Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-13

Rockies who goes to Europe on
and sometimes twice year. IA
hepan six years ago. Now ne mas inc
,,bit There is nothing extraordinary
.hcut this Many of his fellow-coun'
,,,p,en are no less inoculated with the
ruropean virus The interesting point
= ina, he crosses and recrosses the
.aap with only one captain He would
~, take passage In vessel COM
landed by any one else. He has cited
AN. reasons for this But there Is
me urinary reason. although perhaps
,tfs man would never admit II.
II was seven years ago this summer
The wealthy westerner boarded a
/ ,aau,ship 20 say good-b by To friend.
rbs friend knew the captain, and was
Sonyersine with him when the west
rnsr approached. He was introduced
| 80 ,he big skipper. That was all. at
| ,he time The next year the Wcstcrncr
tooked FOR Europe on this same vessel.
Tho first night out the captain saw him
Il in the smoking room and came up
holding out his hand
"Nly how do YOU do. Mr. he
Il said. 4 am glad to have you with us
The westerner was BATTERED and
more. He decided that a skipper with
s,,cb n memory was man to entrust
MIN his life on the deep sea: which
he has done ever since Now, this
westerner did not know that in these
modern times q steamship company
fnds "a captain with a good memory for
names and faces as valuable as hotel
oUner fads q night or day clerk SIM
norly endowed This il not to say that
the faculty IS essential; for there are
skippcr- of crack liners who have II
not But any steamship man viii tell
YOU that IL is eInlnently desirable.
Usefulness or SHIPPERS.
For I'm these DAYS a sea captain who
sttains the greatest usefulness possible
In a position he holds, is inevitably Il
man Of many parts. Not only Is he Il
fine sailor, but II Judge Of human
nature He may not lack the qualities
M good fellowship and tact. and--ln
the case ~ women-gallantry. But be-
hind all must lie iron viii and readi-
ness 10 take off his kid gloves, so To
speak. and to seize the situation with
bare hands,
Functions on shipboard find his pre-
siding graCefully-df not wittily-as
postmaster. or announcer. or chair
man: at times he is the host OF royalty
or eN-prcsidents. lie knows how to
order dinner. ana he can stand on a
storm dashed bridge for q hours pull
Ing his vessel through hurricane
turn in FOR three or four hours, and
rCappoar, ready for another storm or
another function.
with the Transatlantic rush at its
height-whiCh means that 1000 or more
first cabin passengers are leaving this
port for Europe every two davs--thc
transatlantic captain plays prom
inent part in the lives Of n large num-
her of Americans Realization OF this
is very apparent before Sandy Hook
has disappeared astern. The person
alty Of the captain perVades the ship.
He commands not only the crew but IN
a large sense the passengers too. His
word II absolute. He has vested i'm him
the power ~ life and death In these
modern DAYS II is difficult to conceive
N an instance wherein he would feel
mpelled TO invoke this power: but II
ovCasiou should arise the alternative
would he within his Judgment Free
citizens are apt to ponder upon these
things once they are outside the coast
wise limits, floating upon waters which
are free 70 the world, and under the
Jurisdiction Of no one
uNWRlTTEN CODE or BRIDGE
But II the power OF the commander OF
transatlantic greyhound is great his
responsibilities to his owners and 10
humanity are no less so. n he loses
his ship through the slightest fault OF
nus own he loses his career H. happy,
he survives the disaster. Not many 10.
Captains subscribe to code unwr!tten.
put not less inexorable. that they shall
de with their ship, II passengers arc
aboard when II goes down The corr.
mander NJ La BOurgognc was last seen
on the bridge, his hand on the whistle
cord a. the great liner took the long
dive. Capt Won Goessel Of the Elbc,
most genial and skilful OF captains.
stood on the bridge with arms folded
calming waiting for the waters 10 on
gult him. Cant. Griffith Of the Mohegan
waited on the bridge. while his vessel
sank beneath his feet cart Luce OF
me Arctic died at his post There have
been recent instances OF captains, hav-
ing piled their ships up on rocks or
shoals, going 10 their cabins and end.
ing their lives. They knew II was either
mat or a life of retirement on shore.
Not an have chosen TO accept that al |
tentative which lay within their own |
nands You may find them brooding
me years away in little rose covered |
cottages In Hamburg. Bremen, Liver
pool' Glasgow, or some Long Island |
NIlage-each a victim OF one over |
shadowing mistake which set the record |
on years at naught. and offset all tho |
bravery and skill and devotion to duty |
that in them lay.
IN fact when one considers the rigid |
'sponSlhllties Of n captain there can |
oe nut wonder that he is such n whole
some and pleasant person. and such |
sood company at all times when the I,
NAVIGATION OF the ship does not de-
mand his close attention.
Uhe ioEgy morning in the spring Of
i.W me kronprlnz Wilhelm was lying |
,H Robins Roof. waiting for the mist
Dahks 10 rise before proceeding to her
per Many Of the passengers who had
'uccumhcd to Capt Nierich's genial
ana magnet tic personality had gone for
Nad under the bridge for a last word
WIN their commander. The captain |
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. s.sssssssSsaees>s