The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-18
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DOES THE GlIKD Go ASTRAY? !.
g1accoultabIs Wrecks 0lay Be Due to Petit /.
naIs Incidents Of Temporary liberation. !.
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A r<.-14at OF the sound workings %
-. rain Of one single man. the
MI least "a grs even II merely tempo
-. feIrg likely 70 result in an ap-
IL a.. 5.sas.er9 tbs Is the query which
- literally suggest Itself TO the mind In
e =, t.4 reeorgis Of the recent court Of
- into the Destruction Of the ocean
MORGAN O.. the Nanacle Rocks. of
L cast q Cornwall.
~ -, .,ess+sesr - evidence rendered during
II rogrsa o. the investigation has gone 20
= K that taefn s. absolutely no explana-
=, ~ tals ga tasTroptse. when Involved the
= = y over lj.s lives. unless Il is 20 - found
! aoaaentary alteration Of mind on the
d Of the commander % the Inflated snip.
= shp was almost rev. and. like the
,art'uery. IN spieadId order. the night was
Z. and clear fhe officers and crew were
q A,rerehiv coTrlpetent and conscientious
= ale tie captain himself was man of
Ie.ros edged aostemiousness, o. rare ex-
kartence. ard apparently IN magnificent
~ physically as well a. mentally. AS
= .ated during lie inquiry ~ one Of the
tvsers % she line Capt GrTiths must
H. known ta@ sea road from London 70
b. york. and particularly the British
Lssene} portion thereos. as well az a Lon
h. cabmau knows Picadllly or IA New
IYerk hsckman knows Fifth avenue. lie
a. comm ld9ro of the entire fleet OF his
y. smoany and was or the bridge In actual
leammand az his ship At the time OF her
$lsss vt lf was proved during the inves-
ltzaaon ina the captain had. without any
IsspareUt reason. altered the vessels course
Gfou9 "a which he should have pursued.
Ysas had deliberately run his ship head on
II the roeks which line that terribly dan
II ger94s but SGT Iaagnifcently lighted coast
az Cornwall. 10 conceivable reason has
tesn adGuced why he should have desired
&gEposely 20 wreck his fine craft, and tho
r9Hent the Mohegan struck he. seemed 10
ssc9Eer his fI.l wits, acted vita calmness
ar r-se.atou made every effort 10 save
rs passengers and crew. and did his full
g. 70 the last in the most unexceptiou-
saie manner. going down with the ship
Tie only explanation. therefore Of Cant.
Gaflths' otherwise unaCcountabie conduct
! & rl1a3ng / he Michigan deliberately on the
NaE&ee rocks. Is thar al a given Inoment.
taai is "a say. for about an hour or 50 be-
fore tho catastrophe took place his brain
mtst haye temporarily given way. or
soprsd working. and what I purpose TO
sAow IN tie course az this le>er Is that in
sanees Of this kind are far more frequent
l fhaa mo- people either dream or would be
hslhed Ia believe. and that the hour has
cons 10 devise sofne suitable Drecautinn
sgsinst Fers II this nature which have -
ea2ef the necessary consideration and at
1 teniioa only because AT tho close Of tha
I hhsssenth century. and especially IN this
/ e9ahdy We lead such busy lives. and are
\ sSais - pressed for time and IN sf,rf, p
;eA1rg hurry from the moment when ne
arse naii We 20 to sleep. that We never
aAte the leisure for either Quiat sober
thought or FOR communing with ourselves
Aay one who has ever travelled Ola board a
So OF In the cab Of locomotive. or who
haa Visited the engines Of some great mine
u @faHS of waich the air necessary Tor he
fssffAdnH Of The miners IS PUMPED into the
toH~ Of tbs earth. ~.ii have observed how
e.as ant and unremltt!nE is the attcu5ion
w the engineer on duty gives TO his ma
eAaeft. No matter how perfect the latter.
= j forever examining. Inspecting. watch
1 '-s ,as piece and that oiec5. testing or feel
!1s 'ae bearings No: minute j rs he ne~-
M{ MS attention % swervo from tho en-
60 realizing as he does that even the
nitst machinery may break down suddenly
&C Nli"oGt any apparent cause While The
\ machinery - ar work every portion Of Il j.
/ he'e az less subject TO a severe strain
Naleh may result In the giving way II one
+" A1etfer part thereof. whore. unles, the
"a, u n" engineer IS almost ia a second
Sue "O''A e''-
New. ths workings Of the human brain
sle fi''if y more delicate. ana. above mn
- rag T. aad liable 20 brrak down. than
! @AA HOO machinery. ard Just IL fha
80 manner tlat 10 machinery Is SAT-.
=" 'Ae danger u a sudden giving wa,- q.
."' res, critical moment. mans brain.
4t'..r how well equipped and power
W. q" 3sieuaily ara uuaccnuntahlv
way. fae difference being that n this
t.-r
{" II ONCE pJt a stop 20 the human
.,1e'a -. = / may be permitted TO use
- ~ YES II t,se csptaia ~ the Mo
tia had ty his s'de on the bridge a
$500 commander. who. The very moment
'.7- .v perceived C'r.GlthS altering tha
's1's" ~ 81" ship, aad steering hcr straight
.'ths. "aalf have realized that thu
49, Vas suffering from temporary aherra-
7. f.3a H-io had suddenly given w14y.
'-s'd h'n 10 he pu, under restraint
sac assumed command IF the shin
IN ".d roi today he over fl0 families
~toa - 'he Atlantis mourning the
11aiA - those most near anl dear.
aH w.t naturally arise as %
Is. oli-sr - fho Moheran. On zee
r<t-fa~dHary course which the
YES Steering. tia oot venture -
N.sfe ana to rcsltxe that something
S-.' w.Nny wt-H IS commander THIS
i.rf-. esr c.tliv or hoard those Nv
'ae fnE 's2 r.c Is almost as strict as
n'H 20 vHr. Ns \ general rule,
Hfstr tes rr- i~vit- familiarity IN
'@'' 't h'S suha.tet0 officers. aad for
F." -r rrstrate r. they saw any.
'HAi t'ev dtt ~rt oat.o understand. or
m tref oVl1i a. VS. an errcr ~
@'"i3 .~ niaa cases Ont o. ten
g., sa7F" -7s@re. rrohae,y discharge