The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-30
TELLS OF DANGERS
FROM LONG V|G|Ls.
Strength IF Commanders on
Great Liners Often
Dvertaxed.

Boston, Artl 2e.--charges that bad
steamship mana cement overtaxes the
strength of commanders OF great lin
ers at critical times and thereby en-
dangers the lines of thousands of pass
engers are published in the May num-
Der OF the AT antic Monthly issued to-
day. "The Man on the Bridge" is the
leading artield The author Is vouched
tor by the NH gazine as an officer on
transatlantic liner. At one point he
says
I hive been left In charge OF a liner
carrying a crew OF 500. 1900 Storage
passengers. SOP second class and about
900 first, In all about 1900 souls.
These in addition to the valuable shil,
and freight, have been under my charge
a: time when have been from thirty
to forty hours on my feet and without
sleep or rest. The safety of all de-
pended upon my vigilalice at time
when soul, mind and body have long
been worn out. To keep awake at such
times Is torture; one must walk, walk
and get through somehow: and all this
IN waters crowded with shipping and
where vessels are subjected to the
-
IN their lives perhaps arc passengers
In such jeopardy.
In another place he refers to these
dangers thus.
Some years ago elaborate plans
wer drawn up for the safety of liners
When clear of the land. | refer to the
tracks agreed upon by the leading
steamship companies. These tracks,
no doubt, arc a good thing and do min
lmlae the risks OF an ocean passage,
put the Eravest and most unwarrant-
abIe risks are taken in the very worst
places in the world-the English chan
nels--and under the worst possible con-
ditions."
He asserts plainl What some of the
record runs across the Atlantic are
TAXED From Sandy Hook Light to
what Is called The Corner" he says,
is LEO miles on the southern track
on straight course. Now suppose
that FOR the sake of making a record
passage a navigator chooses to leave
the straight line at about 500 miles
from New York and to strike up north
on great circle track of his own,
different from the one he is supposed to
follow he may save about 100 miles
Should he make a long cut and go only
about 1000 miles, instead of the Off :
cial l,22o miles, on his straight line
course from New York before striking
north his distance by the time he
reaches the Fastnet would be much less
than the official distance.
This reduced distance saves time.
but the time on passage is divided
into the official or greater distance to
arrive a the average speed. Thus the
time on passage will be correct, but
the average speed based on the cal
culation that the whole official dis
lance was travelled will be faxed
1T is possible when vessels are on
the southern track to make a big cut
because the angle in the rhumb or
straight line course is so acute. For
the sake of n smart passage 1t is best
TO Keep as far north as possible. The
further north one keeps the less the
distance in travelling between two
points lying east and west.
.knowing what goes on behind the
scenes, | have no hesitation in declar-
ing that Mauretania's latest record
26oS knots. was faxed l do not be-
heVe FOR a. moment, nor do the off
GERS aboard her, that she made that
average covering the official distance"