The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-04
TROUBLES OF SHIP CAPTAINS.
Liable to Censure While Performing
Conscientious Service.

Liable to Censure While Performing
Conscientious Service.
(From the New Orleans Times-Democrat)
"The captains of the big ocean liners
are paid a great deal less than they de-
serve" said the first officer of Liver
pool cargo ship which was recently in
port. The salaries range from $3,0o0 to
5000 per annum. and. considering the re-
sponsibility and the wear and tear on the
nerves., it is about the worst compensated
profession you could name. What's more"
continued the speaker, emphatically, the
billet is becoming less and less desirable
every year. Nowadays sixteen knots is
considered ridiculously slow. and sus-
tained speed of twenty-one knots all the
way across the Atlantic and back is moth
ing extraordinary. A vessel making it is
simply holding her own. and the moment
she drops below a certain time limit she
begins to lose money. Her patrons aban-
don her for faster ships. and in that re-
spect the ocean passenger business has
become as sensitive as thermometer.
Now then, look at the position OF the
por captain, He knows that he must
make dividends for his company in order
to hold his reputation and his job, yet lie
is confronted by string of rules as long
as your arm. all enjoining prudence. He
is Instructed, for example, to go at half
speed through fogs, and. while he knows
the precaution is wise and absolutely es-
sential to anything like safety, he also
knows that he would be fired If he OBJ
served it. The other ships tear through
1t full speed and he has to do the same
to maintain the prestige Of his line. But
he must assume the responsibility him
self The sleek, comfortable directors in
the board room are not supposed to know
anything about 1t. and II he bumps into
an iceberg or another vessel or cuts down
some unfortunate fishing smack he must
Mead guilty to 'willful disobedience OF
orders and bear the brunt of the blame.
All he can do is to roost on the bridge,
with every nerve on edge, and pin his
trust to Providence. have seen captains
stay there for three days hand-running
and stagger into the chartroom half dead
with fatigue and half crazy with anxiety.
IT'S that sort of thing that makes EN- old
before their time.
.sWhen a man has two or three million
dollars worth of property and 1,500 OF SO
human lives to protect by caution the
FIRST officer went on, land at the same
time has a fixed standard that he must
keep up by taking chances, he is certainly
between the devil and the deep sea. /
used to be in the passenger service my
self, and when left it l was third officer
ON a vessel that was considered one of the
second berth was excellent, and from
there up to gold-laced skipper seemed on
ly a matter of time; but / was beginning
to wonder whether the game was worth
the candle, and what turned the scale In
my mind was something that happened to
us one night off the Newfoundland banks.
Fast running was just beginning TO be
great feature at that time, and The own
ers TOOK special pains to impress that fact
on the mind of the captain, cautionilg him
with the same breath that he must, On no
account, do anything TO endanger the ship.
The old man was a guileless sort of a
chap and took them seriously; but when
We had two or three slow trips, owing to
careful running in nasty weather. he vas
made to feel clearly that he was Under
cloud. Then he saw how the Wind set and
was greatly troubled in his mind. He was
q fine sailor and conscientious man, hut
that idea Of pleasing the owners had been
ground into him all his life. and at last
he got desperate and decided to shut his
eyes and take chances.
1.-THE next outbound trip we made We
struck fog of the Banks that you could
cut with knife, but the captain was keen
on retrieving himself. SO he kept her at
full speed and hung to the bridge with his
heart in his mouth. trusting to luck That
aDOul . o CLOCK, DIG snip lOOm-
ed up suddenly, dead ahead. didn't see
1t, but was told IL seemed TO jump right
out of nothing and how we missed it
won't attempt to explain. AS II was. we
almost shaved each others sides, and
dare say there was never closer call on
the North Atlantic. But what started to
tell you was this: / was below when
heard the racket of whistling and yelling
and all that. and was just tumbling out
when in rushed the old man. / give you
my word hardly knew him, he looked SO
Wild and strange. He staggered to a
locker to get drink, but before he could
open it he gave a sort Of horrible gurgle
In his throat and fell over in a dead faint.
We brought him round all right but that
settled it with me. Anything that would
bowl over tough old sailorman like that
vas too much for your humble servant.
The affair got out. of course. and he was
feprimanded for reckless running: but /
looked around quietly for another Job. and
that's how landed in the merchant ma
yine. hear they are talking now about
turbine engines and thirty knots for the
liners, and those who like that sort of
thing are welcome to 1t. We knock along
at our little twelve knots an hour, and,
while II isn't SO exciting, get lot more
comfort out OF life
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