New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-07
THE OCEANS BRTILJ1yr FnTUPF


In the past the ocean has been subjected TO q
good deal OF serious criticism. 1t has been stig.
matized as cold, cruel, unsympathetic remorseless
treacherous. Nearly all the poets have taken a
shy at it. Shakespeare for example calling it a
thief, whose liquid surge resolves the noon into
salt tears," and Bryant insisting that it is but
"a melancholy waste AS for people who are
subject to the fn1rmity known as sea sickness,
they never tire Of expressing their stern sisap-
prevail of the ocean and of reminding themselves
for consolation that in a better world than this
where they hope ultimately to reside there
shall be more sea- If all the hard things
that have been uttered in regard to the ocean
could he collected the result would be an ency-
clopaedia Of imprecation
But better days evidently are in store for
the ocean. Captain J. p. Walker has submitted
q scheme TO the International Maritime Congress
which has only to be put into successful operation
radically to reform King Neptune and render him
one Of the most agreeable of potcntates Tho
captain does not. indeed, propose to make the
open sea bud and blossom like the rose become
rs dry as powder horn; still he stops only Just
short of performing such great tasks. If the
international Maritime Congress acts upon his sug-
gestions it will police and give variety to the
ocean from end to end with lighthouses with life
saving stations and, best of all. with hotels
rum of course, on the oceanic plan-fitted up with
telegraph offices, newspaper stands and cognate
com forts The centre link in this great chain OF
protection, to quote from the captains brief, is
10 be "a mid ocean grand harbor of refuge, WIN
its wharves, storehOuses and docks, where Shps
tempest-tossed and broken could take refuge.
and where travellers could stop if it pleased them
and take the benefit of the sea air for an in
Ill ftpfh np
definite period captain walker lurther tx
plains that connected with these houses of refuge
are to be crews which will constantly patrol
the ocean and afford communication with passing
vessels. giving them tho latest news from sea
and shore and rendering them assistance when
assistance is needed
The contracts for building the requisite number
Of deep-sea lighthouses, life-saving stations and
hotels at frequent intervals on the ocean have
not vet been let-but the international Mari
time Congress is q strictly conservative body
and so cannot be expected to move
worry fast. But whatever the Congress
may do the general public will feel that Captain
Walker has done his best to meet a great popular
want. One of the English Kings commanded the
waves Of the ocean not to advance far enough to
wet his august feet; all the same he returned from
the beach with damp socks. 1t is recorded of
crcat Roman that he threw chains into the
uellesnont with view of calming the angry
waves, Both these gentlemen acted absurdly.
T., remained for Captain Walker to organize a
more practical campaign against the vast waste of
vaters. What a godsend that midocean harbor
Of refuge will prove to scaSicll travellers 1t was
ono Of these who stormcd at the ocean as place
whore the opportunities of tying up.to some
hing were dagrantly deficient How Captain
Walker proposes to prevent his hotels, especially
that grand mid ocean one, from being washed away
whom the ocean gets in fierce fighting mood he
docs not state II is TO be presumed, however,
that he knows and has a patent on the pan 1t
Is interesting to note that pending the formal
odoption Of his scheme the members of the Con-
cross decided on the first ballot that it was "a
novel one" Next