag in the engine and furnace rooms. Assi by big men te lavored wituout relaxa- tion and with posi and e the situation. of our persevering efforts the state of tuings did not grow worse until about tour in the morsing of the 14th, The height of water tn the stokehole had seemed to remain the same, but the fact now became evident that we had a leak, and that ir was assuming dan- gerous proportions. The engineer, notwithstand- ing the means employed, could no longer suflice with all his staf, whom be animated with his courageous example. THE FIRES BECAME EXTINGUISHED as the water reached the furnaces one after the other, All the seamen and ali the servants were utilized, and each one rivailed with the others in geal All was in vain, and the water continued to ain OD us rapidiy. My Second Leutenant, M. ard, informed me that a vessel was near and coming in our direction. 1 had hoisted the Sa “Please remain in sight.”. 1t was unders by the captain, and wiule we redouvied our efforts he | employed the most able manavres to keep at a | short distance under close reefed topsails. At about five o’clock all hope of saving the Amérique was gone; she was visibly going down forward her stern was so gh out of water that we could see the nave of her screw, and the 1u- clination to larboard was enormous, I then as- sempbied my officers, and all DECIDED ON ABANDONING IMMEDIATELY our aplendid but unfortunate steamer; conse- quently, in despair, I ordered the boats to be launched; the operation was difficult, for the sea Was enormously high and the wind still violent; nevertheless, It was elected with order and intelli- gence, and, I will add, with perfect obedience; auring that time all the passengers provided them- selves with swimming belts; the boats ranged themselves alongside at @ proper distance, und every one ap. roached in order to embark in turn; the long-boat was kept apart from the rest so as tu heip those who might nave failen into the sea. In the meantime, two other ships were sent to us by Providence, an Baglish and a Norwegian. Tho rescue commenced at hall-past five with the women and children; at half-past eight I was the last to quit the vessel. with M. Keesen, chief engineer, my second, Mr. Garray, and M. Vie, com- missary. Belore we embarked M. Keesen and I took a final and rapid survey oi (he sinking ship; we estimated at five metres in depth the water in the engine room. THE CATASTROPHE WAS FAST APPROACHING, and on leaving the deck we observed, in spite of the darkness of night, that the water was ap- proaching the port holes of the great saloon, The result, of the inquiry will show with what success and coolness the rescue was effected, and In what weather. I hi that justtce will be rendered to my brave and devoted officers. MY UNFORTUNATE 8RCOND, M. GABRAY, in trying to get on board the Elisa Queroio tell into the sea, and ail the efforts made to save him were fruitiess. I propose to make a special report’ about the worthy conduct of the captain of the Italian ship who landed us, 186 in number, at Brest on the 16th inst.; at the same date the Norwegian, two hours aiter, disembarked forty passengers at that port; the English vessel oniy, which had but four, nad not yet appeared, ROUSSAN. Brest, April 17, 1874. Discussing the Catastaophe in Havre. HAVRE, April 19, 1874. , Having been requested, as an oilicer of the im- perial navy, to ascertain the causes of the loss of the steamer Amérique I went immediately to Havre, in order that 1 might be in a position to gather the injormation I was inatructea to pro- cure. Havre 18, in fact, the head of the Trans- atlantic Company’s line. It is there the company has its principal agency and the largest stores; 16 isthere it recruits the crews and officers of its steamers, For these reasons 1 thought myself justified in considering this port as a good centre of information. The city, when I arrived yesterday evening, was in a state of great excitement. Around the tables in the oayés and restaurants, on the promenades, in all the places of public resort, groups of people were discussing with amimation. The population of alarge seaport constitutes a large family, and the misiortune which befalls one or other of its members 1s keenly felt by the whole community. In the midst of an emotion so general and aggra- vated by circumstances of local hardship the truth is hard to be got at. Is it. an unheard-of fatality jor wnich no one is responsible, or should the Transatlantic Steamship Company be held guilty of msufMcient watchfulness? These aro the two questions to be solved, and if it is hard to bejieve that chance has been the only actor in the three maritime dramas which have succeeded one another im the space of four months, on the other hand it is equally hard to think that a company 80 powerful and