Seeking more information about the death of New York Court of Appeals
Judge and former Congressman Rufus H. Peckham, who died in a mishap at sea
on November 22, 1873, I sought an obituary in the New York Times (on
microfilm).

I started with the date of death and scanned the news columns day after
day.  There were reports of marine disasters almost every day, but no
mention of Peckham.

Then, finally, in the paper published ten days after the event, I found
the news of the sinking of the Ville du Havre.  It was apparently one of
the largest and most advanced steamers of its day; the coverage and
commentary seems an ironic foreshadowing of the sinking of the Titanic
nearly 30 years later.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

New York Times, December 2, 1873, front page, left column:

                 AN OCEAN DISASTER

                        ---

            THE VILLE DU HAVRE SUNK--OVER
               TWO HUNDRED LIVES LOST

     The loss of the Ville du Havre is one of those dreadful accidents
incidental to sea voyages which, by the magnitude of the calamity, throws
a gloom over the public of two continents.  At London, at Paris, and
New-York the news was received almost simultaneously, and everywhere with
surprise and a feeling akin to horror.  It was an accident which seems to
discredit the statement often made that ocean traveling may be robbed of
its perils by proper precautions on the part of ship-owners and
navigators.  The lost steamer was one of the best vessels afloat.  She had
been fitted with all the latest improvements in marine engineering, both
for speed and safety; in construction and equipment, everything had been
done for her which ingenuity could suggest; her accommodations for the
comfort of her passengers were of the most complete and costly character,
and an able and experienced navigator commanded the vessel, with a crew of
picked men under him.  Nothwithstanding this, and ordinary sailing bessel,
coming down in the dead of night, strikes the ponderous steamer amidships,
and sends her almost instantly to the bottom, with four-fifths of her
living freight.  The place of this accident, according to the latest
accounts, would appear to be as nearly in mid-ocean, the fog which the
Ville du Havre had encountered having doubtless delayed her, as she left
this port on the 15th of November, and the collision occurred on the 23d
or 22d.  The weather at the time of the disaster was clear, and the
steamer had her lights up; and the fact that a large number of the
officers and crew were saved goes to prove that they were then on watch.
Under these circumstances, the cause of the collission seems a mystery.
Its fatal effect is, unhappily, too clear.  The Loch Earn was a vessel of
1,200 tons burden.  She undoubtedly was going before the wind with all
canvas set, and the crash of the collision must have been terrific.  As
the main and mizzen masts of the steamer fell a few minutes after the
crash, it is plain that all the supports of the mainmast had been wrenched
to pieces.  No element of horror seems wanting to the scene.  A heavy sea
running, a bitterly cold Winter night, falling masts, boats crushed with
their loads of frantic men and women, a vessel rapidly settling in
mid-ocean--this seems enough to appal the most courageous.  The Captain
and crew of the ill-fated steamer, and that of the Loch Earn, appear to
have done all that brave men could do to save the passengers.  There is
some doubt about the degree of damage sustained by the latter vessel, as
also of the number of survivors, still aboard.  The earlier dispatches say
she put back to Queenstown, and was dangerously injured; also, that she
transferred to the Trimountain all but three of the rescued passengers.
Later dispatches state that she continued on her voyage to this port, and
was subsequently spoken, with then of them on board.  It is possible that
some might have been picked up after the Trimoutain left the scene; at
least it may be hoped that later advices will bring some information of
this character, and thus tend to mitigate, if ever so slightly, the
horrors of this catastrophe.

[see the December 2 and succeeding issues of the NYT for column-feet of
additional details]

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