OCR Text |
Show PACIFIC COAST STEAMERS. The investigation of the loss , of the steamship Valencia shows that the crew were not only badly disciplined, but that there had never been a fire drill on the steamer, never a practice drill in lowering the boats, that when the crisis came the crew really knew nothing of what should be done and had no st nse of the responsibility which should have been theirs. . We suspect, too, if the fact could have been reached, the ship was short of coal, which induced ihe commander to try to reach port on that dangerous danger-ous coast when a fog was hiding even the lights from the lighthouses on shore. It is said a new set of rules has been promulgated promul-gated to insure more care on and better equipment of the coast steamers. But who is going to see to the enforcement of the new rules? Had inspectors in the past performed their duty, there would now (b'f no need of new rules. . The way steamship men on the Pacific coast have sent their ships to sea . has been a crying shame since the old Panama came up the coast in 1849. |