Middletown transcript., 1898-12-17
LINERS LOST AT SEA.
A CAPTAINS STORY OF WHO IS OF
TENEST TO BLAME.


He Also Suggests Why, When an
Ocean steamer Goes Down., Her
Commander In Seldom to BE Found
Among Those who syere Saved.
THERE'S another side to this ques-
tion of the criminal carelessness OF the
commander which we hear SO much
talk about whenever liner is lost"
said She captain of big ocean steam
shis, the other day. "It's not the cap
tain who is really to blame in one case
put of ten even when he is running his
ship at full speed through a fog. It's
the public that's to blame, and I'll tell
you how it is
'tTo begin with, everybody knows OF
the rivalry between the different lines.
Everybody knows what difference
there is, in the estimation Of the public,
between the rival boats of the same
grade which start at the came time and
come in "a hours apart. The man who
has travelled by the boat that comes in
last is going to say to himself that next
time he will go on the So-and-so, which
must be better boat, for didn't she
come in day ahead of the one he came
on?
"The captain Of boat No. is hero
for the time being, and the company he
works for smiles on him. That he has
run all the way at full speed through
heavy seas and fogs and has taken all
kinds of risks he knows, but he doesn't
say anything about that and the COM
pany doesn't, either. They have beaten
the other line, and that is enough.
'sThe captain of boat No. 2, which
came in day behind the other, knows
just what is in store for him before he
reports at the Office Of his company.
This is about what he hears:
".Why, how is this, Mr.. Blank?
You came in "a hours behind the So
and-so. What was the matter anyhowP
Well, you see, says the captain,
we had storms part Of the way, and
when we got to the banks we struck
fog SO thick you couldn't see your hand
before your face, and we had to run at
half speed all day.
tAhem' one Of the owners will
say. 'Aheml It's bad thing, Mr..
Blank, for us to be beaten "a hours by
the So-and-so.'
Captain Blank says no more, but
feels that he has been reproved, and he
remembers it on the next trip The sea
may be running mountains high and
the fog may be SO thick You can't see
the funnel from the bridge, but he is
bound to get in on time this trip, and
he does. The owners of the line smile
on him. So he knows what he is re-
quired to do and goes on making record
trips.
Tt is the public, you see, which the
company has got to please if it is to ex-
list, and the captain has to please the
company. Some day he does this once
too often. He collides with another ship
in fog, maybe, or runs on the rocks.
Perhaps the natural love of life or the
thought Of helpless family keeps him
from deliberately going to the bottom
with the ship, but he knows that his
career is at an end.
"The board sits on the case, and if
there is any evidence to show that the
accident was due to the carelessness Of
the commander in running at full speed
| in thick weather, or whatever the case
may be, he is reprimanded and his GER
| tif1cate suspended for some months at
least. When at last he gets the certifi-
cate back, it has hole punched in it.
"Now let us suppose that he has been
faithful servant of the company for
good while, and they like him and de-
eide to transfer him to another ship and
give him chance for existence This
new ship has to be insured, of course,
before she goes to sea. The underwriters
make their examination and in the
course of their inquiries there comes up
the question as to who is the captain Of
the ship.
"When they hear the name, they will
probably say: Why, let us seel Isn't
he the man who sunk the So-and so?
Yes? Oh, we can't take any risks on a
ship commanded by Captain Blank
Put another commander in his place
and it will be all right
"The company is therefore obliged to
dismiss Captain Blank Then be starts
out to find another situation. His GER
tifcate. you remember, has hole in it.
He goes to see the owners of another
line. As soon as they hear his name
they say:
"'Oh, yes, Didn't you command
the So-and-so?'
Yes, commanded that boat
1Humphl Very sorry, captain, but
we haven't anything just now. II we
should have anything, we will let you
know
"This scene is repeated at one steam
ship office after another on both sides
Of the water"
The captain leaned his elbows on the
table. "Do you wonder, /" he said after
pause, "that generally when liner
is lost at sea her commander ism 4 among
the savedf But mark my words, " he add.
ed, rising, "in almost every disaster,
when the cry Of negligence ia loudest,
it's the public that's to blame and not
\ the captain. who only does what he is
4 obliged to do. New York Sun.
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