respected as the Transatlantic Steamship Company could sin by negligence in the very sight of those who entrust it with their Merchandise, their fortunes and their lives, Also there is evidently reason to refuse to take for true all that is said against the company. Public opinion may reproach it with having given the alteration of the steamers to ship- yards, where this kind of work 1s not so well done as in other parts of England. It is said the company was informed by many of tNe captains of the bud state of the halis of the steamers and ought to have paid attention to their warnings. At all events, an inquiry will alone establish how far it 1s just to attribute the responsibility of events that have affected the town in its local vanity to the want of care in some and the in- capacity of others, more than on the state of the sea and the force of the wind. In the meantime the news of the recovery of the Amérique by two English steamers, and the tn- formation brought by the offers and sailors of the abandoned stip, who have just arrived at the railway station, have revived the angry passions. ‘fo a certain extent the information at and appar- ently justifies the opinions expressed as to the in- sufficiency of the work of lengthening done tn England. The general opinion is that the leak was caused by the opening of the rivets, From the same information it results equally, according to my view, that at the moment of the rescue of the | passengers the sea had considerably diminished in | its fury, and that if the crew of the Amérique had not been under the very natural impression caused by the remembrance of the fate of the Ville du Havre they would perhaps haye remained on their | ship after transfeiring her passengers. At the moment when Lieutenant Garray was about to mount the side of the Italian ship he was struck by an oar. Holding on toa boat after hie fall imto the water, he wason tue point of being saved, when @ wave obliged him to let go the rope which had been thrown to him. He then sunk, and did not come again tothe surface. He leaves behind hima young wife and three young daughters, the eldest six years of age and the youngest eight months. The day the news arrived of his loss Mme. Garray had organized a children’s party to welcome her husband, who was expected in the evening. The Famous Castaway Anchored in French Waters. Havre, May 3, 1874. The French Transatlantic steamer Amérique ar- | rived in this harbor to-day from Portsmouth, PIO NONO COLLEGE. | taytag of the Corner Stone of the Largest Catholic School in the South. | Macon, Ga., May 8, 1874, The ceremony of laying the corner stone of Pio Nono College took place at three o'clock this after- noon, in the presence of a vast concourse of people. The procession consisted of the Right | Rev. T. W. H. Gross, Bishop of Georgia, with a | retinue of priests; the Mayor and Council of Macon, and twenty-five religious, civic and milt- tary societies. People were present from all parts of the State and the city iscrowded, Rain com- menced falling about the time of the ceremony, — which closed with @ Drief iorm of biessing tie | corner stoue. The college will be by far the iargest | Catholic college in the South, ROMAN OATHOLIO GONVOOATION, CINCINNATI, Ohio, May 3. Archbishops McCloskey of New York, Bayley of Baltimore, and Wood of Philadelphia; Bishops | Mcvluskey of Louisv.lle, O'Connor of Philadelphia; Captain Ronssan has made an official state- ment of the abandonment of the Amérigue. From | , and Reve, James O’Rielly and A.J, McDonough of Poiladeiphia, have arrived here to attend the con- voeation of Roman Vatholic bishops thia week. WASHINGTON. The Inflationists Increas- ing Their Demands. EFFORTS FOR A COMPROM The Ways and Means Committee on the Moiety Monstrosity. WASHINGTON, May 8, 1874. The Inflationists Stubbornly Resolved to Repeat Their Defeat—A Worse In- flation Bill Preparing. Frequent consultations continue to be held by the Senators favoring an increase in the currency | circulation, but what will be the provisions of the measure to be created has not been decided on by them. On this head it appears that they have re- solved upon the closest reticence, evidently adopt- ing the policy that 1t will be wiser in them to avoid “snowing their hands’ until the result of the deliberations had can be placed before the Senate with timely propriety, joined with the determined assertion of their opinions, which are controtied, | as they earnestly contend, by a desire to promote the welfare of the larger and more important sections of the country, which they say are in its intertor. They maintain that the most important portion of it is in the producing sections, and they are in openiy avowed hostility to the money centres of the East- era and Middle Sta! They complain of the