Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-10-12
CAR OF HIS SHIP
The Captain of an Ocean Liner
Is a Real Autocrat.
HIS WORD IS ABSOLUTE LAW.

He May, If He Deems Il Necessary.
Put a Passenger In irons or Clap
Him In = Cell, and IN Cases Of Ersr-
seney Is Empowered to Take Life.
Imagine mayor or a ludre OF n
circuit court OK a county sheriff or \
town marshal Of village or $500 pop
u.ation stepping out into the street
and Cd general and SELF Imposed su-
thority pic6inS up citizen. ordering
him 20 cell and clapplnr irons on
him for safe keeping.
Wouldn't the bird % American lib
erty set up q scream: Wouldn't the
old and badly cracked Liberty ben
reS0nate in discordt
After one 81 the -r,ai transatlantic
passenger steamships i4ees the three
mile limit % New York the passenger
Is in foreign territory 600 ihr high seas.
English. French. German whatever
the Tag at the masthead the ship IS
section OF its fatheriaud floating I'm the
high seas where only maritime laws
regarding its transit lac tinies OF peace
may hold check upon The carbon OF
the ships commanded. 90 or on the
bridge
No car has more power within his
territory than has The captain II the
great Atlantic liner on the hirh seas
lie Is CO an Island of AIS country's
ownership floating island. having
population OF so employees and look
lns after the welfare and safety 81 per
haps 1900 Passengers lie Is prac.
ticaily the administrative. executive
and Judicial single Individual. such rs
exists rarely Oh the map OF present
day civilization Aside from his au
thority over mankind he may hav.
100000 OF vessel under him. 20 say
nothing Of the International mails and
millions in gold On tranSshipment
There's tie captain" Is q whispered
bit OF comment made million times
a year In the beginning OF the pas.
saSes Of great ocean steamships And
generally the captain looks the part
IL is not so much his uniform either
Ordinarily the captain Is not young.
There is gray IN his hair. mustache
or beard That young man 10 his
twenues. no matter what his school
ing for beginning the work. isn't called
at a moments notice 10 the captains
bridge he must have his maximum
OF training Tor six or seven numbers
below before ne is called 10 the foot
OF the ladder
On the British passenger vessels
most Of the beginners AT navigating
an ocean vessel OF the frsi class will
have had lieuienant's commission
from the navy IL IS from the royal
navy reserves that the lowest officers
vacancy Is filed. Filling it. be has his
chance 10 rise to the position or cap
tain
As 70 the captains authority: one
midnight. when I'D fog the White
Star Baltic struck the German oil
steamship Standard. the Baltic needed
its captain. and he was there. His
ship carpenters were rushed 10 the
bow Of the vessel and began the work
OF patching up the hole in the Baltic's
steel sheathing
suppose that in a stampede OF the
Baluc's crew its employees had rushed
up 10 OH its boats: II was within the
captains power 10 have shot down the
ieader-to have brought about war t.
the knife, revolver and rifle In the IN.
terests OF his vessel and its passen-
gers. Or had some passenger or pas
senGers become panic stricken and
against orders menaced the welfare OF
the majority on the ship death would
have been dealt with the same rigid
discipline which requires Of the cap.
tain thar be be the autOcrat at his
post.
There are no forms OF writs or war
rants necessary. There is no court az
which the passenger or the seaman
may give bond In that instant Of
sudden great emergency which arises
the captains word is more than writ.
ten law; it is the unwritten common
law Of the high seas. in the spirit OF
which the vigilance committee of the
wild west OF the United States rose.
lawlessly lawful
Today the captain Of the great liner
may step into the palatial cabin and
command order. lie may go into the
smoking cabin and stop the game Of
cards at which the sharper is playing
Tor his stakes. In case Of refusal that
ancient land right Of no deprivation
or liberty without due process Of law"
becomes a farce The cell room or
even the iron manacles OF the cap
tain's authority may be used upon the
Individual who has paid 500 or 81. 900
for his suit OF rooms and his passage.
On the high seas the captains shin
becomes an autOcratic democracy. The
individual in the first cabin and AT the
captains table must share with the
Immigrant far below those equities
that are granted 10 each 10 his place.
Don't buck the captain" said an
official in the Offices Of a great steam
ship line. HE IS all there Is Of author
ity. He is the supreme entity Of his
ship. He is dressed for it: but. more
than that. be is trained 20 IT, He Is
empowered TO take life &c he must. and
on land this is the most serious Of all
things in the statute books"
commodore Of the feet" Is one OF
the Offices toward which the old sea
captain looks. not enyiously. not with
diSdain. 1t Is naval number In the
passenger service which marks the
aQa OF retirement Th.re is nonor Ia