Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-03-02
LINERS LOST AT SEA.
A CAPTAINS STORY OF WHO is Of
TENEST TO BLAME.

He Also SCGRests Why, when an
Ocean Steamer Goes Down, Her
Commander Is seldom to BE Found
Among Those Who nere Saved.
There's another side TO this ques-
ton of the criminal carelessness of the
commander which we hear so much
talk about whenever a liner is lost, :"
said .he captain of a big ocean steam
ship the other day. ats not the cap
tain who is really to blame in one case
out of ten even when he is running his
ship at full speed through fog. It's
the public that's to blame, and I'll tell
you how it is
''To begin with, every body knows OF
the rivalry between the different lines.
Everybody knows what a difference
there is, i'll the estimation of the public,
between the rival boats of the same
grade which start at the same 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 no will go on the Sc and-so, which
must be a better boat, for didn't she
come in day ahead of the one he camo
ON?
1.-THE captain of boat No. l 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 aud has taken all
kinds of risks he knows, but he doesn't
ray anything about that, and the COM
pany doesn't, either. They have beaten
line other line, and that is enough.
1.-The captain of boat No. 2, which
rame in a day behind the other, knows
! Just what is i'll 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
| Rnd-sO. What was the matter anyhow
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.
a. 'Ahemp one Of the owners will
say. 'Aheml It's bad thing, Mr..
Blank, for Us to be beaten 81 hours by
the So-and-s So
Captain Blank says no more, but
feels that he has been Teproved, 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
be does. The owners of the line smile
on him. So he knows what he is re-
luired to do and goes on making record
trips.
1T is the public, you sec, 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 u fog, maybe, or runs on the rocks
Perhaps the natural love of life or tho
thought of a 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 tho 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
i'll thick weather, or whatever the case
may be, he is reprimanded and his GER
tificate suspended for some months st |
least. When at last he gets the certifi- |
cate back, it has hole punched in it.
Now let Cs suppose that he has been |
A faithful servant of the company for |
good while. and they like him and de-
eide TO transfer him TO another ship and |
give him q chance for existence This |
new ship has to be insured, of course, |
before she goes TO sea. The underwriters |
make their examination and i'll the |
course of their inquiries there comes up |
tine question as to who is tho captain Of |
the ship.
when they hear the name, they will |
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 Captain Blank! |
Put another commander i'll his place
and it will be- all right
THE company is therefore obliged to |
dismiss Captain Blank. Then he starts
out To find another situation. His GER
tificate, you remember, has hole i'll 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 SOP
Yes, L commanded that boat
'Humph! Very sorry, captain, but
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 OF both sides
If the water
The captain leaned his elbows on tho
table. do you wonder, " he said after
I pause, "that generally when liner
Is lost SEE her commander ism t among
the saved? But mark my words, " he add
"a. rising, lin ALMOST every disaster,
when the cry of negligence is loudest,
it's the public that's to blame and not
the captain, who only docs what he IS
obliged TO do. New York Sun.