mis- representations of the press as to the feelings of the majority division of the Senate on finance, The reports of attacks which they have decided to make on the President ana of asplit in the party one of their most prominent leaders positively as- serts are without foundation, The gentlemen who have taken the positions heretofore held by them, favoring increased currency, are going to stand by them and defend their votes to the last, The policy of the increase of the currency will be persevered in, and they expect. to get a bill before the debate is over securing @ larger increase than that in the bill which the President vetoed. This is stated authoritatively. Serious apprehensions are entertained by eminent and poweriul party men in the House as to the result of the stubborn- ness and persistency which they discover to exist with their brother magnates in repubdkican Party, as herein signified, and one of them, who has studiously been at work in the Senate to secure the adoption of a harmonious, if not a compromise, measure, has well nigh given it up in despair, and believes that nothing will be done on the finances this session, which belief is largely shared in by others, and he thinks perhaps, after all, it would be the best plan, as our revenues are improving, and can be further augmented, if necessary. The Currency Question—Revenue Re- ceipts Increasing—Government Fi- nanees Brighter. The order to sell $5,000,000 of gold during the month of May will yield the Treasury, it is be- lieved, nearly $6,000,000 of currency, During this’ month the internal revenue receipts will be un- usually large, between ‘$5,000,000 and $6,000,000 coming from the renewal of annual special licenses, which, with the ordinary estimate, will Make the total receipts from tus source fully $13,000,000, ‘There was on hand @ currency bal- ance at the beginning of the month of over $5,000,000, This, with the amount Teceived irom the sale of gold, internal revenue receipts and miscellaneous sources, will give the Secretary of the Treasury @ currency fund during the month of May of $25,000,000, The passage of the Deficiency Appropriation bill, which is ex- pected this month, will require $3,200,000. The other expenditures of the government will not vary much from the month of April. With this large accumulation of currency the Secretary will begin to reduce the outstanding legal tender cir- culation, NOW $382,000,000, and it is thought ke. may be able to bring it down to $377,000,000, per- haps $2,000,000 less than this amount. This the Secretary of the Treasury is bound to do, under his construction of the law, the only ground for drawing upon the $44,000,000 reserve being to meet existing obligations, and whenever the re- ceipts exceed the requirements of the government then the amount is to be reduced to the minimum Of $356,000,000, Greenbacks and Their Preparation at the Treasury. In future issues of greenbacks, by order of the Secretary of the Treasury the words “United States legal tender note” and “Treasury note” are to be omitted and the title changed to “United States notes,” that being, in the opinion of Mr. Richardson, the requirement of the law. The new $500 bill, ready for issue this month, will havea vignette of ueneral Mansfield on the right, and on the left an elaborate vignette of Peace. The new $50 note will have a vignette of Franklin and the Goddess of Liberty, the latter being considered a remarkable specimen of engraving. The new twenty-five cent note will coniorm in size to the new series, of which the ten and fifty cent notes gre already in circulation, and will be is- sued as soon as the Treasurer makes a requisition for fractional currency of this denom- ination, Instructions have been issuea for the im- ‘mediate preparation of @ vignette of Cnaries Sumner. Free Banking with Redemption in Legal Tenders, Convertible into Gold or Gold Bonds. The Senate Finance Committee have been indns- triously at work as heretofore on @ bill, which be- ing agreed upon by the members, they could at once present to the Senate, and at yesterday's session, Which was of an earnest and exhaustive character, they discussed very fully the general views as well as those of each member, They have not yet finally agreed so as to be ablé to report, butit 1s understood that the committee have ar- rived substantially at the following conclusions :— First, free banking with redemption in legal tenders, five per cent to be held at the United States Treasury as a perpetual reserve, and all other reserves on supporting the circulation to be released ; second, the reserve on deposits to be continued the same as now, but to be kept in the vaults of the banks; third, retirement of greenbacks at the rate of fifty per cent on the amount of national bank notes to be issued to