The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-08
SEVENTEEN KNOTS In FOG.
IS man SPEED SAFEST AMID ICE
EOR 1UIN SCREW BoATSP
a Passenger ny the Normnnuia Lays the
Escape to Providence Rather thHh 10
the InutnIn-Cnpt. Hcbich'H ReioindeF.


Ancw and important point regarding the
sperd of steamships in n fog is raised by the
wonderful experience OF the Nornlannta on her
recent trip When she encountered the Ice
berg undpr circumstances which almost TO
certainty would have sent any single screw
ship to the bottom. she was running ut speed
of about sc eutecn kuots. When the erE was
sighted sho was turned almost mt right angles
with hcrCoUIse within her own length by reNers-
ing ono OF her screws and throwing tho heim
over. 1t was narrow escape, and to some OF the
passengers 1t seemed all The more narrow on
account of the high speed ut which the ship
wa, ruuu'ng. That this was the opinion OF
number ofthose on board Is shown by state
ment which has been sent to The SUN by Mr'
b. b. Bagley President Of the Christian Lttera-
ture Company at 80 Broad street who was one
OF the passengers. Mr.. Bagley writes:
"As one OF the passengers OF the snip NOT
MAMMA, and expressing the sentiments oL
goodly number Of others. feel In duty pound
to question the accuracy Of the statements
contained in the article on the voyage In IHh
sun During the day OF May q we had peen
constantly passing large icepergs' anu ~
stated in your article. shortly before b O'CLOCK
entered dense bank Of fog 1t was remarked
among several OF the passengers. to my certain
knowledge, that apparently the SHIPS speed
was not slackened at all, and as 1t was impos-
sible to see ahead ships length. and as IL
was clearly evident from the chilly atmosphere
that we were still surrounded by icebergs, the
wisdom Of the Captains course IN keeping the
ship at nearly full speed was questioned By
very many. BY actual count the engine was
making eiGhty-fve revolutions minute
While we were at dinner the ship coided with
an iceberg in the manner stated In your paper.
1t was the opinion Of many that We had provt-
dentally escaped a most appalling accident
md VT n ~ n
mind or bravery on the part Of the CAPTAIN. I
do not wish to insinuate that he did not do
everything in his power. but do think that 10
is due the public to know that very many OF
the passengers questioned the wisdom OF the
Captain in taking the extreme northerly course
that he did. and Of, his running the boat AZ
practically full speed in a dense fog. / am Of
the course which the ship took, you will find ID
g far more nE9rtherly one than is taken b. the
The night before we arrived. in New York
r0 BY those Having
financial interest in the, company. as l was
passengers pass; to cable the Hamburg American
Company. at Hamburg. commenting the CAP
hs9 so msnS 81
passengers attributed their ESCAPE more 70
divine ProydenOs than to the CAPTAIN m that
sent. It was learned. however, yesterday
cabin MESSENGERS did after all, send such q
despatch. and an, opposition paper was Dir
the publication Of the foregoing facts. in, case
any commendatory articles appeared In the
New York papers: and this account Is sent you
in order that the public may know all the facts
in the case. and the feelings Of those passen-
pressed in your article The responsibility ioE
taking the course which the Normannia did
and. In view Of the recent accident to the City
OF Paris and the most hazardous Efforts on the
record, al all odds. It seems to me- there is am
pie excuse for this letter."
The points raised In MI B 1So eom9u nj
Hamburg line. aud they brought out an inter-
esting statement rom Capt. Heblch OF the
course selected and the speed OF the ship In q
fog. Capt Aebich says: a,
from onr New York ocs @e tSa
down to latitude 40. and this report was CON
sameu time In eD With the Sofmannia. Upon due
confederation concluded 70 take middle
gone il / had been intent upon breaking reo-
and that % thnS If had
and driven the ship q its run eapaey Si speed.
but did neither; ful Mo speed I would have re-
WouS MADE rs
tiors per minute. In point Of fact, the numbeR
ho ds ii the on as ook
than other steamshIps found several deRree9
further south which sho S;d that nat my IudGmenS
iceberas until May 9th. when saw . number
Of them from early morning TIL late In tho
afternoon. Tho weather was clear until 0bout
Quarter OF Eve then fog closed upon US.
There seems 70 be 9 popular opinion fh99
reduce It's speed very, much as soon as IL RetR
into fog. This can. In my opinion, be iustihe8
the Captains OF these are now even inclined 70
Keep vi good rate OF speed 80 as 70 maintain
screw steamers. which are steered not only b.
means Of the rudder but also BY their two
BE- WGe The Other RSS
changing the course Of the ship-there can
he NC dN s esse on Of hs g TAXI
had been stpgle-screw steamer. she would
not have been abs to get out OF the way OF the
immediately in front of her, no matter whethe1
she ran six knots 81, eighteen knots per hour,
rate OF six knots and then running into an ices
berg has been recently reported. Had the
her steam would have had to be reduced %
much that when saw the iceberg; less than q
her engines would not have prod the efieo0
Of swinging around the ship before the ice-
one screw would not have worked backward
and tho other forward with sufficient power
could swing the ship around almost at riGht
angles within her, own length. moyement
gone at the raio Of six tnots an hour would
surely have run into tho iceberg.
"As matter Of safety. danger cannot always
be avoided. rs was shown in this instance
when the sea was full of icebergs from Now
foundand down to the lowest latitude ever
travel !ed by trans; Atlantic steamers; Tho main
point is. that ship constructed and htted out
like the Normannats able, at any given mos
ment when rightly handled to get out OF the
way Of cer ain danger, even IL Immediately bes
fore it, and there is much more safety In this
plan than In any other"
The proposition. =" the greater tho speed the
greater The safety" has been much discussed
In It's relation to the effects OF collisions be-
tween ships. but it has never before been pub
Holy nsidered or demonstrated In connection
with the iceberg danger, In the case OF single
screw boats with icebergs in { or path the
rule undoubtedly is the greater the speed
tho greater the, danger" The only resource
with them besides the helm, il, to reverse the
single screw. and. of course. the greater the
headway the longer 1t takes to overcome it.
The same thing would be true OF the twin
S Ser b S%Gs II me GTy were I" s