The Washington bee., 1899-07-22
THE CAPTAINS SIDE or 1T
Says Public Is Really to Blame for the
Loss Of Some Steamships.

Loss Of Some Steamships
OF the criminal carelessness OF the CON-
mander. which We hear SO much talk
about whenever a liner is lost" said
the Captain OF big ocean steamer the
other day Its not the Captain who
Is really 10 blame III one case out of
ten. even when he Is running his ship
at full speed through a fog. Il's the
public that's 10 blame, and III tell you
how il is.
To begin with. everybody knows OF
the rivalry between the different lines.
EVERYBODY knows what a difference
there is. in the estimation Of the pub
lie. between the rival boats OF the
same grade which start AT the same
time and come in twenty-four hours
apart. The man who has travelled by
the boat that comes in last Is going 10
say to himself that next time be will
20 on the So-and-SO. which must be q
better boat, for didn't she come IN
day ahead Of the one he came on: The
Captain Of boat No. l Il a 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 company doesn't either. They
have beaten the other line. and that
is enough. The Captain of boat No. 2
which came in a day behind the other
knows just what is in store for him
before he reports at the office OF his
t,sx F,saa
Why, how is this, Mr. Blank: You
came in twenty-fOur hours behind the
So-and-So. What was the matter, any
how
Well. you see says the Captain.
we had storms part Of the way, and
when we got TO the Banks we struck a
fog so thick you couldn't see your hand
before your face, and we had to run at
half speed all day.
'Ahemr one of the owners will say.
'Ahem. It's a bad thing, Mr.. Blank.
for us to be beaten twenty-four hours
by the So-and-So.'
Capt Blank says no more, but feels
that he has been reproved, and he re-
members 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 rec
ord trips. 1t is the public. you see,
! which the company has got to please
| if it is to exist. and the Captain has
To please the company. Some day he
| does this once te9 often. He cOllides
with another ship In fog. maybe, or
runs on the rocks. Perhaps the nat
ural love of life or the thought of q
| helpless family keeps him from delib-
| eratelg going 10 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 run
ming at full speed in thick weather. or
whatever the case may be. he is repri-
manded and his certificate suspended
/ for some months at least. When at last
+ he gets the certificate back il has a
I hole punched in it.
Now let us suppose he has been a
/ faithful servant of the company for a
good while. and they like him, and de-
4 cltlb I'D tD
/ and give him chance for existence.
/ This new ship has TO be insured, of
| course. before she goes to sea. The
| underwriters make 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 see Isn't he the man who
sunk the So-and-So? Yes? Oh. we can't
take any risks on ship commanded by
| Capt. Blank Put another commander
| in his place and it will be all right
| The company is obliged to dismiss
! Capt. Blank. Then he starts out to
/ find another situation. His certificate
/ 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-SoT
:. Yes. | commanded that boat
h" .Humph. Very sorry Captain. bot
we haven't anything just now. If 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 a
liner Is lost at sea her commander isn't
among the saved? But mark my
words" he added. rising. in almost
every disaster. when the cry OF negIi-
gence rs loudest. it's the public that's
! TO blame and not the Captain, who
only does what he is Obliged to do"