the new banking associations to be organized under the law, until the sum of greenbacks in circula- tion shall be reduced to $300,000,000.. In regard to the redemption of greenbacks the committee have reached no definite conclusion, but it seems probawle tnat the majority will favor Senator Sherman’s originai pian of redeeming in | gold or in five per cent gold bonds, at the option of the government, the date of redemption to be hereatter fixed upon. A Government Sales of Gold. ' The sales of gold for the month of May will be as follows:—On the first and third Thursdays, $1,500,000 each day, and on the second and fourth ‘Thursdays $1,000,000 each day, making $5,000,000 1 all. The Moiety Evil—Severe Strictures on Ex-Secretary Boutwell. In view of the announcement made by ex-Gov- ernor Fenton in the Senate, that he would move to discharge the Committee of Commerce from the further consideration of the Customs Service bill, | which was introduced by him, it 18 expected that he will on to-morrow discuss the whole moiety | question, which is attracting 80 much at- | tention in the House, and relative to which it is known that the coming report of the Committee on Ways and Means will refect severely on the management of the Treasury Department, In this connection Mr. Patterson, of Philadelphia, ‘Treasury, Was cautioned by his friends not to ac. cept the appointment until it was seen what would be the tenor of said report on that department. The Report on the Sanborn Contracts. ‘The Committee on Ways and Means will to-mor- to whom was offered the Secretaryship of the | The Committee on Ways and Means— | recite the law, and give narrative of the trane- actions under it, as derived irom the testimony. ‘The Kelsey contract, being the first that was’ made, is given at jength as a specimen of all the contracts, that with Sanborn included, tie phrase- ology of ail of them being similar. They discuss she order, given under the signature of Secretary Boutwell, addressed to Assessors ana Collectors: of Internal Revenue, directing them to assist the several contractors in, such way as they may ask in the examination of their books. It will be recollected that Secretary Boutwell, in his receny testimony before the committee, stood vy this order as right and proper, saying it merely allowed them to see the records with reference to persons who withheld taxes due the government 80 as to avoid going after those who had paid their taxes. But, without alluding to this testimony, the committee condemn the order on the ground that imstead of the internal revenue officers assisting Sanborn aud others the latter should have assisted the officers. The committee find some fault with the unsatis~ factory character of the evidence of the officers of the Treasury Department, some of them having endeavored to evade the responsibility connected with the preparation and making of the contracts, The first contract of the kind was made under Secretary Boutwell, and the present Secretary of the Treasury and his subordinate officers merely carried out the policy. The committee do not ind that any of these officers wore in what they did influenced by any corrupt personal motive, and in the conclusion of the reports the committee recommended repeal of the law under which the contracts were mado, and that the contracts be annulled, The Civil Service Commission—No Ap- propriation Expected. Much dissatisfaction prevails throughout the Treasury Department over the fact that im the re- cent report of the Civil Service Commission, im quoting the statements of the heads of Bureaus only garbled extracts from them have been given, which make it appear that they nave expressed entirely different views from those contained in their communications taken as a whole, A resolu- tion will be offered calling tor the full text of the communications, so that the country can see what the exact impressions are on the workings of the Civil Service law. It is said that the usual appro- Priation will not be made for the Commission, and that members of Congress, generally, are heartily sick and ured of its workings, especially some who are sitting in judgment on it, but do not wiat to commit themselves now. The Question of the Adjournment of Congress—Accumulated Business De- ~ sanding Action. Mr. Dawes, chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, will to-morrow offer in the House @ | Joint resolution providing for an adjournment of June 1, which will be amended by postponing the day of adjournment ll the 20th of June, The Senate has invariably allowed such resolutions to remain unacted upon for weeks, thereby defeating the object of hastening legislation without. the @pecified time. The House Judiciary Committee have not yet taken any action in the case of sudge: Durell or Judge Busteed, and