The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14
GR0C1D PLAN or THE .SzRUcZI7E; SH0L.
ING AT TIE 1SoLARZ17z WITCH WILL
con- TAIN THE INC UBA z0z7.S NITE4
7IAEIf 6A5F LN4TA zES
on THE BRIDGE
OF AN OCEAN LINER,

Many CONNECT is directed from TIT
bridges OF the great ocean liners which. 1
loss stirring. calls for no less courage OF
skill of seamanshp than the battles O.
! Ten-o,-war The supremacy OF the seas Il
I determined nowadays not by fleets of wal
J hips. but by the merchant marine TIL.
"apta;n on the bridge of modern linel
'oes not fight With guns. but dav and nigh
.rcrasingly he must direct a force of ten.
Z. thousand horse power and against an un
zen enemy.
= Despite accidents or stress of weather he
must steer his ship. on evefy hairs breadth
of a course knowing that his run to this
minute is being anXiously watched on two
continents. The victorious ship no longer
returns laden with rlunder or prisoners. bu,
! carries the mails. the passengers, the
| specie the freight and the dividends
The life on the bridge of Gre1t ocean
liner is especially interesting by night. The
darkness seems TO lend new danger. The
| responsibility when the ships population
| OF 2.cCo are asleep. weighs If possible more
| heavily. The present experience was had
| during recent voyage of tho Deutschland
! of the Hamburr-American Line. 1t was
a., from this point that this great vessel was
Steered safely across the Atlantic at a
| speed which still aims the worlds record
| voyage.
| The night selected was very dark and I'M
| usually quiet. The only sounds were. the
| peculiar singing note of the wind against
bare masts. the footballs Of the officer as no
| paced the bridge at intervals the voice Of
the lookout and unceasineS the deep throb
Of the engines as they forced 100 feet OF
steel hull through the water tlrelessly at
the rate of twentvforr knots IN hour.
SHIPS NERVE CENTER.
The bridge Is the nerve center Of the ship.
The complicated system Of call bells, speak
ing tub es. telephones and the many cleo
trical connections are controlled from this
point Not only the engines and the rudder
are directed from the bridge. but in the
event of accident the safety Appliances
may be operated from the same point OF
vantage.
Should there be a fire in any part of the
ships huge frame its presence would quick
" be known by an automatic device to the
man on the bridge. II the compartments
were to be closed every bulIhead in the
ship could be closed from the same point
while still another device would report the
failure of any door to operate.
The same narrow room is the telephone
central for the entire ship. that every
part of the vessel-and the stern is more
than an eighth of n mile dstant-may he in
instant touch OF the man on the bridge. The
mechanical equipment of the bridge is far
more complete than most folk imagine.
Every new ship adds some new device.
The great expanse of dark waters by
night seems to isolate the bridge from all
the world The darkness seems oppressive
To the unframed eye many Of the ships
lights are scs rcely visible. 1t Is decided
relief to escape from this bleak position to
the comfortable spacious wheelhouse
Like the bridge itself. the wheelhouse
should be most interesting at night. The
steering Of such ship is, of course, a very
serious affair and the work is done for the
most part In silence and almost in darkness
fha tri1 loo 81 o1 Ipaf r.
signals are out. There must be nothing to
obscure or bewilder the sight of the man on |
the bridge. And there Is no talking. |
The sailors make their reports from time |
to time briefly and withdraw. Within the |
wheelhouse 1t is much the same. The in |
terror is lighted only by n single lamp |
placed over the compass. The wheelman |
stands with his hand at the helm. his at
tention fixed upon the compass before him.
and only when 1t is absolutely necessary
does he speak or is he spoken to.
STEERING THROUGH THE NIGHT
To the landsman the most astounding
thing is to find the man at the wheel steer
ng the great racer while he stands behind
1rawn blinds.
Especially at night the windows of the
wheelhouse are closed for fear the light
nay annoy the nan on the bridge so that
he man at the helm sees no more of the
path ahead Of him than though he were in
he deepest hold Of the ship.
1t is not his business to look out. He must
Keep the ship on her course. Were the WIN
lowu open that he might look out on the |
~ so much from the real business before
lin. The course of the ship. with all the
Importance attached to it, has been laid
ome hours earlier by the captain, who
'ears the responsibility. The sun has been
aiken and the results called down to the
HaY ~ 1, t- lot pr-1 4
nee Of charts and q lifetime of experience
{ sea tho captain has laid the course
Where every minute OF the ships time Is
onsidered SO important for all her 1000
nle-course journey. 1t will be seen what
ccuracy and judgment must count for.
Wheel throughout the long night hours has
My to keep the ship. despite storm and |
urrent, as near as possible to this i'm
gtnary line.
The mechanism of steering is little less
han marveloua The Deutschland Is ono |
the heaviest portable objects in the
'orld. 1t measures more than 700 feet in |
,ngth and has a displacement of 1000
ons. 1t Is especially difficult to handle in
he water. since its enormous length makes
especially sensitive to the action OF the
urrents or of the wind. And yet this more
han an eighth Of a mile of steel hull IA
nder constant CONTROL SO that man with ,
ne hand, even a single finger, can readily
eer it
The modern liners are steered by n.y.
raulic power or by electricity. SO that a !
nall tube or wire no thicker than ones I
niger transmits the power which controls ]
ne great boat. 80 delicately is the wheel I
oised that one has merely to touch 1t with
ne's finger and the great ship will swing
lstantly from side to side. The action Of Z
,e wind and waves tends constantly ia de- 8
ect the ship, and It Is the business az fha z
an at the wheel to counterfeit this tend ,
lcy. that the steel Prov will push for !,
ard In as straight q line az may be. l
3he delicate steering mechanism rnatss n q