it is the impression, that nothing will be done. The labors’ o! the sub- committee charged with procuring evidence ended in filing @ mase of printed testimony for future: reference; but, should there be @ report in the case of Busieed and the House should sustain the articles reported, the session would be prolonged. until the middie of July, as courts of impeachment are long and tedious, and legislation would be blocked until tne case was disposed of, Not one of the appropriation bills has becn finally disposed’ of, the Senate amendments to those already passed the House reguiring now & con~ ference committee, The Indian Appropriation bill 1s now under consideration, leaving the Military Academy, Deficiency, Post Office, Consiiar and Pension bills to be acted upon by the House. The Navy, Army and Fortification bills have been acted upon by the Senate, The Legislative, Executive: and Judicial Appropriation bills betng now in the hands of the Senate Appropriation Committee, the: Geneva Award Dill, the reduction of the army, bankraptcy and other important measures will te acted upon this session. Inter-State Trapt portation bill is before the Senate, but aa it is at. vaniance with the report of the Senate conrmittee it will not be considered in that form. This makes legislation for the grange element also out of the: question this session. The bill to change tue mode- of electing the President and Vice President wiil also be pressed for action before the session enda. The financial measure,’ whenever it comes up. again, 18 not likely to consume so much time in the elaboration of opinions asin expressions of what will be the political effect if something is not done to gratify the South and West. Vice President Wilson’s Health, Labors and Movements. Vice President Wilson will leave this city on ‘Tuesday for his home, and ve guided further as to his movements in pursuit of restored health by the directions of his physicians, whether he shail go to Europe or California. His preferences lead to the latter choice. He has finished and put in press two volumes of his book aud will complete the third this summer, which will bring his work historically down to the final action on the Civil Service law. He 1s greatly improved tn health, and says that he could work at his writings three hours a day now, if necessary. THE SUPREME OOURT, Adjournment To-Day Until October— Cases on Trial—Decisions To Be Made. WASHINGTON, May 3, 1874. After a week spent in the preparation of opintona on cases to be decided before the close of the term, the Supreme Court will meet to-morrow for their delivery, and finally adjourn to the day appointed by law, namely, the second Monday in October next, when the reading shall have been concluded. A great many cases remain to be decided, but, as numbers of them will follow {the decisions in cer- tain important cases, probably not more than twenty-five or thirty opinions wil! be required: to dispose of the list. Among those which remain. are the late 20 per cen* cases, involving the ques- tion whether the act of 1867, increasing the pay in the civil service, applies to teamsters, laborers, &c., employed by the army commandants, mechan- 1cs employed in navy yards and other like em- loyés of the government working under contracts jor the departments, or ts limited to those only who have regular appointments made directly in ursuance of law oF tudirectiy by appropriations, , c. A number of claims to Spanish land titles im Louisiana will also ve decided, among which is one of Caleb Cushing; and also various confiaca- tion and other cases to which the government is @ party. FOREIGN TRADE. Excess of Exports over Imports. WASHINGTON, May 3, 1874, OMcial returns made to and compiled by the Bureau of Statistics show a remarkable improves ment in our foreign trade for the six months ended December 31, 1873, a8 compared with the: corresponding period of 1872, Dr, Young turnishe# the following report | Domestic, Imports, | Pzporte are | Paes. | Fea “Carried as follows :— Foreign veges {1 te } Land venicles. ~@iassified as follow Specie and bul- |. | 13,500,196) s448eus4) | $6,087,291 Merchandise. ‘$ 310,830,077] 7,207,084) 6,201,168 } eae ies fuera} 21,828,098) 228,645,220) 648,002 | Merchandise 1] 263,491,915] 268,014,925) 8.814054 Allowing ior the differeace In the warehouse, | &e., the exporia Jor the #ix months ended Decem: ber’ 31, 1673, ex: ceded the imports by $28,277 483 5 while for the corresponding pore of 1872 the im- xceeded the exports by $42,206,062. (Or tnt water during the 81% taontns ende 873, seveventy-lonr per cent wag Tow make @report on what is called the Sanborn cases, So far as cin be verbally ascertained they n Vessels as compared with tweuty: ix months ended Decomber December carried in fore! H kt cont for + | Bh.